 The Combined BS/MS Degree Program in Biology allows students to complete both the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biology in five years. The hallmark of the program is the focus on research; students initially will be exposed to research by way of lab rotations as soon as they arrive, and will join a lab for their thesis by the beginning of their third year. In addition to the courses in biology required for the two degrees, students will also complete all of the Core Curriculum requirements and courses in other sciences as well. Thus, students will be well prepared to enter a graduate or professional (e.g., medical, dental, etc) program for further study or a technical job after graduating.
Refer to the following resources for useful information:
The
Program of Study form
provides a list of science and math courses required for the BS and MS degrees
The
BS /MS Program of Study and Advising Worksheet includes courses in the Core Curriculum as well, and allows students and their advisors
to keep track of progress toward both the BS and MS degrees.
The
Sample Schedule provides an example of how to schedule courses to complete the BS degree in four years and
MS degree in the fifth year without having any more than 9 credits in the last year.
Some highlights of requirements:
- Total credits. Students will complete a total of at least 166
credits, including General Biology I and II which is typically completed
with AP credit before matriculation. The minimum of 166 credits includes 136
for the undergraduate BS degree and 30 (20 course and 10 research) for the
graduate MS degree. These credit totals are the same as those of students
not in the program.
Students will typically begin taking graduate courses (BIO 7000+) in their
junior year, achieving the goal of getting involved in graduate level work
early in the program.
- Double-counted Biology courses. Students can count a maximum of 9
credits toward both the BS and MS degrees. These “double-counted” courses
are always at the graduate level (BIO 7000 and above). The
one credit course BIO 8920 will always be counted for both degrees, but several possible combinations
exist for the remaining 8 credits; students typically will assign the
remaining 8 credits as (a) two 4 cr graduate lab courses, or (b) one 4 cr
graduate lab course, one 3 cr graduate “topics” course, plus BIO 8910, or
(c) two 2 credit courses and one 4 cr course.
- Distributional requirements within the major. All students will
take at least one lab course in each of three areas – Cell and Molecular
Biology, Organismal Biology, and Ecology and Population Biology,
as is the case for all B.S. students in Biology. A graduate lab course can
be used for the distribution requirement for the BS degree (with approval).
- Lab rotations. Students are scheduled for a 1 cr lab rotation in
each of their first four semesters (BIO 6401-6404). Transfer students
typically take only one year (2 semesters) of rotations (BIO 6403 and BIO
6404).
- Core Curriculum. Students will complete all requirements of the
Core Curriculum, as other students in the College of Arts & Sciences. Some
students will be able to use AP credit to fulfill some of the requirements.
- Thesis Proposal. Students will work on their thesis proposal in
their third year, and are expected to complete their written and oral thesis
proposal by no later than the end of their 7th semester.
- Forms to submit and suggested schedule
-
Designation of Thesis Mentor -
Submit before or during the 5th semester.
-
Establishment of Advisory
Committee - Submit after designating your thesis mentor and before
presenting your thesis proposal.
-
Program of Study
- Submit after establishing Advisory Committee. Outlines requirements for BS and
MS degrees, and includes plan for taking graduate Biology courses in the 3rd-5th
years.
-
Approval of Written Thesis
Proposal - Submit at least one week before the oral presentation of
the thesis research.
-
BSMS Program Information Form - Submit to the Graduate Office by the end of the Drop/Add period of your
last semester.
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