The Department of Biology offers programs leading to the MA degree Biology.
Both emphasize the development of research techniques. Students have the opportunity
to gain experience in scientific methods and experimental design in the laboratory
and in the field. Graduate research may be carried out in the department or
in the laboratories of federal agencies such as Walter Reed Institute of Pathology,
the National Institutes of Health, and the Naval Medical Research Institute.
Faculty conduct ongoing research and scholarship in the following arenas: evolutionary
biology; conservation biology; molecular ecology; evolutionary ecology; developmental
biology; cell biology; coral reef biology; cave biology; microbiology; marine
mammals; fluctuating asymmetry; population genetics; mating systems; invertebrates;
marine science.
Curriculum and Degree Requirements
The MA degree require a total of 30 credit hours of approved graduate work
consisting of core coursework in developmental biology, evolutionary mechanisms,
and statistics as a tool of research. Each program requires a comprehensive
examination.
Additional requirements for the Master of Arts
* Directed literature research (BIO-790) resulting in a significant paper
reviewing some aspect of biological science. The subject of this review paper
is selected by the student, subject to approval by the graduate studies committee
and the chair of the department.
* An oral report presented in the form of a public seminar on the topic of the
review paper.
View more details on
American University.
