Master of Science in Biology

At the University of Richmond, biology masters students enjoy the advantages of a small graduate program, foremost of which is personalized attention from excellent faculty who are dedicated teacher-scholars.  Furthermore, our students benefit from having continuous access to superb facilities, including SEM, TEM, confocal microscope, DNA sequencer, and a wide variety of state of the art equipment in our faculty/student laboratories.  The masters degree program is tailored for those students with an undergraduate degree in biology who have not had the opportunity to engage in undergraduate research experiences or who are currently seeking a first-hand, intense, research experience prior to applying for science-based jobs, professional school, or Ph.D. programs.

Richmond is primarily an institution dedicated to excellent undergraduate education.  Consequently, the Department of Biology seeks a true synergism between teaching and research goals.  Thus, undergraduates and graduate students frequently work side-by-side on research projects.  In addition, biology masters students regularly participate in the teaching mission of our institution; teaching provides additional experience and knowledge beyond that acquired in meeting the basic requirements of the masters degree.

The University of Richmond has no Ph.D. program and few post-doctoral associates; consequently our masters students can receive individualized attention.  Serious students who are willing to work hard will do well in our thesis-based program.

Application Process for Graduate School

• Prospective students are recommended to contact the biology graduate coordinator and/or prospective faculty advisors prior to submitting and application.
• Complete all application forms.
• The application deadline to the graduate program is March 15 of each year.
• Late applications will be considered but chances of receiving financial support decrease with the passage of time
• Your application, especially your personal statement, should provide a clear picture of:
  • your past experiences relevant to graduate study in biology
  • your aspirations for graduate study at Richmond
  • some sense of your overall, long-term career goals

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with course work in biology, minimally, as follows:
  • 28 semester hours of approved biology courses
  • one year of college chemistry
  • one year of college mathematics, including statistics
• In addition, depending on the area of biology to be pursued, the following undergraduate coursework may also be required:
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physics
• Three letters of recommendation
• Preferred overall GPA of 3.0 (B average) or higher
• Preferred biology/science GPA of 3.0 (B average) or higher
• Submission of GRE scores: Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical, and Advanced test scores in Biology
• A biology faculty member who will agree to supervise your masters program, including your masters thesis research project

Degree Requirements

• Successful completion of at least 28 semester hours of biology courses, including
  • 20 hours of advanced courses
  • 4 hours of graduate seminar (Biology 525-528)
  • 4 hours of thesis research (Biology 549-550)
• Successful defense of a thesis based on original research

Prototypical Program

• Degree requirements can be completed within two years, as follows:
  • Semester 1: enrollment in two courses and graduate seminar; identification of thesis project, drafting of thesis proposal, and initiation of research
  • Semester 2: enrollment in two courses and graduate seminar; continuation of thesis research
  • Semester 3: enrollment in one course, graduate seminar, and thesis research; continuation of thesis research, initiation of thesis first drafts
  • Semester 4: enrollment in graduate seminar and thesis research; completion and defense of thesis
• Program flexibility, however, allows students a total of five years to complete all degree requirements