Approved by: Graduate Council
Implementation Date: Fall 2013
Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.
Summary
Approved by General Administration April 12, 2013, to discontinue the M.A. in Biology.
Catalog Copy
Masters of Science in Biology
The M.S. in Biology degree program is designed for students who desire to pursue advanced studies in professional and graduate school or various vocational opportunities in biology and related areas (see biology.uncc.edu/graduate-programs/masters-programs). The program provides the opportunity for broad training in a variety of biological areas, as well as specialization in areas of particular interest to the student.through the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCD) concentration and the Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B) concentration.
The Department of Biology offers the thesis and non-thesis track within the M.S. degree. The thesis track is designed for students whose career goals include formal research training. The non-thesis track is designed for students whose career goals include graduate education, but not formal research experience. Students may switch between the thesis and non-thesis tracks with written approval from their major advisor and the Graduate Coordinator.
Students have the opportunity to conduct their thesis research under the co-direction of a Biology faculty member and select faculty at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Additional Admission Requirements
(this section remains unchanged)
Degree Requirements
All M.S. students must complete 30 semester hours of course work approved by a Supervisory Committee. Students may choose the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCD) concentration or the Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B) concentration when selecting elective courses, although selection of a concentration is not required. In addition to coursework, each degree candidate must pass an oral candidacy examination administered by the Supervisory Committee.
M.S. Degree: Thesis Track
At least 16 of the 30 hours required for the degree, including no more than eight hours of thesis research, must be in courses at the 6000-level. The candidate must prepare a written thesis based upon original research acceptable to the Supervisory Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. Students have the opportunity to conduct their thesis research under the co-direction of a Biology faculty member and select faculty at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The student must orally present and successfully defend the thesis to the student’s Supervisory Committee in a defense open to the public.
M.S. Degree: Non-thesis Track
At least 12 of the 30 hours required for the degree must be in courses at the 6000-level, including two hours of Tutorial BIOL 6800 culminating in a written assignment developed in consultation with the major advisor. A maximum of two hours of thesis research may be taken as an elective, and students are encouraged to gain research experience. No written thesis or oral thesis defense is required for the non-thesis track.
Proportion of Courses Open Only to Graduate Students through Departmental Seminars
(these sections remain unchanged)
Thesis
The candidate must prepare a thesis based upon original research acceptable to the Supervisory Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. The student must orally present and successfully defend the thesis to the student’s Supervisory Committee in a defense that is open to the public.
Student Teaching
(this section remains unchanged)
Deadlines/Progression Requirements
1) All M.S. students must establish their Thesis Supervisory Committee by the end of the 2nd semester.
The Committee must be established before approving the Curriculum Contract and taking the Oral
Candidacy exam. For thesis-track students, the Supervisory Committee must also be established
beforeor approving either the Curriculum Contract or Thesis Proposal.
2) The Curriculum Contract must be approved no later than the end of the 2nd semester and preferably
by the end of the 1st semester.
3) The Oral Candidacy exam must be approved before the beginning of the 3rd semester. , and
completion must precede approval of the Thesis Proposal. All required course work for the degree,
with the exception of the Tutorial requirement for non-thesis track students and the Research
and Thesis for thesis-track students, must be completed before taking the Candidacy Examination.
For thesis-track students, completion of the Candidacy exam must precede approval of the Thesis
Proposal.
4) For thesis-track students, tThe Thesis Proposal must be approved before the beginning of the 3rd
semester.
5) The student is required to meet with their Supervisory Committee at least once a year.
Admission to Candidacy
General academic regulations will apply to application for admission to candidacy. In addition to these the applicant should have:
1) Removed any identified entrance deficiencies by the time of application
2) Successfully completed the Candidacy Examination, which can be taken only after the completion of
all required coursework for the degree, with the exception of the Tutorial requirement for the non-
thesis track and Research and Thesis for the thesis-track.
3) Taken at least 15 hours of graduate work with a GPA of 3.0 or above.
4) Satisfied the Supervisory Committee the he/she is qualified to become a candidate, i.e., can fulfill the
requirements successfully.
Assistantships
Teaching and research assistantships are available on a competitive basis for qualified students. A limited number of out-of-state and in-state tuition grants are also competitively awarded. Typically, thesis-track M.S. students are prioritized above non-thesis track students for funding awards.
Ph.D. in Biology
The Ph.D. in Biology Program has as its intellectual focus an interdisciplinary synthesis of the biological sciences and related biotechnology. In addition to a vigorous research concentration, the program emphasizes the importance of relevant course work. All students are required to complete a series of core courses related to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. Students may choose the Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCD) concentration or the Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B) concentration when selecting elective courses, although the selection of a concentration is not required. The cornerstone of the program is the student’s research dissertation. (the remainder of this section is unchanged)
Additional Admission Requirements through Advancement to Candidacy
(these sections remained unchanged)
Obtaining the Non-thesis M.S. while completing the Ph.D. degree
Ph.D. students may choose to receive the non-thesis M.S. degree while continuing to work toward the doctoral degree provided they have successfully completed the Candidacy Exam and completed at least 30 hours of coursework, including two hours of Tutorial BIOL 6800 culminating in a written assignment developed in consultation with the student’s major advisor. Obtaining the non-thesis M.S. requires dual enrollment in the Ph.D. and M.S. programs. Doctoral students can apply for enrollment in the M.S. program after entering the Ph.D. program.
Dissertation through Deadlines/Progression Requirements
(these sections remain unchanged)