All M.S. students are assumed to have sufficient background in biology and chemistry to meet the prerequisites of our graduate courses. The responsibility for determining deficiencies rests with the major professor.
Seminar Requirements: M.S. students are required to enroll for two credits in Seminar 420 (see below). Attendance at official seminars (4:00 PM each Thursday during the academic year) is required as part of Seminar 420 unless the student is officially excused because of course or teaching conflicts.
M. S. thesis committees consist of the major professor and at least two additional faculty members. At least two of the committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the School. The School Chair or Director of the Graduate Program must approve all thesis committees prior to their official appointment.
M.S. students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours including at least 15 credit hours of 400-level coursework. (exclusive of BSC 499 hours). The 30 credit hours must include 4-6 credit hours of BSC 499 and 24-26 credit hours of course work.
M.S. students must follow the School Check-List for the M.S. program (below), which details the major requirements and the usual sequence of events that a student should follow.

Check-List of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Science in Biology

Be sure to read the graduate catalog and comply with all University requirements. The following requirements are listed in the order in which they should be met. If you have any questions regarding these requirements, contact either the School Director or the Director of the Graduate Program. Click here to access required Graduate School forms and deadlines referred to below.

If you have not yet selected a faculty member who agrees to direct your thesis research (i.e., your ‘major professor’), contact the Director of the Graduate Program to discuss your graduate course program. The Director of the Graduate Program will serve as your academic advisor until your major professor has been selected.
To select a major professor, consult with faculty members in the area of biology in which you wish to conduct research.
When you have identified the specific area in which you wish to carry out research and have identified a faculty member who agrees to serve as major professor, write a letter to the Director of the Graduate Program naming your major professor. This letter should be received no later than the end of your first semester as a graduate student.
In consultation with your major professor, select the remaining members of your thesis committee. M. S. thesis committees consist of the major professor and at least two additional faculty members. At least two of the committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the School. Qualified scientists from outside the university may serve as supernumerary members of committees. Submit these names to the Director of the Graduate Program. When your committee has been approved, the members will be officially notified by the Biology Office.
Have your major professor call a meeting of your thesis committee to plan the remainder of your graduate course requirements.
You must write a Thesis Proposal, in a format approved by your major professor and committee, and complete a Proposal Approval Form, available from the Graduate School.
After the Thesis Proposal and Proposal Approval Form have been approved by the members of your graduate committee, submit the Proposal Approval Form to the Director of the Graduate Program.
Give four copies of your signed Proposal Approval Form to the Graduate School. Proposal Approval Forms should be filed by the end of your first year of residency.
In order to retain a Teaching Assistantship you must have on file in the Biology Office four copies of your Plan of Study (available in the Biology Office), one copy of your Proposal Approval Form, and one copy of your Thesis Proposal no later than the end of your third semester in the M.S. program. Exceptions to this policy are by petition to the Director of the Graduate Program.
Prior to the semester in which you plan to graduate, obtain the detailed calendar of events prescribed for the semester in which you will actually graduate. Important details are specified each semester on this calendar, such as when you must apply for graduation, pay your fees, when the thesis must be deposited in the Graduate School, and so forth. These calendars are always available in the Graduate School Office and in the School office.
Complete your graduate research, course requirements, and correct any deficiencies identified by your major professor or your graduate committee.
Before you begin to write your thesis, obtain the ISU Handbook for Thesis and Dissertation Writers, which provides information on issues of format. However, with prior approval of your thesis committee, you may use the Alternative Format (*see Appendix 1, below) of writing thesis chapters in the form of manuscripts that are ready for submission to journals.
Consult the ISU Handbook for Thesis and Dissertation Writers for the exact sequence of events that must occur between you and the University Thesis Consultant, who ultimately must approve your thesis and give permission for you to take the Oral Thesis Defense Examination.
You must present a School research seminar prior to the Oral Thesis Defense Examination. Before the beginning of the semester in which you expect to graduate, schedule your seminar through the appropriate seminar coordinator. This seminar can be presented as part of a Section Brown-bag seminar program or as a specially scheduled seminar.
Before you schedule your Oral Thesis Defense Examination, you must have your thesis draft authorized to be defended by (1) your thesis committee and (2) the University Thesis Consultant. After the University Thesis Consultant has provided you with a copy of the Right to Defend form, prepare a copy of the final form and send it to the Director of the Graduate Program as an attachment in an e-mail, with your name in the title of the file, one week (seven days) prior to the date you intend to take your oral examination. The examination must be scheduled on or before the date that the Graduate School has specified as the date for deposit of theses/dissertations.
Make sure your major professor has scheduled your Oral Thesis Defense Examination for a time that satisfies the requirement in #15, above. The Biology Office must be informed of both the time and place of the Oral Thesis Defense Examination. The Biology Office in turn notifies the Graduate School and the Biology faculty.
When you have passed the Oral Thesis Defense Examination and your thesis has been approved (all errors corrected as specified by your thesis committee), then five copies should be filed as follows: the original and two copies to the Graduate School (one copy will be sent to the Biology Office after binding and will be displayed in the Weigel Reading Room of the Biology Office), one copy to your major professor, and one copy to yourself.
If you possess any keys to University facilities, equipment, or furniture, these must be returned before you leave the University.
IMPORTANT: If you have satisfied all of the requirements for your M.S. degree (including completing 4-6 credit hours of thesis research BSC 499) except completing your thesis, you must register each semester for one credit hour of 499.01 and pay the appropriate fees until the thesis has been deposited. If the aforementioned conditions have not been met, you must register each semester for BSC 499.

*Appendix 1

ALTERNATIVE THESIS FORMAT

A thesis may be formatted according to the specifications of the journal(s) to which it has been or will be submitted. Accordingly, separate chapters may be formatted differently. A copy of the "Instructions to Authors" from each relevant journal publisher, and a sample journal article which illustrates figures, tables, schemes, etc. needs to be included with your thesis when delivered to the Examiner for the format check.
Each chapter must be preceded by a page containing the chapter (Roman) numeral and title of chapter, e.g.,

CHAPTER II
DO POLYANDROUS HOUSE WRENS GAIN INDIRECT GENETIC BENEFITS FOR SOME OF THEIR OFFSPRING?

An optional introductory first chapter and/or summary last chapter may be included.
Pagination must be continuous throughout the document and may be placed at the bottom center of all pages.
A separate Literature Cited may be given in each chapter using the specific journal format of that chapter.
Current Graduate School regulations regarding page margins remain in effect.