Biological Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Philip B. Oldham, Dean

Dr. Nara Gavini, Department Head

Dr. Dwayne Wise, Graduate Coordinator

226 Harned Biology Building

662-325-3120

grad_studies@biology.msstate.edu

Graduate study leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees is offered in Biological Sciences. Major areas of emphasis include molecular, developmental, cellular and organismal biology. An emphasis in biological sciences will be interdisciplinary, drawing from courses in and out of the department relating to a single unifying field, such as ecology or cell biology. Graduate research and teaching assistantships are available.

Admission Criteria—Requirements for entrance into the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in the Department of Biological Sciences are:

1.       A GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 system for all undergraduate work and a GPA of 3.00 for all course work in the biological sciences;

2.       Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic performance;

3.       A composite quantitative and verbal GRE score;

4.       A statement of professional interests and goals from the applicant.

Program of Study and Completion Requirements—A minimum of 30 hours of graduate study, including 24 hours of course work and six hours of research/thesis, is required for the Master of Science degree in Biological Sciences.  Required courses include BIO 8011-21, BIO 8013, and ST 8114.  In addition, a mandatory exit seminar, a final comprehensive examination, and a thesis are required.

Course requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy are determined by the student’s advisory committee.  Required courses are the same as for the master’s degree and an exit seminar is required.  A comprehensive examination and dissertation are also required.  Mandatory academic performance is the same as specified by graduate school policy.

For additional information, write to the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Biological Sciences, P. O. Box GY, Mississippi State , MS 39762 .

Biological Sciences—Course prerequisites are noted in parentheses.

BIO 6103       Experimental Genetics (BIO 3103 or consent of instructor). 3 hours

BIO 6113       Evolutionary Biology. 3 hours

BIO 6114       Cellular Physiology (7 hours of zoology and two semesters of organic chemistry). 4 hours

BIO 6133       Human Genetics (BIO 1504 or consent of instructor). 3 hours

BIO 6163       Bryology (BIO 1203 and BIO 1213). 3 hours

BIO 6203       Taxonomy of Spermatophytes (BIO 1203 and BIO 1213). 3 hours

BIO 6204       Plant Anatomy (BIO 1203 and BIO 1213). 4 hours

BIO 6213       Plant Ecology (BIO 4203). 3 hours

BIO 6214       General Plant Physiology (BIO 1203 and CH 1213). 4 hours

BIO 6223       Freshwater Algae. 3 hours

BIO 6303.      Bioinstrumentation (BIO4304/6304). 3 hours

BIO 6304       Quantitative Methods. 4 hours

BIO 6314       Quantitative Methods II (BIO 4304/6304). 4 hours

BIO 6324       Soil Microbiology (BIO 3304). 4 hours

BIO 6403       Anaerobic Microbiology (BIO 3304). 3 hours

BIO 6404       Environmental Microbiology (BIO 3304). 4 hours

BIO 6405       Pathogenic Microbiology (BIO 3304). 5 hours

BIO 6413       Immunology (BIO 3304 and CH 4513). 3 hours

BIO 6414       Microbiology of Foods (BIO 3304). 4 hours

BIO 6443       Bacterial Genetics (BCH 4603, BIO 3304 or consent of instructor). 3 hours

BIO 6453       Petroleum Microbiology (BIO 3304). 3 hours

BIO 6463       Bacterial Physiology (BIO 3404 and BCH 4603). 3 hours

BIO 6502       Toxicology (8 hours Biological Sciences and 8 hours chemistry [cell biology/physiology and biochemistry recommended]. 2 hours

BIO 6503       Vertebrate Histology (BIO 1504). 3 hours

BIO 6504       Comparative Vertebrate Embryology (BIO 1504). 4 hours

BIO 6513       Ichthyology (BIO 1504 or equivalent). 3 hours

BIO 6514       Animal Physiology (Ten hours of zoology and organic chemistry). 4 hours

BIO 6523       Mammalogy (BIO 3524 or equivalent). 3 hours

BIO 6533       Animal Behavior. 3 hours

BIO 6543       Ornithology (8 hours of zoology). 3 hours

BIO 6990       Special Topics in Biology. 1-9 hours

BIO 8000       Research/Thesis. 6 hours

BIO 8011       Seminar. 1 hour

BIO 8013       Scientific Writing for Biological Scientists. 3 hours

BIO 8021       Senior Seminar. 1 hour

BIO 8022       Practical Research Practices. 2 hours

BIO 8044       Transmission Electron Microscopy [Same as ENT 8144]. 4 hours

BIO 8103       Advanced Ecology (BIO 3104). 3 hours

BIO 8104       Experimental Plant Molecular Biology. 4 hours

BIO 8113       Biogeography. 3 hours

BIO 8123       Physiological Ecology. 3 hours

BIO 8133       Advanced Cell Biology (BIO  4114/6114 or equivalent). 3 hours

BIO 8203       Embryology of Seed Plants (BIO 1203 and BIO 1213). 3 hours

BIO 8204       Phycology (BIO 1203 and BIO 1213). 4 hours

BIO 8213       Plant Water and Mineral Relations (BIO 4214). 3 hours

BIO 8214       Advanced Taxonomy (BIO 4203). 4 hours

BIO 8223       Plant Metabolism (BIO 4214 and organic chemistry). 3 hours

BIO 8315       Immunological Techniques. 5 hours

BIO 8403       Advanced Microbial Physiology (BIO 4463). 3 hours

BIO 8405       Advanced Immunology. 5 hours

BIO 8453       Advanced Virology. 3 hours

BIO 8463       Advanced Bacterial Genetics (BCH 4713 or BIO 4443, or consent of instructor). 3 hours

BIO 8990       Special Topics in Biology. 1-9 hours

BIO 9000       Research/Dissertation.  20 hours

Off-Campus Courses—Offered During the Summer at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

BIO 6336       Marine Invertebrate Zoology II (16 hours of zoology) [Same as GCRL ZO 361B]. 6 hours

BIO 6345       Marine Ecology (16 hours of biology including general botany and  invertebrate zoology)  [Same as GCRL ZO 452]. 5 hours

BIO 6526       Marine Aquaculture  (General  zoology, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, or consent of instructor)  [Same as GCRL ZO 464].                        6 hours

BIO 7000       Directed Individual Study [Same as GCRL ZO 561]. Hours of credit to be arranged

BIO 8000       Research/Thesis [Same as GCRL ZO 561]. Hours of credit to be arranged

BIO 9000       Research/Dissertation [Same as GCRL ZO 561]. Hours of credit to be arranged

*Fees, offerings, and dates are announced annually in the bulletin of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.  All students planning to take these courses for zoology credit at Mississippi State University must be registered at the University; there will be no fee for such registration.  For more information write to the Registrar, GCRL, P. O. Box 7000 , Ocean Springs , MS 39564 .

Contingent Admission—In some cases, a student can be accepted pending a particular condition, such as completion of a B.S. or M.S. degree or other conditions such as determined by the faculty and/or the Office of Graduate Studies.  A student accepted on a contingent basis may receive an assistantship.

Provisional Admission—In rare cases, if a student does not meet the minimum admission requirements, an individual faculty member may sponsor the student, if the student’s record is close to the minimum requirements and he/she has exceptional academic promise.  In such a case, the student will be admitted provisionally as recommended by the graduate committee.  The provisional student must earn at least a 3.00 GPA while carrying a full load (six hours summer/nine hours fall or spring, exclusive of special problems and thesis research hours) of graduate level coursework during the first semester (if the student is a full-time student).  Transfer hours or unclassified graduate hours will not fulfill this requirement.  The graduate committee will review the student’s progress toward the end of his/her first semester and decide whether regular admission or dismissal should be recommended; this review will also involve the student’s advisory committee, if it has been formed.  A student will not be retained on provisional status for more than two semesters.

Academic Performance—The graduate student must maintain an average of B (3.00) or higher for all courses after admission to the program.  Only grades of C or higher will be accepted for credit.  One course of the approved graduate program can be repeated; the two grades will be averaged.  All grades earned will be employed in overall GPA calculations.  Failure to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements, including earning two or more Cs or earning a grade of D or F, may be considered by the graduate committee in consultation with the student’s advisory committee to be sufficient cause for dismissal from the graduate program.  If the student’s GPA falls below a 3.00, he/she will have a two-semester grace period in which to retain a teaching assistantship.  By the end of this grace period, the student must have achieved an overall 3.00 GPA.  This 3.00 GPA must be maintained for the duration of the graduate program, or the student will be terminated from the graduate program.  The student may retain a teaching assistantship during this second probationary semester also.  During the probationary semester, the student must be enrolled in approved program requirements or if the program has not yet been approved in courses appropriate for the program.