M.A. in biology
HEGIS code 0401
NYS SED program code 01987

This master of arts program offers advanced instruction and research in many areas of biology. The degree program includes lectures, colloquia, seminars, laboratory work, and fieldwork. Thesis research is conducted in one of the department's many laboratories, where faculty and students study cell, molecular, developmental, and behavioral biology. This degree prepares students to work in laboratories in academia as well as in biotechnology, pharmaceutical companies, and government laboratories within agencies such as the EPA or FDA. It also provides master's-level research training for biology teachers. Students receiving this degree are well prepared to go on to earn their doctorate. The CUNY Ph.D. prepares students to teach at the college level and perform independent research in academia as well as in industrial and governmental labs.

Program/Department Advisors

Advisor Name Title Phone Location Email Office Hours Forest, Charlene Graduate Deputy 718-951-5396 203 Ingersoll Extension clforest brooklyn.cuny.edu call/email for appointment

Building codes:    A-Whitehead;   B-Boylan;   J-James;   N-Ingersoll;   NE-Ingersoll Extension;   R-Roosevelt;   RE-Roosevelt Extension;   WEB - West End Building

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Matriculation requirements
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Applicants must offer adequate preparation in the following, with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher: a minimum of 8 credits of introductory biology; an appropriate general physics course; two terms of organic chemistry; and a minimum of two advanced courses selected from the following areas of study: botany, zoology, microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, anatomy, ecology, evolution, general physiology, or genetics.

The Biology Department's graduate admission committee selects candidates to be admitted to the program. An interview may be required of applicants.

General matriculation and admission requirements of the Division of Graduate Studies are in the section "Admission."

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Degree requirements
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Thirty credits are required for the degree. Students must complete 21 credits in courses in the Biology Department. The following courses are required: Biology U793.02G and 799.1G. Biology U791G and Biology U793.01G are strongly recommended, but not required. No more than 2 credits in Biology U791G may be counted toward the degree.

With permission of the deputy chairperson, the remaining credits required for the degree may be in courses in another science department.

In the second year, students must pass a comprehensive examination.

Students must submit a thesis acceptable to the department.

Information about requirements for the comprehensive examination and thesis is in the section "Academic Regulations and Procedures."

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CUNY Ph.D.
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The City University of New York offers a doctoral program in biology. General information about CUNY Ph.D. programs is in the chapter "About Brooklyn College."

The Biology Department offers courses at Brooklyn College that are creditable toward the CUNY doctoral degree. For information about the courses, students should consult the deputy chairperson of the Biology Department and the executive officer of the doctoral program.

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Sigma Xi
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Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, encourages original investigation in the natural sciences, pure and applied. The fields of activity of the society include the physical sciences, the life sciences, the earth sciences, and mathematics. The Brooklyn College Chapter elects students to associate membership in the society on the basis of academic excellence and marked aptitude for research in one of the fields listed above.