To obtain a Master of Science in Biological Sciences, one needs an undergraduate degree in an appropriate science, acceptance into a graduate program, and a desire to work in the field. Admission requirements include a minimum GPA, letters of reference, and relevant work experience. The program allows for a narrower focus and requires laboratory work and research.
Obtaining a Master of Science in Biological Sciences degree requires an undergraduate degree in an appropriate science, acceptance into a college offering graduate education in the biological sciences, and a desire to pursue work within the field. It is no more difficult to obtain than other master’s degrees, and the steps to obtain it are very similar to the requirements for any other science degree. Some expectations vary by college or individual degree program. For example, professors who study the Master of Biological Sciences are often in programs with atypical course progression and focus on better emphasizing their needs as educators. Most programs, however, are pretty standard.
Like all master’s degrees, a biological sciences degree is part of a graduate program. As such, students pursuing a master’s degree must first satisfactorily complete undergraduate studies at an accredited institution. Your educational background must be relevant to the biological sciences to secure further education such as an undergraduate degree in the natural sciences. This would include biology and chemistry, but other sciences are also acceptable. A degree in one of these disciplines is not necessarily required to obtain a master’s degree in biological sciences, but it is more difficult to justify admission to a graduate program without relevant prior education.
Gaining admission into a graduate program for a master’s in biological sciences requires more than successfully completing an undergraduate degree, however. To be allowed to continue education in the field, applicants are required to submit previous college transcripts and generally must achieve a minimum grade point average (GPA), with a common standard of 3.0 or higher. Prior education must be from an accredited institution, and students can be expected to provide letters of reference, a statement of purpose, and an up-to-date resume showing two years or more of experience in the workforce. Depending on the university, applicants may need to pass the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE Record), although the exact score required varies by institution. Some of these requirements may be waived for promising students who do not have a GPA or appropriate work experience, depending on the university’s flexibility.
The course of a master’s program in the biological sciences allows for a much narrower focus than that found in undergraduate studies in the natural sciences. Students can focus on a specific biological science discipline, such as plant, genetics, or animal biology. Regardless of individual focus, however, a master’s degree in biological sciences will require substantial amounts of laboratory work and research to complete. The student must be committed for the two to three years required to complete the program and will be expected to complete some type of special project to complete their studies. This can take the form of a thesis or a practical research project.
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