Biology

Admission Requirements

Prospective students seeking admission into the Master of Science degree program in Biology must first identify a professor in the student’s area of interest who agrees to serve as their primary advisor.    

To identify a primary advisor, applicants should contact faculty members in the Department of Biological Sciences to ask if they have positions available in their research laboratories. Please look through the list of faculty in Biological Sciences to find potential advisors and then contact them via email (typically preferred) or phone. Prospective students should inquire about possible funding sources as well, which could include external research grants (existing or proposed) and teaching assistantships. Applicants who have identified a professor who has agreed to serve as their primary advisor before their application is evaluated will have a much greater chance of acceptance.

Applicants for the M.S. program in Biology will also be evaluated by the Department of Biological Sciences for academic qualification based upon their undergraduate academic record, letters of reference, and a statement of intent. Specific requirements include:

1. A minimum of 18 undergraduate hours in the biological sciences and an undergraduate grade point of 3.0 or greater (on a 4.0 scale). Students judged to be deficient in some areas of undergraduate preparation may be assigned to complete certain undergraduate prerequisite courses.
2. Three letters of reference.
3. A statement of intent that includes educational objectives and career goals.

Admission Process

The Admission process begins with the Online Graduate Application, then applicants follow that up with official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, a copy of their MMR immunization record, and the documents listed below.  These documents need to be sent to:

Arkansas State University
Graduate School Admissions
P O Box 1570
State University, AR 72467

If you have any questions regarding the graduate application process, email gradadmissions@astate.edu.

The MS Biology Program prepares students for a variety of careers in government, academia and research.  Recent graduates have gone to successful careers as educators, researchers, analysts, system administrators and as a special agent with the FBI.

• The Arkansas Biosciences Institute is located on the A-State campus
• Our researchers take advantage of numerous field stations across the region, country, and the world
• A-State has well-equipped research laboratories and teaching laboratories where scientific activities focus on highly interactive research clusters
• The Ecotoxicology Research Facility is a multi-user US EPA certified test laboratory facilitating intercollegiate research and collaboration with other universities, state and federal agencies, industries and various interest groups.

Relevant student forms can be found at http://www.astate.edu/college/sciences-and-mathematics/departments/biology/documents/.