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Program directors
Program directors
Director
Director
Dr. Jessie Ebie
Dr. Jessie Ebie
Email: jebie@asu.edu
Co-Director
Co-Director
Dr. Michael Britton
Dr. Michael Britton
Email: michael.britton.1@asu.edu
Program description
Program description
This MS in biology is a flexible program based around a student's individual research or life science topic interests, allowing students to explore areas of biology that thrive outside of traditional boundaries. This program complements other, more specialized life sciences programs, allowing both interdisciplinary and traditional approaches. Courses include laboratory, field and theoretical work.
MS biology students are admitted to either pursue research with their time in the program culminating in a thesis, or to flexibly learn about life science topics through coursework with their time in the program culminating in a capstone project. Students can refer to their admission offer letter to clarify which track they have been admitted to.
Capstone degree requirements
Capstone degree requirements
The current degree requirements are below. Remember you are required to fulfill the requirements from the academic year you were admitted. Please refer to the handbook from your year of admission as needed.
Total: 30 credit hours, including a capstone or applied project
Required Core Section (1 credit hour)
(1) BIO 610 - Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences
OR
(1) BIO 611- Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in the Life Sciences
Other Requirements Section (2 credit hours)
(1) BIO 541 - SOLS Seminar Series
AND
(1) BIO 542 - SOLS Current Topics in the Life Sciences
Electives Section (24 credit hours)
Students are free to explore a range of topics or use their elective space to more deeply dive into a topic or two. This coursework should be chosen with the capstone project in mind, which typically looks like a literature review of a particular topic. Chosen electives can support the student in writing their capstone later in their final semester.
SOLS course prefixes to choose from: ANB, BIO, ELS, EVO, HPS, MCB, MIC, NEU, & PLB - 500-level or above
*Up to 6 credits maximum can be 400-level
An in-depth list of electives to explore can be found here: BIO MS Course Offerings Sheet
Culminating Experience Section (3 credit hours)
BIO 597 - Capstone (Default)
BIO 597 is a structured, C session course where students complete a literature review and an NSF-GRFP-style grant proposal on a life sciences topic of interest.
OR
BIO 593 - Applied Project
An Applied Project is an alternative option to Capstone where a student is mentored by a faculty member on a project that can be completed in one semester (e.g., extended literature review, analysis of a dataset, etc.). Students must secure a SOLS faculty mentor willing to guide their project. The final product of the applied project is either a written report or a presentation, and the faculty mentor assigns the grade. (A formal proposal and Program Director approval is required well ahead of your final semester)
View a Culminating Event Info Session for more details about the Applied Project and how it compares to Capstone.
Thesis degree requirements
Thesis degree requirements
The current degree requirements are below. Remember you are required to fulfill the requirements from the academic year you were admitted. Please refer to the handbook from your year of admission as needed.
Total: 30 credit hours, including a thesis
Required Core Section (1 credit hour)
(1) BIO 610 - Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences
OR
(1) BIO 611- Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in the Life Sciences
Other Requirements Section (2 credit hours)
(1) BIO 541 - SOLS Seminar Series
AND
(1) BIO 542 - SOLS Current Topics in the Life Sciences
Electives/Research Section (21 credit hours)
(no more than 9 credit hours) BIO 592 - Research
AND
(21) Graduate-Level Life Sciences Elective Courses
*Students should discuss elective course selection with their faculty advisor(s) to best support your research project.
(*no more than 9 credit hours) BIO 592 - Research
SOLS course prefixes to choose from: ANB, BIO, ELS, EVO, HPS, MCB, MIC, NEU, & PLB - 500-level or above
*Up to 6 credits maximum can be 400-level
An in-depth list of electives to explore can be found here: BIO MS Course Offerings Sheet
Culminating Experience Section (6 credit hours)
(6 exactly) BIO 599 - Thesis
*Note: it is very important you do exactly 6 thesis credit hours. These 6 can be divided and taken over multiple semesters, but they must sum 6 credits exactly (no more, no less) to avoid issues when graduating.
*According to Graduate College policy beginning for new students in Fall 2025, no more than 50% of the total credits applied in iPOS can be graded on a Z/Y scale (typically research and thesis). Please plan your coursework accordingly.
Course offering guides
Course offering guides
Use the appropriate live Google Sheet below to narrow down your course search each semester and ensure that the courses you are selecting align with the appropriate degree requirements.
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