Program Requirements

Completion of a minimum of 30 units of Grade A, A-, B+ or B work in all approved courses applied toward the Master's Degree:
 

1. Required Course (4 units): BIOL502/L Biometry (3/1) or BIOL503/L Bioinformatics (3/1) or BIOL551/L Computer Modeling in Biology (2/2). An equivalent 4-unit Upper Division course may be substituted.
    
2. Seminars (12 units): BIOL691 Graduate Proseminar (3), and 9 additional units of 600-level seminar or lecture courses.
    
3. Electives (2-11 units): Additional courses: Any 400-, 500- or 600-level Biology courses except BIOL 490, 495, 497EE, 499, 692, 696, 698 and 699. A maximum of 9 units of 400-level courses may be applied toward the degree. No more than 6 units from other disciplines such as Chemistry, Psychology, etc., may be counted.
    
4. Biology Colloquium (1 unit): Enrollment and attendance in at least one semester of Biology Colloquium, BIOL692 (1 unit) (Credit/No Credit only).
    
5. Culminating Experience (3-12 units):
   • Thesis courses: BIOL696 Directed Graduate Research (0-6 units), BIOL698 Thesis (3-6 units).
   • Oral presentation and defense of a formal proposal of thesis research by end of second semester.
   • Completion and successful oral defense of a thesis.
   • Formal approval by the thesis committee.

Total Units Required for the M.S. Degree: 31