About the Program
Biology Department
SAMC 166 (716) 878-5203
https://biology.buffalostate.edu/
The Master of Arts in Biology prepares students for professional employment and advanced degrees in fields ranging from ecology and evolution to biotechnology and health sciences.
Admission Requirements
1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale).
2. Three letters of recommendation evaluating the applicant's academic qualifications.
3. An official transcript of the student's undergraduate program, giving evidence of satisfactory completion of 48 credit hours of college science and mathematics courses, including a minimum of 18 credit hours in biology. It is strongly recommended that this coursework also include one year of college physics, one year of organic chemistry, one semester of statistics, and one semester of calculus. The absence of any of these courses may be regarded as a deficiency and students may be required to complete these recommended courses before graduation.
4. A written statement of the applicant's academic background, future plans, and area of research interest.
Applicants interested in completing a thesis must identify a faculty sponsor and request a letter of support from them to accompany the admissions application.
In addition, all applicants should review the Admission to a Graduate Program section in the Graduate Catalog.
Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate:
1. expertise in areas of biology related to course of study or thesis topic
2. analytical skills required to interpret and evaluate research literature
3. proficiency in professional scientific writing
4. proficiency for effective oral communication of biological information
5. ability to plan and conduct experimental research (thesis option only)
6. apply accepted standards for ethical science (thesis option only)
Program Requirements
Required Course (3 credit hours)
Complete ALL of the following Courses:
BIO600 FOUNDATIONS OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN BIOLOGY | 3 - Credit Hours
Biology Electives (600 Level) (15-26 credit hours)
Select 15-26 credit hours
Selected by advisement.
General Graduate Electives (0-6 credit hours)
Select 0-6 credit hours
Selected by advisement.
Thesis or Capstone Experience (1-6 credit hours)
Complete course(s) and earn 1 - 6 credit(s) from the following:
BIO695 RESEARCH THESIS IN BIOLOGY | 1 - 6 Credit Hours
OR BIO699 CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE IN BIOLOGY | 1 - Credit Hours
30 Total Credit Hours
Completion requirement
Graduation Requirements
A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale). The candidate may take no more than 36 credit hours to achieve this average.
A minimum of 30 credit hours. Courses in which a candidate earns a grade below C do not bear credit toward the degree but are calculated in the cumulative average.