Master of Science in Biology

Apply to NEIU! We welcome new students in the fall, spring, and summer terms. Northeastern offers both a Master of Science (M.S.) in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Secondary Education. For questions or more information, please contact us at BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu. 

Master of Science in Biology

The Master of Science in Biology program provides advanced training in a wide variety of biological fields. Faculty in the M.S. in Biology program have expertise in a range of subdisciplines including molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, ecology, botany, and zoology. Students tailor their coursework to suit their goals and may conduct thesis research or complete a degree that is entirely coursework-based. The program prepares students for research-based careers, advancement in teaching careers, or matriculation into PhD or health profession degree programs.

Students may start the M.S. Biology program in the fall, spring, or summer terms. Please reach out to us at BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu for more information or to address any questions you might have.

Upon completion of the M.S. in Biology program students will gain:

• A strong understanding of disciplines across biology and mastery of specific subdisciplines of interest.
• The knowledge base necessary to critically evaluate research methods, data, and results.
• Strong written and oral presentation skills.
• Experimental design and laboratory/field skills if completing the research thesis option.

Admission Requirements

Application forms to the graduate program may be found on the NEIU Admissions website. We accept students to start the M.S. Biology program in the fall, spring, or summer terms. Please reach out to us at BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu for more information or to address any questions you might have.

1. Applicants need a Bachelor’s degree in Biology or the course equivalent, including two semesters each of General Biology, General Chemistry and Physics, and one semester each of Cell Biology, Ecology, Genetics, Organic Chemistry and Calculus or Statistics. Undergraduate students who are close to completing the Bachelor’s degree are welcome to apply. 
2. An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75, with a GPA of 3.0 in the undergraduate biology courses, is required for full admission to the program.
3. A Statement of Goals and Objectives that specifies the applicant’s academic and professional goals and the reasons for choosing the Biology M.S. program.
4. A resume or C.V. showing any jobs, activities, research experiences, and publications relevant to the program and biology-related careers.
5. Two letters of recommendation from academic references (such as former or current professors) or work-related supervisors who are able to assess the applicant’s potential for advanced graduate study in Biology.
6. NOTE: GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores are NOT required for admission to our program.

Applicants missing a few prerequisite courses may be granted Conditional Admission and be able to take those courses while in the program. Applicants with strong potential, but whose records do not quite meet the official requirements, may be granted Provisional Admission. For more information, please refer to the General Admission Requirements of the College of Graduate Studies & Research. Decisions regarding Conditional and Provisional Admission are made on a case-by-case basis.

ADVISING HELP: Questions about the Master's Degree? Please contact the Biology Graduate Program Advisor, Dr. Michael Stern at m-stern2@neiu.edu. We also welcome questions at BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu.  

Degree Requirements

The M.S. in Biology allows students to tailor their program of study to meet their individual needs. Students may attend full-time or part-time and have up to 6 years to finish the M.S. degree requirements. Graduate courses are predominantly offered during the late afternoon and evening hours to accommodate working students. All graduate students are required to take BIO-405 together as a cohort with the other students in their admission year - this course provides instruction on the critical analysis skills required for success in the program as well as the development of career preparation tools. All students also must successfully complete at least one course that includes a laboratory or field component; for students pursuing the Research Thesis Track, the research thesis fulfills this requirement.

Summary Critique Exam

Each student in the Biology, M.S. program is required to take and pass a Summary Critique Exam at some point during the second half of their program, preferably at least one semester prior to the semester in which they intend to graduate. Students are eligible to take this exam upon registering for BIO-405 Biological Literature and the successful completion of at least three (3) 400-level BIO courses - BIO-405 and any BIO-4XXG courses do not count toward this three-course requirement. The Summary Critique Exam examines the student’s ability to evaluate and critique a primary literature publication in a biology discipline that they studied in one of their graduate biology courses.

Research Thesis Track

This track is recommended for individuals who are interested in a career in biological research, are working in applied fields of Biology, or are interested in further graduate or professional studies. Students interested in this track are encouraged to arrange appointments with the graduate program advisor and faculty in their area of interest early in their program, to discuss potential thesis topics.

Students pursuing the Research Thesis track complete a minimum of 33 credit hours of graduate course work, including BIO-405 and six (6) Thesis credit hours. Up to two (2) credits of Independent Investigations (BIO-482) can replace an equal number of Thesis credit hours. Students matriculate into this track when they identify a thesis advisor, choose a research project, and form a thesis committee. The student, working under the mentorship of their thesis advisor, develops a research thesis proposal that delineates the research project the student will conduct (see below). This research thesis proposal must be approved by the members of the student's thesis committee prior to the student being allowed to register for Thesis credits. The exit requirement for the Research Thesis Track is the successful completion of the research project, the public, oral defense of the Research Thesis, and the approval and submission of the written thesis according to CGSR guidelines.

Students who register for research thesis credit hours and subsequently decide not to complete the thesis may, upon program approval, apply the credits completed for the research thesis towards total credit hour requirements for either of the other two tracks (see below).

Library Thesis Track

This option is recommended for students who are interested in exploring a particular topic through literature research. The student will choose a library thesis advisor who will guide the student in identifying an appropriate question, preparing a thesis proposal, and writing the thesis. The goals of the library thesis are to explore a specific topic through the current literature with the aim of determining whether there is a particular gap in knowledge and/or if a specific question(s) can be answered through existing knowledge or whether additional experimentation/research are required to address the question.

Students pursuing the Library Thesis track complete a minimum of 34 credit hours of graduate coursework, including BIO-405, at least one course that includes a laboratory or field component, and six (6) Thesis credit hours. Students matriculate into this track when they identify a thesis advisor and a literature topic to investigate and identify two readers to comprise their thesis committee. The student, working under the mentorship of their thesis advisor, develops a literature thesis proposal that must be approved by the members of the student's thesis committee prior to the student being allowed to register for Thesis credit hours. The exit requirement for the Library Thesis Track is the successful public, oral presentation and defense of the Library Thesis.

Non-Thesis Track

This option is recommended for students who desire a less intensively-focused approach to graduate training in Biology. It is a popular track for teachers or those who want to become more competitive for admission to professional/health programs.

Students complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate course work, including BIO-405, and at least one course that includes a laboratory or field component. The exit requirement for the Non-thesis track is BIO-490 and its Exit Seminar component.

Thesis Proposals

Students interested in pursuing either the Library or Research Thesis tracks submit a thesis proposal for review and consideration by their thesis committee before they register for thesis credits. Potential topics are first discussed with a prospective thesis advisor to determine a project focus. The student drafts a proposal that presents the background and scope of the project, literature review, hypothesis/hypotheses to be tested (gap in knowledge and/or question(s) to be addressed in the case of a library thesis), methodology (for research theses only), and anticipated timetable. At the same time, in consultation with the research advisor, the student forms their thesis committee (thesis advisor + 2 additional Biology faculty members for the Research Thesis or thesis advisor + 2 additional readers for the Library Thesis).

Graduate Degree Time-Limit

Students in all degree tracks (see above) have a maximum of 6 years to complete their degree. Students requiring an extension of an additional semester or more to complete their degree should petition the College of Graduate Studies & Research and the Biology Graduate Advisory Committee before the 6-year deadline is reached. Students taking more than 6 years may lose credits earned early in the program and may be required by the CGSR to complete additional course work.

Courses

BIO courses at the 400- or 500-level count toward the M.S. in Biology degree. Approval from the Biology Graduate Advisor is required to apply courses from other programs. For information on petitioning to take coursework in other departments, contact BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu.

Transfer credits: A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit from external institutions can be applied to the M.S. degree requirements. Students interested in transferring credits need to submit the petition form along with official transcripts, detailed syllabi for the courses, and a rationale for the transfer. The petition must be approved by both the College of Graduate Studies & Research and the Biology Department. If these courses are taken after acceptance into the M.S. Biology Program, they must be preapproved. Contact the Biology Graduate Advisor at BioGradPrograms@neiu.edu for more information.