Menu Programs People
Miscellaneous International
Center E-mail us |
The Department of Biology offers M.S. degrees in three broad areas of biology: (a) Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, (b) Physiology and Organismal Biology, and (c) Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics. Ph.D. degrees are available in Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, as well as related areas of Behavior, Physiological Ecology, and Molecular Evolution. Our graduate programs are based on intensive course work and research experiences that emphasize interpretive and analytical skills in several areas of biology, and above all feature a close working relationship between students and faculty. Study programs are individualized by advising and dissertation committees which follow each student's progress closely. Our students receive strong backgrounds in their area of interest, develop outstanding research programs, and are highly competitive in the marketplaces of academic institutions, industrial research, and management. Back to top of this page. Application and Admission Applicants must submit completed application and personal data forms, three letters of recommendation from faculty members at previously attended colleges or universities, and transcripts of all post-secondary academic work. In addition, applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical). Although not required for admission to Master's programs, GRE scores are strongly recommended. Admission normally requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in biology and 3.0 (Ph.D.) or 2.75 (M.S.) overall, as well as an appropriate background for graduate work in biology, including courses in genetics, biochemistry, and evolution. Courses in organic chemistry, college physics, and calculus are expected, and statistics is recommended. All foreign applicants, except those from countries where English is the primary language, must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Examination. Ordinarily, a score of 550 or better is required. The University requires all incoming foreign students to take an English language exam during orientation week and may require additional courses in English during the first year of graduate study. We urge students interested in the Ph.D. program and the Thesis Master's option to contact members of the faculty in their field of interest directly. Applications to graduate programs are evaluated by the Graduate Committee, which makes recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School for admission. Applicants being considered for graduate assistantships and fellowships, and who have passed an initial screening, will be invited for interviews, at the department's expense when at all possible, during February and early March. Students are also encouraged to arrange their own visits to the department at other times. Application forms and additional materials describing the department and its graduate programs will be sent by mail with online forms provided on this page. Back to top of this page. Graduate Assistantships and Financial Aid Stipends for teaching and research assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to qualified graduate students in Master's or Ph.D. programs. Assistantships are currently funded at $4,400 per semester. Ph.D. students also receive a summer research stipend of $4,400, bringing the total annual support to $13,200. From this stipend, students are responsible for paying in-state tuition ($158 per semester-hour in 1997-98), which is discounted an additional 75% for teaching and research assistants. Six hours of course work is considered as full-time status for graduate teaching and research assistants. Master's students who are awarded full funding are normally guaranteed two years of support. Ph.D. students receive a commitment for five years of funding and may apply for a sixth year if needed. Applications for assistantships must be sent separately from graduate school applications to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biology and be received by February 1. The appropriate form is included with application materials sent to prospective students. The Department of Biology has additional funds for summer stipends for Master's students and for research support for both Master's and Ph.D. students. Applications for these funds are made after the student has arrived on campus. Back to top of this page. The Doctoral Program The basic requirements for the Ph.D. in Biology include sixty (60) credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree. At least 31 hours must be taken at the 400 level, and at least 31 hours must be taken while enrolled at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Up to 29 hours may be transferred from Master's or other graduate programs. Up to 30 hours may be satisfied by Graduate Research (Biology 490). Course requirements for all Ph.D. students include at least three semesters (6 credit hours) of Graduate Seminar (Biology 489) and Biometry (Biology 488), or an equivalent course in statistics. The remainder of the course program is determined individually by each student with the Graduate Advising Committee. Significant landmarks in the Ph.D. degree program are the Qualifying Examination, normally taken between the third and fourth semesters, and Defense of the Dissertation Proposal before the end of the fifth semester. The Department of Biology has no foreign language requirement, but students are expected to be familiar with relevant literature in their field of study regardless of the language in which it is written. At least one semester of supervised teaching experience is required of all doctoral students. The Qualifying Examination consists of a written section to evaluate a student's scholarship and his or her ability to synthesize and solve scientific problems. An oral component permits further assessment of the depth of a student's understanding of areas that may appear weak or poorly developed in the written part of the exam. In addition, the oral component gives the student an opportunity to demonstrate additional knowledge and clarify specific points, and gives the examining committee an opportunity to assess the student's verbal skills. Following completion of course requirements and the Qualifying Examination, the student is admitted to Candidacy, after which full-time status may be fulfilled by enrolling in as little as one credit hour of Graduate Research per semester. Each student must additionally defend a written proposal for their dissertation research in front of a Dissertation Committee. This is the last formal step before defending the completed doctoral dissertation. Back to top of this page. Master of Science Program Candidates for the M. S. degree may chose either a thesis or a non-thesis program. The non-thesis option is suitable for those who may already have extensive research experience or for educators who seek to upgrade their academic skills. The thesis option, for those who wish to pursue research careers or go on for doctoral studies, has less formal course work and focuses on an independent research project. Students normally are admitted to the non-thesis M. S. program unless they have been accepted into an individual faculty laboratory. Non-thesis students may switch to the thesis option at any time after they have begun their studies. Either option may be pursued in the following areas: animal behavior, biochemistry, biotechnology, conservation biology, developmental biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, microbiology, molecular and cellular biology, plant and animal physiology, plant systematics, population biology, and tropical ecology. Students choosing the non-thesis option must take at least 36 credit hours, of which at least half must be at the 400 level, including at least 4 hours of Graduate Seminar (Biology 489). The thesis option requires at least 30 graduate credit hours, of which at least half must be at the 400 level, and which may include up to 13 hours of Graduate Research (Biology 490). Back to top of this page. |