Degrees Offered: Accelerated Bachelor and Master of Science
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Overview
In recent years, a number of undergraduates in the Biology and Society concentration of the Biological Sciences BS degree have elected to take the Accelerated Bachelor and Master of Science. In this concurrent degree program, students can complete both degrees in five years rather than the six years typical for completing the degrees separately. The opportunity has been particularly attractive for students with undergraduate thesis topics that merit systematic expansion into master’s theses.
Accelerated Bachelor and Master of Science in Biology
This program allows students to pursue an accelerated MS degree and BS degree in the Biological Sciences (including those students in the Biology and Society concentration). Students admitted to the program are concurrently enrolled in both undergraduate and graduate classes and seminars. Students are not eligible for graduate perquisites, including teaching and research assistantships, related health insurance, financial aid, or graduate award programs until the BS degree is awarded (See the General Catalog for distribution and credit requirements.). The graduate program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours above the 120 required for the undergraduate degree. Consistent with Graduate College guidelines, no more than six semester hours of 400-level courses may be applied to the MS degree. Students follow the guidelines provided in the MS summary (see Master’s Degrees). A thesis and final oral examination are required at the same level as students in the regular MS program.
For the BS/MS in Biology and Society, students must be in the B.S. program in Biology & Society with a GPA of 3.40 or greater at time of admission and should have completed 90 semester hours toward the BS, including at least 16 semester hours in BIO courses, three semester hours of calculus, and 11 semester hours of physical sciences (chemistry or physics preferred). It is recommended that, by the time of admission, students complete a 300- or 400-level course in the area of the proposed thesis.
For Biology students interested in the BS/MS Option, contact: Wendi Simonson, wendi.simonson@asu.edu