BIOLOGY M.S.30 HOURS

Advising:
Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology,
Department of Biology,
Dr. Stephen Vives,
Dept. of Biology,
Georgia Southern University,
P.O. 8042, Statesboro,
GA 30460-8042,
(912) 681-5954,
svives@gasou.edu,
FAX: (912) 681-0845,
http://www.bio.gasou.edu

Admission

Students are selected for the Master of Science in Biology degree program on a competitive basis. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Applications are usually evaluated during the eighth week of the semester prior to the semester of admission. Applications for graduate assistantships must be received by March 15 to receive full consideration for fall. Assistantships are awarded for a maximum of five semesters and are reviewed each semester.

Admission Requirements: For unqualified admission to the College of Graduate Studies to pursue graduate work leading to the Master of Science degree in Biology, the applicant must have:

Regular

• Completed requirements for the bachelors degree in a college accredited by the proper regional accrediting associations.
• A 2.75 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work.
• Scores of at least 450 on the verbal and on quantitative portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are typical for applicants to the Master's Program in Biology. Lower scores will sometimes be considered, but the applicant will need strong evidence of ability to perform satisfactory graduate work.
• An undergraduate major or the equivalent appropriate to the proposed field of study. Adequately prepared applicants will typically have completed 24 hours of biology, 9 hours of mathematics, 16 hours of chemistry (including organic chemistry), and 8 hours of physics (or geological science).
• Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's potential to complete successful graduate work.
• A statement of career goals.

Provisional

Students that fail to meet one of the requirements 2-4 above (GPA less than 2.75, GRE scores below 450, bachelors degree with inadequate background in biology, math, or chemistry) may be admitted provisionally. Provisional students must earn a B or higher in their first 6 hours of courses to be converted to regular status.

Non-degree

Non-degree students are accepted on an individual basis as space is available.

Program of Study

The graduate student and their graduate committee shall jointly develop a Program of Study that includes 24 semester credit hours in graduate coursework plus 3 credit hours of research and 3 credit hours of thesis. Of the 30 required credit hours, 15 must be at the 6000 level or higher.

General Requirements

Core Requirements

BIOL 7610 Graduate Seminar (2-4)

Specific Requirements

BIOL 7610 Graduate Seminar (2-4)

BIOL 7895 Research (3)

BIOL 7999 Thesis (3)

Electives 20-22 Hours

Courses at 5000G level or above

Other Program Requirements

Each candidate for the Master of Science degree in Biology must complete a thesis on a subject approved by his/her graduate committee. The thesis must be defended before the graduate committee and presented as a public exit seminar.

The final comprehensive/ thesis examination may include questions on the thesis, subject matter related to the thesis, and on coursework taken at Georgia Southern University. In addition, a knowledge of a broad range of biological principles such as those covered in a general biology course is expected. Toward this end, a qualifying examination equivalent to a final in a general biology course must be passed with a minimum score of 80 percent. Students that do not pass the qualifying exam may retake the exam no sooner than the following semester.