Arizona State University The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 7 courses 30 total credits
The Master of Science program in biology is a flexible degree program based around your individual interests, enabling you to explore areas of biology that exist outside of traditional boundaries. This degree complements other, more specialized life sciences programs, allowing both interdisciplinary and traditional approaches. This program currently admits you to a thesis-based pathway, an applied project pathway, or a coursework and capstone option. In the thesis pathway, you receive hands-on training and craft an individualized plan of study focused specifically on your own research interests. You work closely with an advisor from ASU's faculty of top-tier scientists and conduct research at the forefront of your field. You develop foundational research skills in the course of designing and completing your own research project. In the coursework and capstone pathway, you build an individualized curriculum from a wide variety of courses taught by global experts. In your final semester, you delve more deeply into your own area of interest by completing a capstone project. While you have flexibility in the choice of your topic, you need to adhere to the project requirements (e.g., a literature review or research proposal) of the capstone course. This option is ideal if you don't need intensive research training but want to deepen and expand your biological knowledge and skills. With permission of the program director, you may complete an applied project instead of a capstone. The coursework and capstone pathway is also available in an online format. The applied project pathway is an alternative option to the capstone pathway where you complete the applied project course under the mentorship of a single faculty member on a project that can be completed in one semester (e.g., extended literature review, analysis of a dataset, etc.). You must secure a SOLS faculty mentor willing to guide your project and complete the applied project proposal form (due by the last day of class the semester before you plan to enroll in the applied project course). The final product of the applied project is either a written report or a presentation, and the faculty mentor assigns the grade. You should note: the program can't help you find mentors. You can transition into this pathway mid-program if you secure a mentor.
| Required Core | 1 credits |
| Other Requirements | 2 credits |
| Electives | 27 credits |
| Required Core | 1 credits |
| Other Requirements | 2 credits |
| Total Credits | 30 credits |
Required Core
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 610 | Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences | 1 |
| BIO 611 | Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| Total Required Core | 1 credits | |
Other Requirements
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 541 | SOLS Seminar Series | 1 |
| BIO 542 | SOLS Current Topics in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| Total Other Requirements | 2 credits | |
Electives
Required Core
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 610 | Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences | 1 |
| BIO 611 | Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| Total Required Core | 1 credits | |
Other Requirements
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 541 | SOLS Seminar Series | 1 |
| BIO 542 | SOLS Current Topics in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| Total Other Requirements | 2 credits | |
Culminating Experience (0, 3 or 6 credit hours)
written comprehensive exam (0)
Additional Curriculum Information
This master's degree offers a course-based option. Students choose one of the culminating experience options listed above. The thesis option is best suited for students who wish to pursue original research under the close mentorship of a faculty advisor. The capstone option is best suited for students who want to develop expertise in a specific area of biology through an individualized curriculum and a focused, discipline-specific written project. The applied project option is best suited for students who wish to apply scientific methods and reasoning to a real-world problem or professional context. The written comprehensive exam option is a good fit for students who prefer an examination-based demonstration of their knowledge or who need flexibility in how they complete their degree. The course-based option is also a strong option for science communicators, journalists, or educators who already possess strong communication skills and wish to deepen their biological content expertise, as well as for professionals working in industry, government, or biology-adjacent fields who wish to broaden or update their scientific knowledge to better serve in their current or future roles. The number of credit hours required for the electives depends on the culminating experience chosen; all students must complete 30 credit hours to complete this program.
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