Biology, Master of Science (M.S.)

Program goals

The Department of Biology prepares graduate students to:

1. Acquire training in a chosen subdiscipline of biology
2. Learn research techniques used in the subdiscipline
3. Develop presentation skills
4. Develop publication skills

Student learning outcomes

Upon completion of the M.S. in Biology, students will:

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the principles of biology
2. Develop the quantitative and critical thinking skills needed to successfully perform research in the discipline
3. Demonstrate effective written and oral communication of biological concepts and research
4. Demonstrate appropriate expertise of the most recent research advances of a biology subdiscipline

VCU Graduate Bulletin, VCU Graduate School and general academic policies and regulations for all graduate students in all graduate programs

The VCU Graduate Bulletin website documents the official admission and academic rules and regulations that govern graduate education for all graduate programs at the university. These policies are established by the graduate faculty of the university through their elected representatives to the University Graduate Council.

It is the responsibility of all graduate students, both on- and off-campus, to be familiar with the VCU Graduate Bulletin as well as the Graduate School website and academic regulations in individual school and department publications and on program websites. However, in all cases, the official policies and procedures of the University Graduate Council, as published on the VCU Graduate Bulletin and Graduate School websites, take precedence over individual program policies and guidelines.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on academic regulations for graduate students.

Degree candidacy requirements

A graduate student admitted to a program or concentration requiring a final research project, work of art, thesis or dissertation, must qualify for continuing master’s or doctoral status according to the degree candidacy requirements of the student’s graduate program. Admission to degree candidacy, if applicable, is a formal statement by the graduate student’s faculty regarding the student’s academic achievements and the student’s readiness to proceed to the final research phase of the degree program.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following degree candidacy policy as published in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for complete information and instructions.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on degree candidacy requirements.

Graduation requirements

As graduate students approach the end of their academic programs and the final semester of matriculation, they must make formal application to graduate. No degrees will be conferred until the application to graduate has been finalized.

Graduate students and program directors should refer to the following graduation requirements as published in the Graduate Bulletin for a complete list of instructions and a graduation checklist.

Visit the academic regulations section for additional information on graduation requirements.

Other information

Details on the M.S. degree in biology can be found in the Guidelines for Graduate Studies in Biology.

Degree requirements

In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses and to conduct significant research.

1. Credit hour requirements: Master of Science degree candidates are required to take a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours with a minimum of 15 credit hours at the 600 level. A maximum of six credit hours from graduate course work taken at other institutions may be transferred if they meet approval of the department.

2. Grade requirements: Receipt of a grade of C or lower in two courses constitutes automatic dismissal from the graduate program in biology. Courses with a grade of C or lower cannot be applied to satisfying the degree requirements.

3. Thesis or non-thesis option: Each student must select either the thesis or the non-thesis option. Students selecting the thesis option must take at least six and no more than nine credit hours of BIOL 698. The M. S. thesis option requires the successful defense of a written thesis based on laboratory or field research.  Students selecting the non-thesis option must take three credit hours of BIOL 692 and complete and defend an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. 

4. Other requirements: All M.S. thesis option students are required to write a thesis proposal and a formal thesis following a prescribed format. In order to initiate thesis research, the thesis proposal must be approved by the student’s graduate committee and the chair of the department, and the student must be approved for degree candidacy. Each student will be required to pass a final examination, which will be primarily a defense of the M.S. thesis. Students may specialize within many areas, such as molecular and cellular biology, genetics, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, systematics, physiology, neurobiology and developmental biology. Students also may develop an interdisciplinary focus to their degree programs, for example, within areas such as bioinformatics, cancer biology, forensic science and environmental science.

Curriculum requirements

Thesis option

The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 30.