The thesis option is designed for students whose career goals include a research emphasis, including the possibility of enrolling in a Ph.D. program.  Students who choose the thesis option take 36 credits of course work; Up to one third of  those hours devoted to independent research under the supervision of a faculty member, culminating in a thesis. Student may choose advisors from Biology faculty on the Boca and Davie campus, or from other faculty members who have courtesy appointments within the department.  See the Graduate catalog for more details.

The non-thesis option is designed for students interested in the field of medicine, education at the elementary, middle and high school level, or those who simply wish to further their knowledge of biology. Non-thesis students are required to complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of course work and complete a written comprehensive examination, administered by a minimum of three-faculty members with interests in the student’s field of specialization(typically, organismal or molecular biology). Although not required for the non-thesis option, the faculty encourages independent research.

The Masters of Science in Teaching is designed for graduate students who are interested in furthering their knowledge in biological sciences for a career in teaching at various levels, including  Elementary, Secondary, Early Childhood Education and Community College. MST graduate students work closely with an advisor to develop a program of courses that best fit their needs and interest. MST students are required to complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work. In addition, students must take 6 credits in approved courses in education or another cognate field if they plan to teach in high school and hold a rank III secondary certificate, or if they intend to teach in a community college. Six additional credits (beyond the 30 credits minimum) of education internship are required, except for those students with two years of teaching experience or who have completed student teaching or a teaching internship at a secondary school or junior college level. Students must pass a written comprehensive examination administered by the student’s committee (a minimum of three-faculty members) covering biological sciences.  Students must also take approved courses in education (or another cognate field) if they plan to teach in high school and hold a rank III secondary certificate or if the student intends to teach at a community college.

South Florida is on a path toward new employment opportunities in the area of biotechnology. The world-class Scripps Research Institute is building a new campus (Scripps Florida) in Jupiter. Other established biomedical research institutes, as well as start-up companies, are either planning or exploring the possibility of relocating to south Florida. All of these institutes and companies will be recruiting research associates. The Department of Biological Sciences has recently initiated a fast-track program leading to the Masters degree in five-years. Competition for jobs with these institutes and companies will be keen; Our Masters degree will be designed to make students more competitive for  these positions.

The key to this program is the requirement that the student take 12-credits of graduate-level courses while still an undergraduate. These 12-credits are applied to both the undergraduate degree requirements and the first 12-credits required in the graduate program. This makes it possible for  students  to complete their Masters degree within five years after entering the University as a freshman. The successful student must also meet all of the admission requirements (including a minimum of 1000 on the GRE and a 3.0 GPA) for the Masters program. Therefore, the program is targeted for the highly motivated and academically talented student with a strong interest in going directly into a position with a biotechnology-oriented company or institute. This program also provides an excellent foundation for pursuing the PhD degree.

Integrative Biology is a multidisciplinary University-wide doctoral program involving the Charles E. Schmidt Colleges of Science and the Biomedical Science at the Florida Atlantic University. The program is based in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, and is administered in the Department of Biological Sciences. The program director is Dr. R. Murphey. The program admitted its first students in the fall of 2003.