Biology, MS

Graduate Education Committee Co-Chairs:

Eleanor Maine
Professor
315.443.9169
emmaine@syr.edu
346 Life Sciences Complex

Heather Coleman
Associate Professor
315.443.0453
hcoleman@syr.edu
460 Life Sciences Complex

Contact:

Lynn Fall
Graduate Program Administrator
315.443.9154
lfall@syr.edu
114 Life Sciences Complex

Faculty:

David Althoff, Katie Becklin, Carlos Castañeda, Heather Coleman, Steve Dorus, Douglas Frank, Jason Fridley, Anthony Garza, Paul Gold, Sarah Hall, Heidi Hehnly, James Hewett, Sandra Hewett, Donna Korol, George Langford, Katharine (Kate) Lewis, Zhanjiang (John) Liu, Jessica MacDonald, Eleanor Maine, Susan Parks, Melissa Pepling, Scott Pitnick, Ramesh Raina, Mark Ritchie, Kari Segraves, Robert Silver, Roy Welch, Jason Wiles

The Department of Biology is committed to research-oriented graduate training of the highest quality. A wide variety of disciplines are offered within the areas of biochemistry, developmental biology, genetics, molecular and cellular biology, neuroscience, ecosystem ecology, behavioral ecology, and evolution. Many students pursue research questions that span two or more of these traditional subdisciplines. Each student's program is individually structured to provide the maximum flexibility in the choice of coursework consistent with high quality graduate scholarship.

The Department currently averages 50 full-time graduate students (Ph.D. and M.S.). About 75 percent of the students enroll directly following their undergraduate work; others come with a master's degree earned elsewhere.

Program graduates are encouraged to pursue a variety of career paths after obtaining their degrees. Our recent graduates have gone on to Ph.D. programs in a variety of universities and colleges. Other recent graduates have found employment in industry, in medical settings, and in environmental education, among other fields.

Admissions:

Successful applicants generally have a minimum undergraduate average (GPA) of B (3.0), and high scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing tests of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).

Applicants must also have earned a B.S. or a B.A. degree, and should have at least a minimal background in both physical and biological sciences, including the following: two years of biology, one year each of introductory chemistry, organic chemistry with laboratory, physics, and college-level calculus. Although not required, a year of biochemistry is desirable for students interested in cell and molecular biology, and training in statistical analysis is desirable for all students.

Special consideration is given to students who have conducted undergraduate research and whose recommendations attest to their skills in the laboratory or field and promise in research. Applicants whose scholarly interests are confluent with those of our Graduate Faculty will also receive priority consideration.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Develop experience in application of the scientific method to research problems in contemporary Biology. For M.S. students, this will be expected to culminate at program conclusion in a basic knowledge of how to approach the design and execution of experiments addressing a research problem in a robust way.

2. Possess knowledge of their subfield sufficient to formulate and address contemporary research questions.

3. Gain the ability to explain and analyze concepts from additional subfields of biological sciences related to their own.

4. Develop communication and synthetic skills for presentation in oral, poster, and written formats.

5. Demonstrate an awareness of matters associated with ethics and the responsible conduct of research.

M.S. in Biology

The Biology M.S. program requires a minimum of 24 credits of formal coursework (at least 12 credits at the 600-level or above) selected in consultation with the student’s Research Committee, and 6 additional Master’s Thesis credits (BIO 997).

All Biology M.S. students are required to take BIO 705 (Graduate Research Seminars, 1 or 0 credits) during each Fall and Spring semester in which they are actively enrolled in the M.S. program. New M.S. students will take BIO 700 (Scientific Writing, 3 credits) upon entering the program. They are also required to take at least two graduate seminar courses.

A thesis based on original research must be developed and successfully defended in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Syracuse University Graduate School. The maximum expected time in residence is three years.

Graduate Awards

The current minimum level of support for the 2019-2020 academic year is $27,000, with additional summer support available, currently at the level of $2,500. Biology graduate students are guaranteed support for a specific number of years (i.e., 4 years for Ph.D., and 2 years for M.S.) as long as they maintain good standing in the program. Students have the option of petitioning for an additional year of support, if necessary.

During the academic year, most students are supported by a teaching assistantship for at least some semesters, and in many instances, for all semesters during their time in the program. Students may also be supported by their faculty research advisor’s external grants or by Syracuse University fellowships. Applying to local and national programs for graduate fellowships is also strongly encouraged. Tuition costs are typically covered by tuition reduction credits, which are awarded as part of a teaching assistantship, research assistantship, or S.U. fellowship.

Research Facilities

Shared research facilities currently include AAALAC-accredited animal facilities, a research greenhouse and growth chambers, a confocal microscope facility, extensive computing facilities, and local field experiment sites. Extensive facilities and instrumentation for carrying out modern biological research at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels are available. Library holdings and computing facilities are readily accessible for student and faculty use. The Biology Department is housed in the Life Sciences Complex, a 210,000-square-foot building with dedicated and outstanding research and teaching space for the life sciences.