Department of Biology Programs

The B.S. in Biology - Pre-Medicine Concentration is designed for students who aspire to apply to professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, physician’s assistant, veterinary science, and pharmacy. Our rigorous curriculum prepares students with a strong foundation in biology, chemistry, physics, and math that is necessary for success in these professional fields. By selecting courses in molecular, ecological, animal, and plant areas of study, students can specialize in the fields of biology that interest them most. In addition, students have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through research and internships. Join us and take the first step towards your dream career in healthcare!

The Master of Science degree in biology is primarily for students with a strong undergraduate preparation in biology who desire to prepare for advanced study, teach at the college level, and/or pursue a career in the biological sciences. Our program offers comprehensive preparation in general biology with a curriculum balanced in three content areas (Ecology & Biodiversity, Cell Molecular Biology, and Human Biology).

A student desiring admission should have an undergraduate major in biology or a related science consisting of a minimum of 50 credits in science, of those a minimum of 30 credits in biology, 6 credits in chemistry, and one semester of college mathematics.

Applying

To apply to the program, students must submit the following.

• The graduate school application.
• All college transcripts.
• Two letters of recommendation from academic or professional references sent to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. A recommendation form can be downloaded from the program webpage.
• A 300-500 word statement explaining why the applicant is interested in obtaining a Master’s degree in biology, and what type of career the applicant is seeking.

For more information, please contact BiologyGrad@southernct.edu.

Thesis

Requires completion of an approved program consisting of a minimum of 30 credits including 2 credits of seminar and 6 credits in thesis research (BIO 590). Thesis approval requires satisfactory oral defense of the thesis. 

Thesis - Step 1 - Proposal Acceptance Form
Thesis - Step 2 - Acceptance Form

Comprehensive Examination

Requires completion of an approved program consisting of a minimum of 30 credits including 2 credits of seminar. Students in this program must pass a final written comprehensive examination administered by the department. 

Special Project

Requires completion of an approved program consisting of a minimum of 30 credits, including a special project; 2 credits of seminar; and 3 credits of BIO 600  Independent Study and Research.

Special Project - Step 1 - Proposal Acceptance Form
Special Project - Step 2 - Acceptance Form

Biotechnology is applied molecular and cellular biology, and students will master a broad range of lab skills applicable to biology and biotechnology, including applied research skills at an advanced level that will prepare them for a career or graduate studies in molecular biology,  biotechnology, & bioscience fields like medicine. This program requires more Chemistry and Math than the B.S. Biology and B.A. Biology programs. Beyond the first year, the required biology courses are all molecular and cellular biology focused. Students earn a Minor in Chemistry with this degree, and have a required research internship experience. Future accreditation by the American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology is being pursued for this program.

The Minor in Biology requires 20 credits of Biology courses, and provides students in other Majors with enough knowledge to be able to apply their experiences in cross-disciplinary careers, like Science Journalism & Writing, Bioinformatics, Medical Illustration, Biotech. Management, and others. Pre- Health students who are not Biology or Biotech. Majors, commonly add a Minor in Biology to their degree program.