Biology
Graduate Programs
Description
The Biological Sciences graduate program is designed flexibly to allow students, with their advisors, to mold and focus their program of study on professional interests and specific needs. To do this, students can draw from a broad range of graduate courses and select from a diverse and well-trained faculty for direction in research.
The Department of Biological Sciences is located in Trafton Science Center, one of the best science buildings in the state university system. Trafton Science Center presents an open, collaborative atmosphere for graduate study and research, and includes well-equipped research and classroom laboratories. Another attractive feature is Biology's proximity to other science departments, whose faculty members provide opportunities for multidisciplinary study in chemistry, mathematics, computer science, physics and electrical engineering.
The department's modern facilities provide opportunities for research and teaching, with 18 research laboratories, plus support areas. Among those are a media kitchen, environmental chambers, animal complex, greenhouse, dishwashing facility, herbarium, museum and a garage for field equipment. The department's equipment is suitable for biological investigations ranging from ecosystem analysis to subcellular physiology.
Instrumentation available includes transmission and scanning electron microscopes, ultracentrifuges, diode array spectrophotometers, graphite furnace AA, scintillation counter, gas chromatographs with FID, ECD and MSD, ultrafreezers, computer-controlled physiology data acquisition, Coulter counter, fermentation facility, freeze dryers, thermocyclers (PCR), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometers, chlorophyll fluorometers, infrared gas analyzer, flow cytometer, and other equipment necessary for modern biological research opportunities.
All members of the department's graduate faculty hold doctorates and have extensive research experience. Areas of concentration in research and teaching are Biology Education, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Science, Toxicology, Ecology, Zoology, and Plant Science. Sub areas of teaching specialization include physiology, cellular biology, developmental biology, plant and animal ecology, genetics and evolutionary biology, parasitology, immunology, entomology, and aquatic biology.
Approximately 35 graduate teaching assistantships (TA) are available each year to qualified applicants. A minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate courses in math, chemistry, biology and physics and a qualifying TOEFL score are required for consideration of a TA. Research assistantships are also offered, depending on external funding. Preference is given to Assistantship Applications submitted to the Department of Biological Sciences by March 1. However, applications will be accepted at any time for review.
Majors |
Program | Locations | Total Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology Education MS | MS - Master of Science |
|
30 |
| Biology MS | MS - Master of Science |
|
30 |
Policies & Faculty
Policies
Admission
See the Department of Biological Sciences website (cset.mnsu.edu/biology/prospective/gradstudent/) for admissions information.
Deficiencies
Students who do not meet the admission requirements, or students who do not have an equivalency (a grade of C or better) in the core courses required for admission, have a scholastic deficiency (listed on your acceptance letter).
Deficiencies may be corrected by:
- Formal coursework, or
- Approved examination given by the instructor in charge (with a C or better).
Undergraduate courses taken to correct a deficiency will not count toward the graduate degree.
Any graduate course designated as a deficiency may be applied toward the graduate degree, provided it is first approved by the student’s advisor, the Biology Graduate Committee, and the Biology Department Chairperson.
Applications will not be considered complete until all required items have been received.
Requirements
The Written Comprehensive Examination may be required at the discretion of the Examining Committee. The Oral Comprehensive Examination is required for each degree candidate and includes an open seminar on the candidate's research. The candidate distributes seminar announcements to department faculty at least two weeks prior to the seminar.
Contact Information
Ford Hall 242
Department of Biology
College of Science, Engineering, and Technology
500 Level
Credits: 4
The structure and function of stream ecosystems are presented with emphasis on adaptations of organisms to stream life and connections between stream organisms, the aquatic environment, and the surrounding watershed. Includes lab, field work, and team projects. Prereq: BIOL 105W, 106, 215 or consentPrerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Applications of principles from ecology, genetics, behavior, demography, economics, philosophy, and other fields to the conservation and sustainable use of natural populations of plants and animals. Lectures and discussions address topics such as habitat fragmentation, parks and reserves, genetic diversity, population viability, and extinction.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
To provide students the values and functions of wetlands and to use wetlands as an example of the relationship of ecology to management, and the impact that classification systems have politically. Lab (fieldwork) included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
An introduction to fish biology and fisheries management, diversity, form and function in the aquatic environment, functional physiology, evolution and speciation, identification and use of keys, ecology, and management topics.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A field course in the ecology of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes. Students are trained in sampling techniques such as mark-and-recapture, population size estimation and monitoring, and species identification of live and preserved specimens. Lectures encompass evolution and adoption, origins, energetics, mating systems, morphology, geographical distributions, and population-level phenomena. Lecture and Laboratory.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A field course focused on the function and dynamics of various North American ecosystems. Emphases will be on natural history, critical thought, and experimental design. Students will be trained in a variety of soil, plant, and animal sampling techniques. Depending on enrollment there may be additional costs (e.g. camping fees) for the course.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
The natural or human-induced change in climate and the effect on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The human species' place in the biological world, effects on various communities and potential methods of correcting detrimental effects with economic and social implications.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Soil ecology will focus on the genesis and classification of soils, the physical properties of soil as they relate to habitat formation, niches, interactions that exist among soil organisms, human impact on soil systems relative to population pressures and management practices. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Emphasis is placed on the biomedical aspects of aging and chronic disease. The course is designed for students majoring in biology, gerontology programs, or other health related programs.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Clinically important parasites. Protozoans, Flukes, Tapeworms, Roundworms, Ticks, Mites, and Insects. Designed for Medical Technology, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Veterinary, and Biology majors. Identification, clinical disease, epidemiology, and ecology are covered. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Morphological, ecological, medical, and economic significance of insects.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will explore the structure and function of the vertebrate body inits diverse forms from fishes to mammals. Discussion of individual organsystems will focus on developmental patterns, function and evolutionaryrelationships. The lab will include microanatomy (histology) andmacroanatomy (gross anatomy) of example organisms. Students willbecome familiar with the tissue, organ and system levels of the anatomy ofvertebrates.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Understanding the process of cell differentiation and development. These principles are then applied to the descriptive study of human embryology including the basis of congenital malformations.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A comparison of adaptation mechanisms, from cell to organ-systems, used by animals in response to changes in environmental conditions such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, food availability, temperature, waste, solutes, pressure and buoyancy.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course is an introduction to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics and interactions of inland freshwater lakes. Labs will emphasize field work; including data collection, analysis and discussion from five local lakes.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
This course is a functional study of the heart and circulatory systems.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Study of types, arrangements, and special adaptations of human tissues. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
An exploration of behavioral strategy, communications, learning, and social systems of animals, with emphases placed on the causes, evolution, ecological implications, and function of behavior at the individual and population level. Lab included. Prereq: BIOL 105W, 106, and 215Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
This course provides the basis for understanding hormones and the mechanisms of their actions in both the normal and pathological states. Sample topics to be included are diabetes, osteoporosis, hormones of reproduction, and current social and medical issues related to the course.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Plant functions such as water relations, mineral nutrition, translocation, metabolisms, photosynthesis, photorespiration, fat and protein metabolisms, respiration, growth and development, phytohormones, reproduction and environmental physiology. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Field identification of plants with emphasis on local flora. History of systematics, techniques, plant biogeography, methods of plant collection, preservation, preparation of herbarium specimens are covered. Lab and field trips included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Expands upon general principles of ecology to focus on the factors that regulate the distribution and abundance of plants, analysis of plant populations, and dynamics of plant communities. Lecture and lab (field work) included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will introduce students to the principles and practices of weed science. Lecture will cover topics including weed biology and ecology, an introduction to weed management techniques and methodologies, factors affecting weed control, and environmental issues associated with weed management. Course material will highlight weed management in cropping systems, non-row crop and right-of-ways, natural areas, and aquatic habitats. The laboratory component of the course will focus on weed identification, crop/weed competition, application techniques including effective herbicide use and current weed control practices.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Lecture/laboratory course that presents an integrated view of plant biology, crop science, ecology, sustainability and current issues in biotechnology. Course focuses on issues of global concern such as sustainable food production, cropping techniques, climate change responses, pest management and herbicides, resistance, biofuels, genetically modified crops, molecular pharming, and tissue culture. Fall.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
The principle and operation of instruments and their application to biological research. Types of instrumentation examined include spectroscopic, chromatographic, electroanalytic, radiographic, and imaging. Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) will also be examined. Emphasis is placed on GLP, GMP, and ISO9000 practices.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A lecture course covering basic principles of toxicity evaluation in living organisms, mechanisms of responses to chemicals or physical agents within an overview of practical medical, environmental and science policy implications. Presentation of comparisons of specific organ and tissue reactions to toxins in a variety of species follow these introductory concepts. Prereq: BIOL 105, 106, and one year of general chemistryPrerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A lecture/laboratory course that focuses on anthropogenic and natural toxicants, mathematical modeling of the dispersion of chemical and physical agents in the environment, and effects on species and ecosystems with a special section on aquatic risk assessment. The laboratory includes techniques in environmental toxicity and a genuine research project.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1
A seminar course that involves critical evaluation of published studies in toxicology, student presentations of a selected published manuscript, and requires students to write a paper on one aspect of the course's topic area that semester. Topic areas vary each time the course is offered. Prereq: BIOL 105, 106, and general chemistryPrerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A lecture/laboratory course focusing on the steps necessary to start a research project from project definition through methods testing and evaluation, and a final report that includes a project flow chart. Third year students will have senior and/or graduate mentors. Prereq: BIOL 105, 106, and general chemistryPrerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A lecture/laboratory course where students perform all aspects of their own designed research topic in toxicology while critically evaluating the progress of other projects as well. Students will be expected to keep timelines or develop modified timelines as necessary. The inverted triangle approach of project design will be examined and then included in all designs.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A lecture course that examines mechanisms of drug action, physiological responses and adverse reactions from sensitivities or allergies through overdose. Prereq: BIOL 105, 106, 230, and one year of general chemistryPrerequisites: none
Credits: 3
A lecture course that examines Minnesota State University as your own work place to develop reports on a selected group of chemical and physical hazards of the workplace. Evaluation methods and solutions to existing problems are developed with concise reporting skills. Prereq: BIOL 105, 106, and one year of general chemistryPrerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Role of microorganisms in soil, air, water, and sewage processes as well as methods of measurement and detection. Special emphasis on the role of microorganisms in bioremediation. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Viruses infect all living things, such as bacteria, plants, fish, and animals (including humans). There are many viruses that cause significant human mortality and morbidity, such as influenza and smallpox viruses. However, the vast majority of viruses that infect humans have little or no negative impact on our health and well-being. This course will teach Virology by stressing the rules of replication that every virus must follow. The use of viruses as molecular tools, virus-host interactions, and current viral outbreaks will also be discussed.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Fundamental principles of humoral and cell mediated immunity and the application of these principles. Current experimental work in the different areas of immunology will be discussed. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will cover bacterial, fungal, and viral human pathogens: what diseases they cause, how they cause disease, and how humans defend against and prevent those diseases. In the laboratory, the student will isolate and identify pathogenic microorganisms using microbiological, biochemical, and immunological techniques.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 5
This course presents the physiology and genetics of microorganisms emphasizing those aspects unique to bacteria and archea. Topics include: energy production; biosynthesis of small molecules and DNA, RNA, and proteins; the formation of cell walls and membranes; microbial differentiation and behavior; and the genetic and biochemical regulation of these processes.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
The role microbes play in production and spoilage of food products, as prepared for mass market. Topics include food-born pathogens, epidemiology and control, and essential principles in sanitation including Hazard Analysis/Critical Control Point and ISO 9000 requirements. Lab included.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will cover both eukaryotic and prokaryotic molecular biology including: DNA and RNA structure, transcription, regulation of gene expression, RNA processing, protein synthesis, DNA replication, mutagenesis and repair, recombination, and insertion elements. A number of important techniques used in recombinant DNA technology will be discussed and practiced.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A basic science methods course designed to prepare prospective grades 5-8 general science and grades 9-12 teachers. Course will cover science teaching methods and support materials as they apply to life science teaching situations. Prereq: 16 credits BIOL and EDFN 345Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
A variable topic course designed for a selected topic in Biology. Workshops provide an intensive learning experience on a new topic in the biological sciences and/or hands-on experiences in a current area not covered by other course offerings. The course involves background reading, demostrations, and laboratory or field experiences.Prerequisites: none
600 Level
Credits: 2
This course will focus on the application of biometric principles to the planning and analysis of biological research similar to the student's thesis research. Completion of this course will aid the student in planning and completing her/his thesis.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
The design, planning, and writing of a research proposal will be discussed in terms of problem selection, objectives, and appropriate methods. The students will apply information from the class to prepare their thesis proposals.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
What does it mean to do biological research ethically? This course will discuss scientific integrity and misconduct, human and animal research, conflicts of interest and the ethical dimension of other topics in modern biological and biomedical research.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
How does contemporary dogma influence the development of hypotheses and theory? Using primary literature, this course explores paradigms including equilibria in community ecology, information flow in molecular biology, the naturalist and mechanistic schools, and levels of natural selection. (alt-Spring)Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
Course will build on fisheries science foundations and provide opportunities for students to evaluate and integrate complex fisheries ecology and management scenarios. Students will examine and critically evaluate fisheries case histories and data sets to develop strategies to achieve desired aquatic community outcomes. Students will participate in an applied fisheries research project, evaluate published literature, and prepare findings in the format following the guide for authors of a peer-reviewed fisheries journal. Students will engage each other, faculty, and guest speakers to discuss and debate challenging modern fisheries issues.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2-3
Select study of graduate level topics. May be repeated for different titled topic.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-5
Prerequisite: consentPrerequisites: none
Credits: 1-2
Practical experience in preparing and teaching laboratory courses.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
This course is designed to provide teaching assistants (TA) with the knowledge and skills needed to prepare and teach college-level science courses. Special emphasis will be placed on the attainment of skills that maximize the effectiveness of material that will be presented to students.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1
Students will attend and critique seminars presented by other students, faculty, and by people from external agencies and institutions.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-12
(F, S)Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-6
(F,S)Prerequisites: none
900 Level
Credits: 3
Introductory course designed for students not majoring in science. Focuses on basic biological principles with special emphasis on the human species. Includes scientific problem solving, biodiversity, human and social aspects of biology, ecology, cellular processes and organ function, human reproduction, pre-natal development, and heredity. Lecture, laboratory, and small group discussions.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1
Introductory course designed for students not majoring in science. Focuses on basic biological principles with special emphasis on the human species. Includes scientific problem solving, biodiversity, human and social aspects of biology, ecology, cellular processes and organ function, human reproduction, pre-natal development, and heredity. Lecture, laboratory, and small group discussions.Prerequisites: none
