Biological Sciences MS

Major: Biological Sciences
Degree Awarded: Master of Science (MS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0 
Co-op Option: Available for full-time, on-campus master's-level students
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 26.0101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-1029

About the Program

The Department of Biology offers graduate programs in biological sciences leading to the thesis or non-thesis Master of Science degree. The curricula and research programs are designed to help students achieve success in their degree programs and pursue positions of leadership in their respective fields of research.

The intellectual life of the department relies heavily on the participation, creativity, and the energy of graduate students; therefore the department expects students to be vigorously involved in courses, seminars, journal clubs, research, informal discussions, and departmental functions. 

Additional Information

For more information, contact the Department of Biology at 215-895-2624.

Degree Requirements (MS)

Soon after matriculation, the student completes a plan of study with the advisor outlining their specific program. Both thesis and non-thesis options are available. Conducting formal research necessary for the thesis is dependent upon the student finding a faculty member whom will serve as their faculty advisor and supervise a mutually agreed upon research project.

Students registering for an MS with graduate co-op will gain 6 months of work experience in the summer/fall term (year 1/year 2). The Steinbright Career Development Center will provide students with an overview of professionalism, resume writing, and the job search process. Students will not earn academic credit for the co-op but will earn 9.0 non-academic co-op units per term.

Students wishing to pursue PhD candidacy are encouraged to elect the MS with thesis. After all other requirements are completed, the research MS student defends the thesis at a final oral examination.

Program Requirements

Requirements for the MS Curriculum with Thesis *
BIO 500Biochemistry I3.0
BIO 632Advanced Cell Biology3.0
BIO 635Advanced Genetics and Molecular Biology3.0
BIO 997Research in Bioscience12.0
ENVS 506Biostatistics3.0
Bioscience electives 21.0
Total Credits45.0
Requirements for the Non-Thesis MS with Graduate Co-op *
BIO 500Biochemistry I3.0
BIO 632Advanced Cell Biology3.0
BIO 635Advanced Genetics and Molecular Biology3.0
COOP 500Career Management and Professional Development for Master's Degree Students1.0
ENVS 506Biostatistics3.0
Bioscience electives **32.0
Total Credits45.0
Requirements for the Non-thesis MS Curriculum *
BIO 500Biochemistry I3.0
BIO 632Advanced Cell Biology3.0
BIO 635Advanced Genetics and Molecular Biology3.0
ENVS 506Biostatistics3.0
Bioscience electives **33.0
Total Credits45.0
*

Students are required to complete the TA Orientation and Preparation Course and the Responsible Conduct of Research Training.

**

Non-thesis students may elect to take up to 4.0 credits of BIO 997 Research in Bioscience.

Bioscience Electives Include:
BIO 534Bioinformatics I3.0
BIO 613Genomics3.0
BIO 614Behavioral Genetics3.0
BIO 616Biochemistry of Major Diseases3.0
BIO 630Cell Biology of Disease3.0
BIO 644Human Genetics3.0
BIO 646Stem Cell Research3.0
BIO 650Virology3.0
BIO 661Neurobiology of Autism Disorders3.0
BIO 662Biology of Neuron Function3.0
BIO 663Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration3.0
BIO 664Neurobiology of Disease3.0
BIO 701Bioscience Grant Writing3.0
BIO 740Readings and Critical Thinking in Biology3.0

Sample Plan of Study (MS)

Thesis - MS Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
BIO 5003.0BIO 6353.0BIO 6323.0VACATION
Bioscience electives6.0BIO 997 (OR Bioscience Electives)6.0ENVS 5063.0 
  Bioscience elective or Research3.0 
 9 9 9 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCredits  
BIO 9973.0BIO 9973.0  
Bioscience electives6.0Bioscience electives6.0  
 9 9  
Total Credits 45

Non-Thesis with Graduate Co-op - MS Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
BIO 5003.0BIO 6353.0BIO 6323.0Bioscience electives9.0
COOP 5001.0Bioscience electives6.0ENVS 5063.0 
Bioscience electives6.0 Bioscience elective3.0 
 10 9 9 9
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEBioscience electives9.0 
 0 0 9 
Total Credits 46

Non-Thesis - MS Sample Plan of Study

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
BIO 5003.0BIO 6353.0BIO 6323.0VACATION
Bioscience electives6.0Bioscience electives6.0ENVS 5063.0 
  Bioscience elective3.0 
 9 9 9 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCredits  
Bioscience electives9.0Bioscience electives9.0  
 9 9  
Total Credits 45

Program Level Outcomes

  • Develop a strong foundation in the fields of biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and molecular biology. 
  • Develop critical thinking and reading skills in data-based research.
  • Effectively communicate research results in written and oral formats.  
  • Identify individual skills, values and interests for developing and pursuing career goals.
  • Propose and complete a research-based thesis project (MS-Thesis only).
  • Write, present, and defend the results of a research thesis project (MS-Thesis only).

Biological Sciences Faculty

Ali Afify, PhD (University of Konstanz). Assistant Professor. Insect olfaction; Sensory Neurobiology; Mosquito oviposition; Malaria.
Laura Duwel, PhD (University of Cincinnati) Assistant Department Head, Department of Biology. Teaching Professor. Immunology and microbiology.
Felice Elefant, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Understanding the roles of two classes of chromatin regulatory proteins termed histone acetyltransferases(HATs)and histone de-methylases.
Denise Garcia, PhD (UCLA). Associate Professor. Neuroscience, the role of astrocytes in the central nervous system.
Tali Gidalevitz, PhD (University of Chicago). Associate Professor. Genetic and molecular pathways regulating protein folding homeostasis, and their role in protein conformation diseases, aging, and development.
Meshagae Hunte-Brown, PhD (Drexel University). Teaching Professor. Stable isotopes in aquatic food webs, ecosystem ecology, STEM education.
Kari Lenhart, PhD (Princeton University). Assistant Professor. Coordination of stem cell behavior and regulation of stem cell cytokinesis in the young and aged niche.
Robert Loudon, PhD (Thomas Jefferson University). Associate Teaching Professor. Rho GTPases, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, Regulation of G protein-coupled receptors by receptor kinases and arrestins.
Alison Moyer, PhD (North Carolina State University). Assistant Teaching Professor. Testing soft tissue preservation in the fossil record, Phage biology as part of the undergraduate research course SEA-PHAGES, STEM Education.
Michael O'Connor, MD, PhD (MD, Johns Hopkins University; PhD, Colorado State). Professor. Biophysical and physiological ecology, thermoregulation of vertebrates, ecological modeling.
Sean O'Donnell, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison). Professor. Climate ecology, focusing on geographic variation and species differences in thermal physiology; Behavior and ecology of army ant/bird interactions; Neurobiology, focusing on brain plasticity and brain evolution in social insects.
Ryan Petrie, PhD (McGill University) Director, Biology Graduate Program . Associate Professor. Cell Biology. Mechanisms of cell movement through three-dimensional extracellular matrix.
Megan V Phifer-Rixey, PhD (University of Pennsylvania). Assistant Professor. Evolution; Genetics; Adaptation; Integrative Biology; Urban; Climate.
Jerome Ricard, PhD (University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France). Assistant Teaching Professor. Inflammation and cell death after spinal cord injury. Regulation of cell death by Eph receptors.
Jacob Russell, PhD (University of Arizona). Professor. Microbiomes and metagenomics; ecology and evolution of symbiosis.
Nianli Sang, MB, PhD (M.B., Fudan University Shanghai Medical College; Ph.D., Thomas Jefferson University) Co-Director of the Cell Imaging Center. Associate Professor. Molecular and cellular biology of cancer; posttranslational modification, folding and quality control of proteins and their implication in cell physiology and human diseases.
Usha Sanka, PhD (Weill-Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences). Associate Teaching Professor. Human Physiology, Climate change and human physiology, human physiology education, air quality and human health, climate change education.
Aleister Saunders, PhD (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) Executive Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, Director of the RNAi Resource Center. Professor. Identification and characterization of genes and proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease.
Manuel Seman-Senderos, PhD (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine). Assistant Teaching Professor. Cell Biology; genetics; history of science; synthetic biology; drug discovery.
Kevin P.W. Smith, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Teaching Professor. Linking behavioral ecology and organismal diversity, neonate behavior in herpetological models, STEM education.
Jennifer Stanford, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Evaluating and improving approaches to teach STEM content in higher education environments to promote student learning, engagement in STEM courses, and STEM student retention.
Monica M. Togna, PhD (New Jersey Institute of Technology). Teaching Professor. Examination of the structure and function of living organisms from the cellular to the organismal level in order to better understand common physiological processes.

Emeritus Faculty

Joseph Bentz, PhD (State University of New York [SUNY] at Buffalo). Professor Emeritus. Biophysics, biochemistry and biopharmaceutics, focused on the molecular basis of biological membrane transport and fusion.
Cecilie Goodrich, PhD (Harvard University). Professor Emeritus. Neuroscience and systems physiology, postnatal maturation of physiology and behavior in relation to brain immunocytochemistry.
Donna Murasko, PhD (Penn State Hershey Medical Center) Dean Emeritus. Professor. The effects of aging on the adaptive immune response to influenza virus and retrovirus latency and reactivation.