Graduate School

The Biology Degree from Missouri Southern can be a stepping stone to further study in a specialized area of biology. In graduate school you can work toward a Master’s degree or a Ph.D. The masters programs usually take two to three years while the Ph.D. can take four to five years.

If you like research and indoor or outdoor lab work you will like graduate school. Graduate school is the start of your professional career because you will be investigating new concepts and course work is only a part of the program. It does not feel like “just more school.” You get paid for being a graduate student and usually the tuition and fees are waived. Also your student loans are deferred until you finish the program. You do not need to worry about in-state/ out of state tuition because this will be paid for you. In fact, you are more competitive for a graduate school position if it is in a distant state because grad schools like to have students from a variety of geographical backgrounds.

Most schools require the general test portion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). You should take this in August or September of your senior year. It is also very wise to spend an hour a day for two months preparing for this test. This will significantly increase your score and a good score will increase the number of schools that actively recruit you for their program. A good score can also increase the stipend you receive for grad school.

Doing undergraduate research will significantly increases your chances of getting into the school of your choice. Most students do this through funded undergraduate research programs at Universities throughout the United States. We award independent study or internship credit for this work.

If you are interested in graduate school and would like more information, contact: Dr. James Jackson.

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