M.S. Degree
In addition to the traditional four programs (AEM, CMBP, MGB, NB), the Masters program also offers an interdepartmental concentration in Bioinformatics. This concentration requires courses from the Biology, Chemistry, Math and Computer Science departments. The MS degree offered by the Biology Department at Georgia State University can be either Thesis or Non-Thesis based. The thesis option consists of 40 credit hours, requires research and completion and defense of a thesis. The non-thesis option consists of 40 credit hours and completion of a literature or research based report. Masters students have the option to serve as Teaching Assistants (TA) and Research Assistants (RA). Masters students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to stay in the program.
Take a look at the Masters Program website for more details on requirements.
Click here to check out the Masters Program Policy Document.
Ph.D. Degree
The Ph.D. degree offered by the Biology Department at Georgia State University consists of a minimum of 90 hours of credits including at least 30 hours of coursework and 60 hours of research. Ph.D. students are required to register for 25 credit hours each semester, which may seem like a lot; however, most of these hours can be research hours. Ph.D. students must maintain a 3.0 and receive no more than 1 C in a core or elective course to remain in the program. The Ph.D. program requires students to take and pass a qualifying exam, which usually occurs during the fall semester of the 2nd year; however, all core courses must be completed before taking the qualifying exam. The specifics of the qualifying exam vary by area, but the general layout consists of the student preparing a proposal as if they were applying for an NIH-R01 grant, then defending the proposal orally before a committee. After passing the qualifying exam, students will then be allowed to begin working toward their dissertation, which has a format similar to the qualifying exam. Also, Ph.D. students are required to have at least one publication before graduating.
Click here to check out the Doctoral Program Policy Document.
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