CURRICULUM

Undergraduate

• Overview
• Requirements
• Minor
• Applied Study
• Honors
  
  

Graduate

• Overview
• Requirements
• Application Requirements
• Course List
• Thesis or Project
• Research Proposal
  
  

Courses

• UIS Course Schedule
• UIS Course Descriptions
  

MASTER'S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

To be fully admitted as a Master’s student in Biology, students must first have completed any two of the following courses (or their equivalent) from BOTH Group A and Group B with a grade of C or better:

Group A	Group B
Cell Biology	Botany
Microbiology	Vertebrate Biology
Genetics	Ecology

(For example, Cell Biology and Genetics plus Botany, Biology and Ecology)

Students must also have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students with a GPA < 3.0 may be conditionally admitted, and those conditions will be clearly stated. For example, a student may be required to complete specified courses with a grade of B or better.

To apply:

• Submit an official Application Form through UIS Admissions and pay the required application fee.
• Send official transcripts from your undergraduate institution(s) directly to UIS Admissions.
• Submit a letter to the Biology Department that explains your academic and vocational goals.

The Biology Department will evaluate all of the above and send you a letter reflecting our decision. That letter will also tell you of any conditions on your admission, such as any prerequisite courses you will need to complete or grade point expectations. Our letter to you will also identify an initial faculty advisor for you. That person will serve as an initial contact for you, but may not be your research advisor, depending on your developing research interests and research proposal.

Before the completion of 10 hours of program-approved coursework, each student must develop a thesis proposal and convene an advisory committee with the assistance of a faculty advisor.

You can apply any time for a future semester. Of course, it is always better for you to apply well in advance of the semester (for example, apply during Spring semester to enroll in the following Fall).

Grading Policy

Master's candidates are expected to maintain a B average, and those students who fall below that level may lose their candidacy. A maximum of eight credit hours of C grades are applicable to the degree, provided they are balanced by eight hours of A. However, C grades will not be accepted for required courses and C grades taken in department-approved elective courses must be balanced by A grades in department-approved courses only.