Tennessee Tech University
1 William L Jones Dr, Cookeville, TN 38505, United States

Tennessee Technological University is a public research university in Cookeville, Tennessee. It was formerly known as Tennessee Polytechnic Institute, and before that as University of Dixie, the name under which it was founded as a private institution.

Master of Science in Biology

The purpose of the Master of Science degree program in the Department of Biology is to prepare graduates for high-level careers in various areas of biology. The department offers the M.S. degree with the option of selecting from a variety of thesis research topics based on individual research interests of the faculty.

The M.S. in Biology is a 30 hour research degree program. Core requirements are defined as follows:

Core required courses: 1 hour
Advisor Approved Electives: 20 hours
Research and Thesis: 6 hours
Statistics course: 3 hours
Total Hours: 30 hours

Biology Catalog

Mission

Our department provides Ph.D. and M.S. students with the hands-on experience they need to conduct research, along with guidance and mentorship to attain careers in their desired fields. Graduate research in our department includes all aspects of biology, with projects that span molecular, organismal, ecological, and evolutionary perspectives. Many of our successful graduates are now working for state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, in academia, or as consultants. Our department actively supports efforts to increase underrepresented groups in the sciences; as such, we are committed to recruiting and mentoring students from diverse backgrounds. 

Benefits

The graduate program in the Department of Biology at Tennessee Tech University will provide students with the training they need to qualify for specific careers that require advanced degrees. Students work closely with their graduate advisor, who works to ensure they receive high quality training opportunities in their specific field of interest. In addition, the advisor facilitates opportunities for publication, travel to scientific meetings, networking, teaching, and public outreach. To explore faculty research interests, please click here. To view our current graduate students, please click here.

One benefit of graduate studies in the sciences is the potential for student funding in the form of a stipend and tuition waiver. Depending on the program, students may be eligible for support as a teaching assistant, research assistant, or through a fellowship. In these cases, graduate students are being paid to acquire valuable experiences that will further their careers. These positions depend on availability and are competitive; potential graduate students should consult with individual faculty members about the availability of funding prior to applying. 

If you are interested in pursuing a M.S. or Ph.D., we encourage you to begin the application process! To do so, prospective applicants should first contact a potential faculty advisor within the Dept. of Biology and obtain their consent before submitting an application. The faculty member will need to sign an advisor acceptance form, which the student will upload with their application to the College of Graduate Studies. Application details for each degree are provided below. 

https://www.tntech.edu/cas/biology/grad-program.php 

Guidelines for full admission into the program require that one of the following two requirements be met:

A minimum overall undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4-point scale) OR an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 in all Biology, Wildlife Fisheries Science, and related courses.

Combined Quantitative and Verbal Revised GRE score totaling 300, and a minimum Analytical Writing score of 3.0.

Applicants that do not meet either of these guidelines can be considered for provisional admission through an appeal to the Graduate Policies Committee within the Department of Biology.

In addition to meeting the GPA or GRE requirements, astudent will not be admitted without being accepted by a faculty advisor (Advisor Acceptance Form).The advisor will serve as the students thesis advisor during the students pursuit of the graduate degree.

Applicants should be aware that meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program, since:

The Department may not be able to financially support the research of the student, regardless of whether or not a student receives a stipend in the form of teaching or research assistantship. Additional resources must be provided to Biology graduate students in order to conduct their thesis research. The cost to conduct graduate research in the Department of Biology varies widely between and within disciplines and is affected by factors such as:

whether the study will be conducted in a laboratory or the field (or both);

whether or not specialized equipment is required;

the amount of travel that may be necessary;

wages of full-time or part-time assistants

The Department may have more students than the faculty can reasonably guide. Prospective Biology graduate students should contact a potential faculty advisor in their research area prior to applying for admission. A student will not be admitted without being accepted by a faculty advisor (Advisor Acceptance Form). The advisor will serve as the students thesis advisor during the students pursuit of the graduate degree. Acceptance of a student by the faculty advisor is dependent upon:

similarity of research interests;

experience;

recommendations;

admission standards;

number of graduate students that the faculty member is currently advising;

available funding for research.

Although the Department of Biology has no strict deadlines for application, complete applications for students being considered for teaching assistantships should be received no later than November 1 for enrollment the following Spring Semester, and April 1for enrollment the following Fall Semester. Applicants being considered for research assistantships will be evaluated as extramural funding becomes available.

For more detailed requirements and thesis research options, contact the department chair.

Provisional Admission Procedures

Students who do not meet departmental GPA and GRE General Test (GRE) requirements can be admitted provisionally by appealing the initial rejection decision to the Department of Biology Graduate Policies Committee. This committee will only consider appeals that are presented by the applicants potential faculty advisor. Criteria commonly used by the Graduate Policies Committee regarding appeals are previous experience in the area of research and work history following graduation. Absolute minimum requirements for appeal consideration will consist of a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (minimum requirement of Graduate School for non-provisional admission).

The Graduate Policies Committee will make the final decision for all appeals.

Provisional Status Requirements

All applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements established for admission to the Master of Science Program within the Department of Biology, and who are granted an appeal by the Department of Biology Graduate Policies Committee, will be admitted with provisional standing. Provisions for achieving full standing will be determined by the Graduate Policies Committee in consultation with the students faculty advisor and departmental chair.

If you are an international student from a country that speaks a language other than English, you will need to submit satisfactory scores from one of the following: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, PTE Academic, or ELS Language Centers.

IELTS 6.0
Duolingo 100
PTE  53
TOEFL 79

https://www.tntech.edu/graduatestudies/international-documentation.php 

https://grad.catalog.tntech.edu/programs/BIOL-MS 

International Application Deadlines
Summer 2024
Application                   Document Submissions
February 1, 2024             March 1, 2024
Fall 2024
Application                   Document Submissions
May 1, 2024                       June 1, 2024

Once you have submitted your application, you will need to submit the following items in order for your application to be considered for admission:

Required

  • $40 application fee for international applicants
  • Transcripts

https://www.tntech.edu/graduatestudies/how-apply.php