Department of Biology

Master of Arts in Biology

Credit Requirements

See the current year's course bulletin for the Portland State University graduate degree requirements.  Departmental specific requirements for an M.A. in Biology are:

Satisfactory completion of at least 45 credits of approved graduate-level courses required for a master's degree. Students must complete Bi 598 Graduate Research Prospectus, and Bi 599 Graduate Grant Writing in the fall and winter quarters following admission to the program.

  • M.S. students must complete at least 30 credits in the field of biology. 
    • No more than 9 credits may be in Bi 503 Thesis. 
    • No more than a total of 12 credits may be in Bi 501 and Bi 505 Reading and Conference. 
    • No more than a total of 9 credits may be in Bi 507 Seminar. 
    • A maximum of 12 credits may be programmed as electives in fields related to biology in consultation with the degree adviser.

Second Language Requirements for M.A. students (University Requirement):

The second language requirement for M.A. and M.A.T. students must be met before any final exam is taken or final graduation paperwork can be approved.

The Department of World Languages and Literatures has determined that the second language requirement for M.A. and M.A.T. students can be met in the following ways:

  1. Equivalent coursework: Students who have passed a course equivalent to PSU level 203 or higher in a second language will be deemed to have met the language requirement. The Office of Graduate Studies will certify completion upon evaluation of the student’s academic record if the requirement was completed at PSU. If the requirement was completed at a different institution, the Department of World Languages and Literatures will issue a certificate of completion. M.A. and M.A.T. students are responsible for making their academic records available in the first term of admission and requesting evaluation and certification.
  2. Students who do not meet the requirement under 1. above should make an appointment with the Department of World Languages and Literatures during the first term after their admission to make an individualized plan for the completion of their language requirement. Options include preparing for and passing one of these evaluations:
    1. Oral proficiency interview
    2. A written test such as
      1. The Graduate Student Foreign Language Test
      2. The CLEP exam
      3. A special exam, administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures
    3. Coursework after admission: taking a course at level 203 or above in residence or abroad
    4. Special reading courses, if available.

The Department of World Languages and Literatures will teach and test only in languages in which it has expertise. However, off-campus arrangements may be possible with the cooperation of other institutions and the approval of the chair of the PSU Department of World Languages and Literatures. Certification of having passed a second language examination from an institution other than Portland State University must be approved by the Department Chair of World Languages and Literatures at Portland State University prior to acceptance as fulfillment of the University’s master’s degree second language competency requirement.

A student whose native language is not English may meet the second language requirement in English, except for students in the M.A. in World Languages and Literatures, who are required to demonstrate fluency in two foreign languages other than English at the time of admission and are not required to demonstrate additional competency except as necessary to complete their degree requirements.

 

Research Requirements

Successful completion of a final oral examination and a thesis is required. Full time students must complete their degree within 4 years of entry into the program.