Program Description-Thesis Option
The Department of Biology offers a graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Biology degree. The Master of Science with a thesis option is intended to prepare students for professional positions in state and federal agencies, the environmental consulting industry, and for further graduate studies. A broad range of faculty research interests, easy access to diverse biological environments, and a range of research facilities permit the student to select from a broad spectrum of research topics.
Faculty interests include aquatic ecosystem/restoration ecology, arachnology, behavioral ecology, chemical ecology, community ecology, conservation biology, entomology, environmental microbiology, field biology, host-pathogen interactions/microbial pathogenesis, molecular genetics, molecular systematics, physiology/genomics of aquatic microbes, plant anatomy, plant ecophysiology and plant pathology.
Application Process and Program Requirements
Application for the Master of Science in Biology
Persons seeking an MS in Biology must apply to both the university and to the MS Biology graduate program for admission to this specific graduate program. Students will be admitted into the MS in Biology program with either conditionally classified status or classified status.
Admissions Requirements for the Master of Science in Biology
An earned bachelor’s degree in the biological sciences or a bachelor’s degree in a related science with a grade of a C or higher in course work equivalent to
- An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester units of course work.
- Submission of three letters of recommendation.
- Formal decision by the Departmental Graduate Committee to accept the student into the graduate program. The decision will be based on a formal application procedure, which includes evaluation of GPA, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and other materials that may be required by the Committee and/or offered by the student.
Transfer credits and Out-of-program units
A maximum of 9 semester units may be applied toward the fulfillment of requirements of the MS Biology program at the time that a student enters the MS Biology program. This includes units from another accredited college or university, from CSUB Open University, or out-of-program units taken at CSUB. Out-of-program units include any units taken while a student does not have graduate standing within the MS Biology program. These units must be declared at the time that a student applies to the CSUB MS Biology program and their ability to be applied toward the graduate program will be assessed as part of application review. Once admitted to the MS Biology program, no new or additional transfer or out-of-program units are permitted to be applied toward degree requirements, including courses taking through CSUB Open University.
Graduate Student Classifications
Classified Graduate Student
Acceptance as a Classified Graduate Student indicates that space has been made available for the student within the program and that the student has met the admission requirements above. In addition, Thesis option students must have been accepted into an advising relationship with an appropriate Biology Department faculty member.
Conditionally Classified Graduate Student
Students who fail to meet entirely one or more of the criteria for admission as a Classified Graduate Student may, at the discretion of the Biology Graduate Admissions Committee, be admitted as a Conditionally Classified Graduate Student. These conditions may include, but are not limited to, specific prerequisite courses, GPA, GRE scores, etc. Once the student has met all conditions specified by the Biology Graduate Admissions Committee, the student can apply to the Graduate Committee to have their classification changed to Classified Graduate Student. A student may receive credit toward program requirements for no more than 10 units of graduate applicable coursework taken prior to a student successfully advancing to Classified standing. This 10-unit limit includes all coursework taken prior to obtaining Classified standing, including transfer and out-of-program units and units taken while a conditionally classified student within the MS Biology program. The transition to Classified Status must be accomplished within one semester after acceptance as a Conditionally Classified Graduate Student. Students that do not meet this requirement will not be permitted to remain enrolled in the program.
Students admitted as a Conditionally Classified Graduate Student are not allowed to enroll in any 6000-level courses. They are restricted to 5000-and 4000-level courses for which they have met prerequisites.
Advancement to Candidate Status
Acceptance as a candidate indicates that the student has completed at least 16 semester units within their approved Plan of Study and that there is a reasonable expectation that the student will complete all remaining requirements within one year. Classified Graduate Students will be advanced to Candidate Status when they have met the following criteria:
- Completion of all requirements for Classified Status.
- Completion of at least 16 semester units of courses applicable to the Master of Science Degree in Biology with a grade of “B” or better in all courses within the Plan of Study and graduate GPA of at least 3.0.
Students in the thesis track must also:
- Obtain approval of the student’s Master’s thesis research topic by the Departmental Graduate Program Director and the student’s Thesis Committee.
- Obtain certification by the student’s thesis advisor that there is a reasonable expectation that the student will satisfactorily complete the Master’s thesis within one year.
Time limits have been set for completion of requirements at each level of status. Admission to Classified Status must be accomplished within one semester after acceptance as a Conditionally Classified Graduate Student. No more than 10 semester units may be taken for graduate credit until all requirements for Conditionally Classified students have been satisfied. Admission to Candidate Status must be attained within two calendar years after acceptance as a Classified Graduate Student. All requirements and graduation are to be completed within five calendar years after acceptance into the MS Biology program. The five-year time limit can be extended by petition to and approval from the Departmental Graduate Committee, but may not exceed seven calendar years after acceptance into the program.
Completion of all requirements for the Master of Science in Biology require satisfactory completion of all courses in an approved Plan of Study with a grade of “B” or better and satisfactory completion of an exit examination or thesis, including oral examination and any revisions required by the Thesis Committee or Departmental Graduate Committee, and maintaining a 3.0 GPA.
