Chatham University
Master of Arts in Biology
Master of Science in Biology

In many professions, the master’s degree is now the minimum requirement for either employment or advancement. To meet this need, Chatham has developed two master’s program options in biology. Students may apply at any time of year and are admitted on a rolling basis until classes fill. Typically, the MS program starts in the fall and admits 5-6 students per year; the MA program will initially accept up to 12 students and may be started in the fall or spring. Neither program requires a capstone written or oral comprehensive exam.

The MA is now available as a one-year degree without a thesis, primarily for students heading to medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, physician assistant programs, etc., who wish to improve their credentials and/or complete requirements. Students must complete a total of ten courses (33-34 credits), five of which are electives, allowing the program to be adapted to meet the needs of many different career goals. Final selection of electives requires approval of the student’s academic advisor. Students may enroll in the program part-time, but should be aware that the majority of courses are not available evenings or weekends.

The MS degree takes 4-5 semesters and allows for multiple tracks (for example, plant physiology can be substituted for human physiology). The MS includes a thesis and so provides the research experience needed for students who wish to apply to Ph.D. programs or who wish to teach or look for research positions. Students must complete a total of ten courses (33-35 credits), three of which are electives, allowing the program to be adapted to meet the needs of many different career goals. Final selection of electives requires approval of the student’s academic advisor. A limited number of paid positions are available as Supplemental Instructors (SI) to assist with undergraduate courses, but these do not include tuition remission. Students register over the summer for a single Continuing Graduate Credit (CGC) while they work on their theses.

Students prepare for the thesis by taking a required research methods course in the fall semester and working with faculty to develop an appropriate topic. Examples of recent thesis titles include:

• “Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease Using Fluorescent Genetic analysis of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP)”
• “A Structural and Evolutionary Analysis of the Transferrin Protein Superfamily”
• “Microsurgical Studies of the Auxin Mediated Control of Ceratopteris richardii Gametophyte Pattern Formation”