jsu cocky image

Academic Programs 

   Undergraduate Program

At JSU, CONTENT and PROCESS in the biological sciences are integrated into a singular meaningful learning experience for the undergraduate Biology Major-- The JSU EXPERIENCE in BIOLOGY. This experience will provide a substantive educational foundation for future success.

The CONTENT

The biological sciences comprise a number of subdisciplines, ranging from molecular and cellular biology to biological evolution and ecology. To meet that educational diversity, the Biology Major requires completion of:

1. A basic core curriculum in biology; and

2. A concentration in ONE of five different programs currently available.

The different programs in the Biology Major are designed to support a variety of future opportunities for the biology major, including:

Each program, as described below, has specific departmental course and ancillary requirements that provide focus (see checklists above) specific to that program (BS or BA in BIOLOGY)

The PROCESS

Experiencing the "trials and tribulations" of undergraduate research is an essential and integral part of The Biology Experience at JSU The undergraduate research experience begins with the Research in Biology course (BY 370) which deals with the nature of biological research and has the goal of producing a proposal for an undergraduate research project and application for a grant in support of the proposed research. The project may involve either that is field and/or laboratory or library in its nature and scope.

The biology major, in consultation with a faculty sponsor or advisor, will undertake scientific inquiry and discovery through Directed Studies and Independent Studies, gathering and analyzing data.

This research experience now may culminate in either BY 495 - Senior Presentation (library research) or BY 496 - Senior Seminar (original field or laboratory research). Both courses are now experimental but are expected to be required in the near future. Either of these capstone courses for the Major involves:

  • Completion of a Senior Thesis; and
  • A brief oral presentation of the students research study to their peers during an Annual Student Research Symposium which, in the spring term, will be College-wide; in the fall term, it will be departmental.

Student presenters may be invited to submit a manuscript for publication as a Senior Thesis, subject to acceptance by a student/faculty review, in the forthcoming JSU BIOSIS, a student only journal from the Biology Department.

In addition, the majors completing undergraduate research are encouraged to present off-campus at any one of a number of professional meetings, including annual meetings of the Beta Beta Beta, the Alabama Academy of Sciences, the Association of Southeastern Biologists, or the Southeastern Branch of the American Association of Microbiology.

To support meaningful "hands-on" field and/or laboratory research experiences, the facilities in Ayers Hall has student/ faculty research laboratories which are dedicated to undergraduate research in molecular and cellular, microbial, physiological, and environmental biology and are equipped with sophisticated instrumentation (See departmental RESOURCES).

Top

     Graduate Program

 

|ADMISSION|THESIS OPTION|NON-THESIS OPTION|

The Department of Biology offers a broad interdisciplinary graduate education in the biological sciences that leads to the MS degree with a major in Biology. The program is designed for those students desire a broad-based curriculum with a diversity of course work from one end of the biological spectrum to the other; that is, from molecular cell biology to organismal biology, including plant, animal and microbial biology, to environmental biology and assessment.

The following information is a summary and guide designed for graduate biology majors. The Graduate Bulletin includes official policies and procedures concerning such topics as admission, curriculum, and graduation. The links below will take you to the appropriate graduate checklist

           Thesis Option Checklist
           Non-thesis Option Checklist

     

ADMISSION(index)

All applicants must complete application to the JSU College of Graduate Studies.

A completed application includes:

  • Application form, including residency certification;
  • Application fee (non-refundable);
  • Official transcripts of all previous college credit;
  • Official test scores on either the general aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT)

The applicant must also:

  • meet one of 4 formula requirements based on GPA in combination with GRE or MAT scores for unconditional admission; applicants not meeting one of these requirements may be conditionally admitted. hold an undergraduate BS or BA degree in biology (or the equivalent) from an accredited institution. Applicants with majors in other natural sciences or mathematics will be considered but may be required to complete additional undergraduate courses. have completed the following JSU undergraduate lecture/laboratory courses (or their equivalent):
    • Introductory Biology I and II (BY 101, 102, 103, 104)
    • Genetics (BY 322)
    • Ecology (BY 332)
    • Cell Biology (BY 373)
    • have completed a year of chemistry with laboratory. Depending on the applicant's graduate degree program, additional undergraduate chemistry, physics and/or mathematics (statistics) may be required.

Once admitted to the graduate program in biology, the applicant must consult with the Biology Graduate Coordinator, or, in his absence, the Department Head. The student's application will be reviewed by the Biology Department's Graduate Coordinator (SEE Student Info - Advisers) and, if necessary, the Graduate Studies Committee. Deficiencies in the applicant's undergraduate program will be determined. Applicants deficient in any of the above areas will be admitted provided they meet the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies. Deficiencies should be removed by the end of the first year of graduate school.

All graduate work must :

  • Have one half of all graduate courses at the 500 level;
  • the remainder may be at the 400G level;
  • Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

There are two options or tracks available for the MS in Biology degree:

Thesis Option; and Non-Thesis Option.

Each option requires some graduate research.

THESIS OPTION(index)

To earn the MS in Biology with Thesis Option, the following requirements must be completed:

A minimum of 30 semester hours at the 400G and 500 levels (of which half must be at the 500 level) to include:

  • a) 4 courses selected from Group I 12-16 sem hrs and Group II, with a minimum of one course from each group:
    • Group I: 403G, 412G, 413G, 431G, 434G, 450G, 451G, 473G, 479G
    • Group II: 402G, 406G, 407G, 419G, 420G, 421G, 432G, 438G, 439G, 440G, 452G, 455G, 458G, 476G
  • b) 500 level seminar courses to be selected 4 sem hrs
    • from BY 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577)
  • c) Research Methods in Biology (BY 594) 1 sem hr
  • d) Research (BY 596 and/or 597 and/or 598) 3 sem hr
  • e) Thesis (BY 599, 599) 3 sem hr

Successfully complete and defend an acceptable thesis Pass a comprehensive examination Candidates for the MS in Biology with Thesis Option should observe the following steps:

1) Select a Thesis Research Advisor The graduate student considering the thesis option should have selected a full-time member of the biology faculty to serve as his/her graduate advisor by the end of the first semester in graduate school.

An entering student should meet with the Graduate Coordinator and determine one or more faculty that they should interact with and consider as Research Advisor.

2) Select a Thesis Advisory Committee.

This Committee is to be determined by the student and his/her graduate advisor. The Committee will consist of a minimum of 3 members of the JSU Graduate Biology Faculty; where appropriate, additional members may be added.

3) Develop and submit a Thesis Research Proposal.

The proposal, with preliminary literature review and materials/ methods should be completed by the end of the first year of graduate studies.

4) Seek approval of the Proposal.

The proposal must be approved by the Committee, the Department Head, and the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies for the graduate student. With approval, the student becomes a candidate for the MS in Biology with Thesis Option. The proposal must be approved prior to registration for thesis (BY 599).

5) Conduct the proposed research under the guidance of the Thesis Advisor.

Thesis research normally should be completed in 1, perhaps 2 years. Actual time depends on the nature of the proposed research and dedication of the student.

6) Write a Thesis in accordance with the format standards set forth in the College of Graduate Studies' Thesis Guide. Students are strongly urged to submit a near-final draft to the College to assure that these standards are being met.

7) Present research (i.e., thesis) orally at a departmental graduate seminar open to the public.

8) Defend his/her thesis before a departmental Graduate Examining Committee (i.e., the Thesis Advisory Committee) and pass a comprehensive oral examination. 9) The College of Graduate Studies then reviews the corrected thesis. If thesis is approved, the candidate must provide the following thesis copies to the College for binding: a signed official copy for the Library; a copy for the Department; and any other copies that the Candidate requires, including committee members and personal copies At that point, the College of Graduate Studies will clear the candidate for graduation.

NON-THESIS OPTION (index)

To earn the MS in Biology with Non-Thesis Option, the following requirements must be completed:

A minimum of 36 sem hrs of course work at 400G/500 levels (of which half must be at the 500 level) to include:

  • a) 2 courses selected from Group I 6-8 sem hrs
    • 403G, 412G, 413G, 431G, 434G, 450G, 451G, 473G, 479G
  • b) 2 courses selected from Group II 6-8 sem hrs
    • 402G, 406G, 407G, 419G, 420G, 421G, 432G, 438G, 439G, 440G, 452G, 455G, 458G, 476G
  • c) 500 level seminar courses 4 sem hrs
  • d) Research Methods in Biology (BY 594) 1 sem hr
  • e) Research Project (BY 595) 3 sem hrs
  • f) Electives in Biology 16 sem hrs

Successful completion of an acceptable original research paper (laboratory and/or field). Paper will be kept on file with the Department of Biology. Pass an oral comprehensive examination.

Top

 

Biology Home Page

 

Last Updated:  Nuly 25, 2000