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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BIOLOGY: see also CELL AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY; ECOLOGY,
ETHOLOGY, AND EVOLUTION; AND PLANT BIOLOGY
Director of Biology Programs: Edward Brown
Correspondence and Information: Biology Programs, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 393 Morrill Hall, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana,
IL 61801; (217) 333-8208; Fax: (217) 244-1224.
E-mail: c-hall@uiuc.edu
GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
Biology programs, including the M.S. in biology, the M.S. in the teaching of biological sciences and general sciences, and the Ph.D. in biology, specializing in physiological and molecular plant biology, are currently administered within the School of Life Science and are described below.
ADMISSION
To be considered for any program, an applicant must have an overall grade-point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0), must include a brief statement of educational objectives with the formal application, and must submit three letters of recommendation. GRE scores are mandatory for consideration for the Ph.D., but are not required for M.S. degrees.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BIOLOGY
This program is intended for students who wish to increase their knowledge of biology and become involved with graduate-level research in biology without the long-term commitment of a Ph.D. program. The work plan is personally designed by each student in consultation with an appropriate adviser. Breadth of training is encouraged. (For those wishing to concentrate their efforts, M.S. programs are available in most of the departments in the School of Life Sciences.) The degree requires eight units of course work, of which three units must be in 400-level courses. Active status in the program is maintained through registration in two 300- or 400-level biology courses per semester and a grade-point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0). A research report is required of all candidates for the degree. Before the degree will be granted, the student must also complete or show college credit for the following: one year of physics with laboratory, a course in organic chemistry with laboratory, and a semester of calculus.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE TEACHING OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND GENERAL SCIENCE
This program is designed for graduates in a biological discipline who intend to enter the teaching profession and for individuals already teaching biology or general science in junior high school, high school, or community college. The degree is awarded upon completion of a minimum of eight units of course credit and proof of state teacher certification. Contact the certification officer of the Council on Teacher Education (130 Education Building, 333-7195) for information pertaining to pursuing certification while enrolled in the graduate program. Course work consists of four units in biological sciences, two units in education (see page 48) and 2 elective units. Electives are usually taken in biological sciences, education, or both.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOLOGY
The School of Life Sciences offers a degree leading to a Ph.D. in biology, specializing in physiological and molecular plant biology. This is an interdisciplinary program staffed by plant biologists from seven departments in the College of Agriculture and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: agronomy, biochemistry, forestry, horticulture, physiology and biophysics, plant biology, and plant pathology. Thesis research can be conducted in any of a broad range of areas, which are organized into three alternative tracks of study: (1) organismal and community plant physiology, (2) plant biochemistry and biophysics, and (3) plant development and molecular biology.
FINANCIAL AID
Support for graduate training is available in the form of teaching or research assistantships, traineeships, and University fellowships. Prospective students may obtain application forms and relevant information for departmental study programs from the executive officer of the appropriate department or, for biology programs, from the School of Life Sciences.
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