This degree is a good choice for students who are interested in biological research and careers that would require the use of the scientific method. Students accepted into this program work closely with a UNK faculty advisor to design a program that will help them meet their goals. This program requires the student to be in residence for a significant portion of the program.

The graduate program is an integral part of the Biology Department curriculum. We offer an on-campus master's thesis and a completely online master's non-thesis degree. The on-campus program provides a traditional master's experience where students can work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on a research project, while online students have a more flexible schedule that only includes research if the students choose it as an option. Because of the large size of the program, the department is able to offer numerous classes to allow students to get a broad biology background or to specialize more to help achieve career goals. On-campus students have the opportunity to apply for a teaching assistantship that provides tuition support and a stipend for graduate students who teach introductory biology laboratories.

Admission to a Master's degree program in Biology is based on consideration of the following:

Both Option A and Option B
GRE: Prospective non-thesis students with an undergraduate GPA less than 2.75 on a 4.00 scale and thesis students wishing to be considered for a teaching or research assistantship must take the GRE. A minimum acceptable score for combined Verbal and Quantitative sections on the GRE is 290 (or 800 if taken prior to August 2011).
Undergraduate Coursework Requirements: The candidate for admission must have a B.S. or B.A. degree and have completed a minimum of 24 semester credit hours in biology. A minimum GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required for unconditional admission.
Policy on Conditional Admittance: If a student is conditionally admitted, the student must complete 6 credit hours with grades of B or better in all courses to gain full admittance. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Application Instructions

All applicants must:

• Complete the Online Application through the Graduate Admissions Office and pay the application fee

• Send one official transcript from every institution you have previously attended to:

Graduate Admissions

University of Nebraska-Kearney

Warner Hall, Room 2131

Kearney, NE 68849
OR

Send Electronic transcripts to: gradstudies@unk.edu
 

• Upload a Letter of Intent with your application.  The letter should be a concise essay concerning your professional goals and identification of the means by which you propose to achieve these goals. 
   

After your application is complete, it will be forwarded to the Department of Biology's Graduate Committee for review. All applications that are at the department level on the first of the month following the graduate application due date will be reviewed.

For international applicants please review the Graduate Admissions webpage for additional items you may need to include with your application.

Tuition fee-2 years$26,000

Total fee-2 years$52,000