| Degree: | Master of Science (M.S.) |
| Specializations: | Biology (thesis) Coastal Zone Studies (non-thesis) Environmental Biology (non-thesis) |
| Certificates: | Evolutionary Biology Fisheries and Aquaculture Health Care Ethics Plant Science |
| Department: | Building 58, Room 79 (850) 474-2748 http://uwf.edu/biology/ |
| College: | Arts and Sciences |
The M.S. in Biology offers three areas of specialization:
In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the applicant must meet the following minimum departmental admission requirements for regular admission:
Applicants are urged to speak with prospective faculty advisors prior to the application deadline date. Individual faculty members may request exemptions from some of the departmental but not University requirements listed above for specific students. Students desiring to transfer from a non-thesis to a thesis specialization must fulfill all requirements for admission to that specialization.
Prospective students must submit the materials by the first Monday in June to be considered for admission in the fall semester, or by the first Monday in October to be considered for spring admission, or by the first Monday in March for admission in the summer semester. To be considered for financial aid within the department, all prospective students for each academic year must also submit these materials by the first Monday in March.
The completed application will be reviewed by the faculty and by the graduate program committee. Conditional admission may require the student to complete the appropriate foundation courses with grades of “B” or better. Only complete applications will be reviewed. Students must also complete a departmental data sheet as part of the admission process. Students will be notified of the final decision on their admission to the program.
The thesis program is designed for students seeking advanced studies in areas of modern biology and biotechnology with training in the fields of aquaculture, biochemistry, ecology, environmental studies, fisheries biology, genetics, immunology, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biology, plant science, and physiology.
In addition to the University’s general academic requirements, students seeking the M.S. degree in Biology must meet the following departmental requirements:
| BSC 6002L | Contemporary Laboratory Skills | 4 |
| BSC 6840 | Professional Development in Biology | 3 |
| PCB 5924 | Biology Seminar | 1 |
| PCB 6074 | Experimental Design in Biology | 3 |
In this non-thesis specialization, students will learn methods to identify and solve problems, management practices, and procedures for policy-making as they pertain to a coastal zone. Students with bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences, geography, and resource management are encouraged to apply.
Students must take the following courses or their equivalent.
| BOT 2010+L | General Botany (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 2131+L | Cell Biology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3063+L | Genetics (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 4043+L | Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| ZOO 1010+L | General Zoology (+Lab) | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| STA 4173 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| GIS 3015+L | Cartographic Skills (+Lab) * | 4 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
| * | A skills test can substitute for GIS 3015/L |
Prior to registration the student will meet with the program advisor and discuss a plan for completing the required course work. The student must complete 36 semester hours of course work composed of the required selections from the list below and from graduate electives as indicated:
| BSC 5905 | Directed Study | 2 |
| BSC 6002L | Contemporary Laboratory Skills | 4 |
| BSC 6329 | Coastal Studies Seminar | 1 |
| BSC 6840 | Professional Development in Biology | 3 |
| BSC 6905 | Directed Study | 4 |
| GEO 5225+L | Coastal Morphology and Processes (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 5446+L | Wetlands Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 5924 | Biology Seminar | 1 |
| PCB 6074 | Experimental Design in Biology | 3 |
| 5000/6000 level advisor approved elective | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | 4 | |
| Photo Interpretation and Remote Sensing (+Lab) | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (+Lab) | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Coastal and Marine Environments | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
There is a great demand from local, state, and federal government, as well as from industry, for students with a strong background in environmental biology.
| BOT 2010+L | General Botany (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 2131+L | Cell Biology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3063+L | Genetics (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 4043+L | Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| ZOO 1010+L | General Zoology (+Lab) | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| STA 4173 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| GIS 3015+L | Cartographic Skills (+Lab) 1 | 4 |
| GIS 4043+L | Geographic Information Systems (+Lab) 2 | 4 |
| 1 | A skills test can substitute for GIS 3015/L |
| 2 | requires GIS 3015/L |
Prior to registration the student will meet with the program advisor and discuss a plan for completing the required course work. The student must complete 36 semester hours of course work composed of the required selections from the list below and from graduate electives as indicated:
| BSC 5305 | Biogeography | 3 |
| BSC 6002L | Contemporary Laboratory Skills | 4 |
| BSC 6329 | Coastal Studies Seminar | 1 |
| BSC 6840 | Professional Development in Biology | 3 |
| BSC 6905 | Directed Study | 4 |
| GIS 5100 | Applications in Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| PCB 5446+L | Wetlands Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 5924 | Biology Seminar | 1 |
| PCB 6074 | Experimental Design in Biology | 3 |
| PHC 6310 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| 5000/6000 level advisor approved courses | 7 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Department: Biology
Veterans Affairs (VA) Certified? No*
Method of Instruction: Classroom
Semester Hours: 9
* In the process of applying for VA certification
| BSC 5305 | Biogeography | 3 |
| PCB 5675 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| ZOO 5514 | Animal Behavior | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Department: Biology
Veterans Affairs (VA) Certified? No*
Method of Instruction: Classroom
Semester Hours: 12
* In the process of applying for VA certification
| FAS 5406+L | Aquaculture (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 5319+L | Marine Ecological Physiology (+Lab) | 4 |
| ZOO 5881C | Fisheries Biology | 4 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Department: Biology
Veterans Affairs (VA) Certified? No
Semester Hours: 12
This certificate is very valuable to health care professionals who are active on bioethics, medical ethics, or health care ethics boards at various health care institutions. It is also valuable to all health care practitioners and students of health care who are faced with ethical dilemmas throughout their training and work.
| HSC 5602 | Life, Illness and Death | 3 |
| HSC 5636 | Current Issues in Medicine | 3 |
| HSC 5655 | Theoretical Foundations of Health Care Ethics | 3 |
| HSC 5656 | Clinical Ethics Grand Rounds | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Department: Biology
Veterans Affairs (VA) Certified? No*
Method of Instruction: Classroom
Semester Hours: 12
* In the process of applying for VA certification
| BOT 4404+L | Aquatic Botany (+Lab) | 4 |
| BOT 5376+L | Plant Developmental Biology (+Lab) | 4 |
| BOT 5506+L | Plant Physiology (+Lab) | 4 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
