Biological Sciences
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy
College
College of Arts and SciencesGraduate Coordinator
Dr. Mark Welchmw497@msstate.edu
Overview
The Department of Biological Sciences offers degree programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Traditional areas of strength in the department include basic and applied microbiology, cellular and molecular biology, comparative and environmental physiology, taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. Research by the Graduate Faculty focuses on mechanisms of organism function in terms of cell properties and structural components, variation in the structure and function of organisms and other complex biological systems, and the integration of biological scales and processes. Graduate training emphasizes preparation for careers in teaching and research in both academic and nonacademic positions.
Requirements
The general requirements for students wishing to pursue graduate studies at Mississippi State are a bachelor's degree, a 2.75 or greater GPA (4.0 scale) on the last two years of undergraduate study or on any graduate work, and submission of GRE general examination scores. We do not require the GRE subject area exam. We also do not have a Departmental minimum score for the general exam; however, individual faculty members may have specific expectations for GRE scores or percentiles. You should consult your prospective Major Professor for details. In the recent past, the majority of admitted students have scored in the upper 50th percentile of those taking the GRE general exam. International students should score at least 550 on the TOEFL (written exam: CBSS, or Computer-Based Score Scale = 213; Internet-based TOEFL = 79-80) or a score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Students with TOEFL scores between 475 and 550 (or IELTS scores between 4.5 and 6.5) may be admitted, but will be required to complete ESL training as specified in the MSU Graduate Bulletin (see Graduate Studies web page).
Master's
Master of Science
College
College of Arts and SciencesGraduate Coordinator
Dr. Mark Welchmw497@msstate.edu
Overview
The Department of Biological Sciences offers degree programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Traditional areas of strength in the department include basic and applied microbiology, cellular and molecular biology, comparative and environmental physiology, taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. Research by the Graduate Faculty focuses on mechanisms of organism function in terms of cell properties and structural components, variation in the structure and function of organisms and other complex biological systems, and the integration of biological scales and processes. Graduate training emphasizes preparation for careers in teaching and research in both academic and nonacademic positions. The Master of Science program typically requires two years of course work, a research thesis, and an oral comprehensive examination and defense of the thesis. Thesis research for the Master's degree emphasizes basic research skills, hypothesis generation, experimental design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation.
We now also offer an online Master of Science in General Biology for secondary school teachers. More information is available through the Mississippi State University Division of Academic Outreach & Continuing Education here.
Requirements
The general requirements for students wishing to pursue graduate studies at Mississippi State are a bachelor's degree, a 2.75 or greater GPA (4.0 scale) on the last two years of undergraduate study or on any graduate work, and submission of GRE general examination scores. We do not require the GRE subject area exam. We also do not have a Departmental minimum score for the general exam; however, individual faculty members may have specific expectations for GRE scores or percentiles. You should consult your prospective Major Professor for details. In the recent past, the majority of admitted students have scored in the upper 50th percentile of those taking the GRE general exam. International students should score at least 550 on the TOEFL (written exam: CBSS, or Computer-Based Score Scale = 213; Internet-based TOEFL = 79-80) or a score of at least 6.5 on the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. Students with TOEFL scores between 475 and 550 (or IELTS scores between 4.5 and 6.5) may be admitted, but will be required to complete ESL training as specified in the MSU Graduate Bulletin (see Graduate Studies web page).
