Degree Requirements
Required Preparation
Applicants must complete the following course work with a grade of “C” or better in each course: eight hours of general biology with lab, eight hours of general chemistry with lab, three hours of statistical methods (STAT4219/6219), and four hours each of organic chemistry with lab, ecology with lab, microbiology with lab, animal physiology with lab, and plant physiology with lab. A student may be provisionally admitted to the program pending completion of this list of courses or the re-taking of courses for which the original grade was less than “C.” Students are expected to be proficient in a Windows environment with file management, word processing, spreadsheet, graphing, and Internet skills. Otherwise CPSC2005 or equivalent will be required with a grade of “C” or better. A second course in organic chemistry is strongly recommended.
Thesis/Project Option
As part of this degree program, students must choose between a thesis or project option.
In the thesis option, students develop a thesis proposal usually related to a faculty member’s research, carry out a formal research study under the supervision of the faculty member and a degree committee, prepare a final manuscript that includes a thorough literature review chapter followed by a traditional manuscript chapter suitable for publication consideration, and make a formal research presentation. The thesis option would be appropriate for students who have focused research interests or who intend to pursue doctoral study.
In the project option, students develop a master’s project proposal, complete the project in conjunction with a faculty member, and prepare a final technical report, and make a formal research presentation.
Admission to Candidacy
After admission as a degree-seeking student, a student also must be admitted to candidacy. To qualify for degree candidacy, an Environmental Biology student must accomplish the following within three years of admission to the program:
1. Required Preparation: Complete the required preparation course work listed above with a grade of “C” or better in each course.
2. Degree Plan: Meet during the first term of enrollment with the program academic advisor and faculty to complete a degree plan for the student’s course of study in Environmental Biology. The degree plan must be approved by at least three faculty, the program academic advisor, and the chair of the Science Division.
3. Research Proposal: Identify a research advisor from among the full-time Biology faculty and prepare a formal research proposal. This proposal should be a comprehensive statement of the student’s intended thesis/project research and must be approved by a committee of the research advisor and a minimum of two other faculty. Approved research proposals must be filed with the program academic advisor at least one year before the student’s expected date of graduation.
4. Grade Point Average: Maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better to sustain candidacy.
More detailed candidacy information is available through the division office or from the student’s advisor.
Degree Requirements
Students must meet all university requirements for a master's degree.
I. Required Courses (14 Hours)
- BIOL 6657 Ecological Methods: Populations (2)
- BIOL 6660 Ecological Methods: Communities (2)
- BIOL 8840 Microbial Ecology (2)
- BIOL 8841 Microbial Ecology Laboratory (1)
- BIOL 8860 Ecosystem Ecology (2)
- BIOL 8861 Ecosystem Ecology Lab (1)
- STAT 8820 Experimental Design for the Natural Sciences (4)
II. Thesis/Project Option (3-7 hours)
Select one of the following options
Thesis Option (7 hours)
BIOL 8990 Graduate Thesis (6)
BIOL 8998 Research Presentation (1)
or
Project Option (3 hours)
BIOL 8990 Graduate Project (2)
BIOL 8998 Research Presentation (1)
III. Selectives (10-12 hours)
Students in the Thesis Option select a minimum of 11 hours.
Students in the Project Option select a minimum of 21 hours.
BIOL 5522 Ornithology (1)
BIOL 5523 Ornithology Laboratory (2)
BIOL 5530 Biotechnology (2)
BIOL 5531 Biotechnology Laboratory (1)
BIOL 5536 Environmental Hydrology (2)
BIOL 5555 Mammalogy (2)
BIOL 5556 Mammology Laboratory (1)
BIOL 5560 Plant Systematics (2)
BIOL 5561 Plant Systematics Laboratory (1)
BIOL 5590 Aquatic Ecology (2)
BIOL 5591 Aquatic Ecology Laboratory (2)
BIOL 6615 Geographical Information Systems (3)
BIOL 6622 Natural Areas Ecology (3)
BIOL 6641 Toxicology (3)
BIOL 8000 Special Topics in: . . . (1-4)
BIOL 8850 Environmental Physiology (2)
BIOL 8851 Environmental Physiology Laboratory (1)
Other graduate-level science courses as approved by the
academic advisor.
IV. Total for Thesis Option - 32 Hours
Total for Project Option- 38 Hours
