MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY
Admission Requirements
1. Bachelor’s degree in Biology or related fields
1.1. A general weighted average (GWA) of at least 2.0
1.2. An applicant with a GWA between 2.01 and 2.75 may be admitted to the program on probation until and provided that the student will obtain an average grade of at least 2.0 in the first 9 units of graduate courses he/she enrolls in.
2. Proof of English proficiency for students whose native language is not English
3. Completed application form and other required documents submitted to the College of Science Graduate Office. Deadline of application may also be found at the site.
4. Passing of the IB graduate placement exam (GPE) and interview – Applicants must pass at least three of five areas (Cell and Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, Ecology and Taxonomy, Genetics, and Physiology) of the GPE
*Students are highly encouraged to identify a potential thesis adviser prior to admission.
Curriculum Map of MS in Biology Program
| First Year | |||
| First Sem | Second Sem | ||
| Subject Title | # of Units | Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 220 (Chemical Physiology) | 3 | Bio 260 (Advanced Ecology) | 3 |
| Bio 240 (Advanced Genetics) | 3 | Bio 250 (Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology) | 3 |
| Bio 230 (Differentiation in Embryonic Systems) | 3 | Special Elective | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | Total Credits | 9 |
| Second Year | |||
| First Sem | Second Sem | ||
| Subject Title | # of Units | Subject Title | # of Units |
| Special Elective | 3 | Bio 300 (M.S. Thesis) | 6 |
| Special Elective | 3 | ||
| Bio 296 (Seminar) | 1 | ||
| Bio 299 (Research in Biology) | 2 | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | Total Credits | 6 |
| Cell & Molecular Biology Electives | |
| Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 241 (Advanced Molecular Genetics) | 3 |
| Bio 251 (Advanced Immunobiology)* | 3 |
| Microbio 212 (Ultrastructure of Microorganisms) | 3 |
| Microbio 271 (Protozoology)* | 3 |
| MBB 221 (Advances in Cell & Tissue Culture)* | 3 |
| Chem 240 (Advanced Biochemistry) | 3 |
| Chem 241 (Lipids & Related Systems) | 3 |
| Chem 242 (Carbohydrates & Related Systems) | 3 |
| Chem 243 (Nucleic Acids) | 3 |
| Chem 244 (Proteins) | 3 |
| Chem 245 (Enzymes) | 3 |
| Chem 247 (Molecular Biochemistry) | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Developmental Biology Electives | |
| Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 241 (Advanced Molecular Genetics) | 3 |
| Bio 281 (Experimental Design & Statistical Analysis) | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Plant Developmental Biology: | |
| Bio 232 (Advances in Plant Developmental Biology)* | 3 |
| Bio 234 (Developmental Morphology of Vascular Plants) | 3 |
| Bio 221 (Advanced Plant Physiology)* | 3 |
| Animal Developmental Biology: | |
| Bio 233 (Advances in Animal Developmental Biology)* | 3 |
| Bio 251 (Advanced Immunobiology)* | 3 |
| Bio 222 (Advanced Animal Physiology)* | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Ecology & Taxonomy Electives | |
| Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 210 (Advanced Systematics) | 3 |
| Bio 262 (Freshwater Ecology) | 3 |
| Bio 263 (Terrestrial Ecology) | 3 |
| Bio 265 (Advanced Biogeography) | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Bio 271 (Advanced Parasitology)* | 3 |
| Bio 244 (Evolutionary Genetics) | 3 |
| Microbio 271 (Protozoology) | 3 |
| MS 250 (Marine Ecology) | 3 |
| Genetics Electives | |
| Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 241 (Advanced Molecular Genetics) | 3 |
| Bio 242 (Cytogenetics) | 3 |
| Bio 243 (Population Genetics) | 3 |
| Bio 281 (Experimental Design & Statistical Analysis) | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Bio 244 (Evolutionary Genetics) | 3 |
| Microbio 241 (Advanced Microbial Genetics) | 3 |
| MBB 241 (Advances in Genetic Engineering) | 3 |
| Chem 243 (Nucleic Acids) | 3 |
| Chem 245 (Enzymes) | 3 |
| Chem 247 (Molecular Biochemistry) | 3 |
| Physiology Electives | |
| Subject Title | # of Units |
| Bio 241 (Advanced Molecular Genetics) | 3 |
| Bio 224 (Stress Physiology)* | 3 |
| Bio 281 (Experimental Design & Statistical Analysis) | 3 |
| Chem 240 (Advanced Biochemistry) | 3 |
| Bio 397 (Current Topics in Biology) | 3 |
| Plant Physiology: | |
| Bio 221 (Advanced Plant Physiology)* | 3 |
| Bio 232 (Advances in Plant Developmental Biology)* | 3 |
| Animal Physiology: | |
| Bio 222 (Advanced Animal Physiology)* | 3 |
| Bio 233 (Advances in Animal Developmental Biology)* | 3 |
| Bio 251 (Advanced Immunobiology)* | 3 |
* Students must have taken the following prerequisite courses or equivalent prior to enrolling in the corresponding graduate core courses:
- Bio 121 (Plant Physiology with lab) OR Bio 122 (Animal Physiology with lab), which are prerequisites for Bio 220, Bio 221/222, and Bio 224
- Bio 133 (Developmental Biology with lab), which is a prerequisite for Bio 230, Bio 232, Bio 233
- Bio 140 (Fundamentals of Genetics with lab), which is a prerequisite for Bio 240
- Bio 150 (Fundamentals of Cell & Molecular Biology with lab), which is a prerequisite for Bio 250, Bio 251, MBB 221
- Bio 160 (Fundamentals of Ecology with lab), which is a prerequisite for Bio 260
The student must have taken the following prerequisite courses if planning to take the respective elective courses:
- Bio 151 (Fundamentals of Immunobiology), which is a prerequisite for Bio 251
- Bio 171 (General Parasitology with lab), which is a prerequisite for Bio 271 and Microbio 271
Students who are interested in applying for stipends and research assistant positions, please refer to the Graduate Student Forms and Documents.