Graduate students in the Department of Biology at ULM work towards earning a Masters of Science degree in biology.  The purpose of graduate school is to offer students advanced instruction and intellectual training in specialized areas of interest. Graduate education differs fundamentally from undergraduate education in emphasizing independent scholarship. A student is expected to assume increased responsibility and employ greater initiative in his or her academic endeavors. The focal point of a graduate student's program in Biology is the research project. As in course work, greater student initiative is demanded. It is expected that the student will participate not only in data collection and analysis for his/her thesis research project, but will contribute to the development of the project. The intellectual growth of the graduate student demands increased critical thinking skills. Students completing our program generally find employment in the private or government sectors, or pursue a Ph.D. in their specialty. In both cases, it is our goal to produce graduates that are competitive. Our students are exposed to current and classical literature in their fields, encouraged to work independently, and are trained to critically interpret the results of and determine the significance of research. Beyond a solid knowledge of their field of study, graduate students will be expected to effectively use bibliographic resources, to understand basic statistical applications in biology, to be familiar with computer databases, statistical programs, and word processing software and to develop effective oral and written communication skills.

Students seeking admission to the Biology Graduate Program must first be admitted to the ULM Graduate School. Application forms may be obtained online from the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. In addition to a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5, the Biology Graduate Program requires either a score of 900 or higher on the GRE General Test (combined verbal and quantitative scores), or a total of 2400 points when the GPA is multiplied by the combined verbal and quantitative GRE General Test scores. Students must also have taken courses in introductory zoology, introductory botany, introductory microbiology, ecology, genetics, and an upper level physiology class (animal, plant, human, or cell). A limited number of course deficiencies can be taken after admission.

A limited number of assistantships are available through the Biology Department. Application forms can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. To be considered for an assistantship, a student must be admitted to the Biology Graduate Program in regular or conditional status and provide three letters of recommendation. International students must demonstrate proficiency in English language skills (see the ULM Graduate Catalog under Procedure for Admission). Assistantships are considered half-time employment appointments. Duty descriptions given below assume a 20 hour per week work commitment by the student. The Biology Department offers five categories of assistantships ranging from teaching assistantships to museum and herbarium curatorial positions.

For complete information on the graduate program in Biology, click here for a PDF document outlining specific requirements, assistantship types and stipends, and details of coursework and research expectations.  Graduate course offerings can be found on our course page. Any questions regarding the program can be directed to any member of the graduate committee: Dr. Ann Findley (afindley@ulm.edu); Dr. Davis Pritchett (pritchett@ulm.edu); and Dr. Kim Marie Tolson (tolson@ulm.edu).