Master of Science Admission:
An ESSENTIAL criterion for admission to the M.S. program is the agreement of a graduate faculty member to serve as a student's advisor. Prospective students MUST correspond with potential advisors early in the application procedure as no students are accepted in the absence of the agreement by a faculty member to serve as advisor. Refer to the Directory section of the Departmental web site.
Additional admission requirements include:
- a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in an appropriate area of science,
- an undergraduate grade point of 3.0 or higher, and
- verbal and quantitative GRE scores no more than five years old, both above 500.
Students who do not meet these criteria but who remain interested in the graduate program should contact the Director of the Graduate Program.
Application Deadline for M.S. Program:
Applications may be reviewed at any time. However, in order to receive full conside ration for Fall admission, all application materials should reach the department by March 1st. For Spring admission, please provide all materials by November 1st. You may use the on-line application to submit materials to the Graduate School . In addition to transcripts, and a report of your GRE scores, you will need three letters of recommendation and a Statement of Purpose and Intent. The Statement is a one to two page essay that describes your reasons for undertaking graduate work, as well as an explanation of your study and research interests and their relation to your undergraduate study and professional goals. All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School. You may also submit copies of all materials, including informal transcripts, to the faculty member who has agreed to be your advisor.
Master of Science Graduation Requirements:
Plan A
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Coursework: Determined by advisory committee
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Credits: 30
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Comprehensive/Oral Examination: None
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Thesis: Required
Plan B
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Thesis: Not required
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Professional Paper: Required (see below)
Plan A versus Plan B:
The vast majority of incoming students are admitted to the Plan A degree program. This is the option in which the student is expected to write a thesis making an original contribution to the research field of a quality acceptable to a major, peer-reviewed scientific journal. A small number of students, primarily those without research funding and/or who have a full-time job commitment, are admitted to the Plan B degree program. This program requires the writing of a professional paper of a quality suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Occasionally, Plan B students transfer to Plan A if research funding becomes available. Only under very special circumstances is a Plan A student allowed to transfer to Plan B.
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