The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Biology offers programs leading to the Master of Science degree, which requires research, and the non-research Master of Arts degree. Most traditional areas of biology are available for study. Both teaching and research assistantships are available to provide financial support for graduate students.

THE PROGRAM

The graduate program in biology at UNC Charlotte provides broad training in a variety of biological areas as well as specialization in areas of particular interest to the student. Administered by the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences, the program offers students the opportunity to pursue either the Master of Science or Master of Arts in Biology. The major areas of emphasis within the department are Biomedicine/Biotechnology and Environmental Biology. However, not all research areas can be clearly placed in only one of these areas, and students, in consultation with their Thesis Committee, have the flexibility to design a course of study to meet the student's interests. In addition, an arrangement with the Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) in Charlotte allows students to conduct their graduate research at this facility under the direction of  hospital staff.

At UNC Charlotte, students have access to a wide array of research facilities, extensive library holdings, computing services and locations for research in natural environments (see "Facilities" link).

ADMISSION

In addition to the general requirements for admission to graduate study at UNC Charlotte, the following requirements are specific to the Department of Biology:  Evidence of sufficient undergraduate preparation in biology with a minimum of 24 semester hours in biology and 24 semester hours of related study. A satisfactory score on the general sections of the Graduate Record Examination.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Master of Science degree is specifically designed for students who desire to pursue advanced studies in professional and graduate schools or various vocational opportunities in biology and related areas. The program leading to the M.S. degree in biology requires the successful completion of 30 semester hours of course work approved by a supervisory committee. At least 16 of these hours must be in courses open to graduate students only, including two hours of seminar and no more than eight hours of thesis research. In addition to course work, each candidate for a degree must pass an oral candidacy examination. The candidate must also prepare, present and defend a thesis based upon original research acceptable to the Supervisory Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. Students who choose to pursue the Master of Arts degree in biology at UNC Charlotte must complete the above requirements for the M.S. degree with the following exceptions: a maximum of 4 hours of credit for thesis research may be included in the required 32 hours, and three courses of the 32 hours submitted for the degree must include a formal laboratory. The thesis for the M.A. degree is based upon a directed study (typically library) project rather than upon laboratory or field research. Each student in the biology graduate program must have a faculty adviser by the end of their first year in the program. To facilitate this process, students are admitted only if at least one faculty member is identified as a possible advisor.