Web Page: http://www.umsl.edu/divisions/artscience/biology/biology.html
Degrees and Areas of Concentration
The Department of Biology provides academic programs leading to the B.A. or B.S. in Biology. In cooperation with the College of Education, the department offers the B.S. in Secondary Education with a major in biology and the B.A. or B.S. in Biology with teacher certification. It also offers graduate work leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Biology. The graduate program includes a cooperative program with the Missouri Botanical Garden for students who concentrate in evolutionary biology with emphasis areas of plant systematics and environmental studies.
Biology faculty members are engaged in teaching and research in areas ranging from molecular biology to population studies. Majors have the chance to take courses which help them develop both theoretical and experimental backgrounds necessary for further work in some of the most rapidly expanding fields of biological science or to pursue in-depth studies in specific areas through advanced courses, seminars, and individualized research programs.
Departmental Honors
Candidates for the B.A. or B.S. degree are eligible for departmental honors if they:
Minor in Biology
Students majoring in another discipline may earn a minor in biology by completing a prescribed course of study. Unique programs can be developed to coordinate with special career objectives.
Graduate Studies
The Department of Biology offers graduate work leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biology. Graduate students may work toward an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in three broad areas of biology: a) cellular, molecular, and developmental biology, b) physiology and organismal biology, and c) ecology, evolution, and systematics. Students in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs also have the opportunity to do their graduate work in collaboration with scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden or the Saint Louis Zoo through a cooperative graduate program.
Objectives of the master's degree program are to provide the research-oriented training necessary for students to enter doctoral programs in biology; to develop professional biologists qualified to function in responsible technical positions; and to train secondary school and junior college biology teachers.
The objectives of the Ph.D. program are to train biologists for academic and professional positions in research and teaching. Ph.D. students in the areas of plant systematics and environmental studies have the opportunity for specialized training in tropical biology and conservation biology. This training prepares students for research careers and for leadership and scientific positions involving the conservation and management of tropical ecosystems. Ph.D. students in cellular, molecular and developmental biology will receive training in research techniques appropriate for careers in academic or industrial laboratories.
Graduate Assistantships
Stipends for teaching and research assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to qualified graduate students in master's or Ph.D. programs. Out-of-state educational fees are waived for graduate assistants.
Applications for assistantships must be sent to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biology and be received by December 15.
Facilities
Department facilities include research and teaching laboratories, environmental chambers, greenhouses, and a large array of supporting modern research instrumentation. Graduate research can be pursued using facilities of the Missouri Botanical Garden or the Saint Louis Zoo. Several sites within an hour of campus are suitable for regional field studies, including state parks, wildlife conservation areas, and Washington University's Tyson Research Center. UM-St. Louis is a member of the St. Louis University Research Station Consortium that operates Lay and Reis Field Stations in Missouri and it also holds membership in the Organization for Tropical Studies, which operates three field stations in Costa Rica. CEIBA Biological Centre in Guyana has hosted several UM-St. Louis courses and student researchers. Student researchers work independently at research stations throughout the tropics.
Cooperative Programs
The department participates in a cooperative consortium program in biology with Washington University, Saint Louis University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Career Outlook The Ph.D. program prepares students as research professionals in fields such as biological conservation, ecology, and biomedical science. Employment opportunities are available in college or university research and teaching, in government and public institutions such as museums and botanical gardens, and in industry.
The biology degree programs, at the baccalaureate and master's degree levels, are designed to prepare the student for further training. The undergraduate degree is designed to prepare the student for professional training in areas such as medicine, training, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, and related areas, or for further graduate training in research. The Master of Science program is an extension of the undergraduate program and has as its goals three main objectives: