Master of Science - Biological Sciences

Plan Description

The School of Life Sciences offers an M.S. program with concentrations in Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Integrative Physiology, Microbiology, and Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics. This degree is less research-intensive than the Ph.D. and is designed to prepare students for a diverse set of science-related careers.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

​​​​​Application Deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

(a) Graduate College Admission Requirements

1. Completed application in the Application Portal and non-refundable application fee. 
2. Bachelor’s Degree – You must hold a four-year baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution or an approved equivalent.
3. Grade Point Average – You must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A) for the bachelor’s degree or a minimum 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester credits). 
4. All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each postsecondary institution attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received. Official transcripts required upon admission.
   1. Credentials not in English must be accompanied by an English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Notarized copies of originals or translations are not considered official.

(b) Department Admission Requirements

Applications for fall admission that are completed by the posted deadline will be given priority for state-funded graduate assistantships. Admission is based on a combination of criteria that may differ from one year to another, however, most successful applicants have a minimum of a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (last two years of undergraduate work). Decisions for fall applicants will be made by April 1 if not sooner.

Please note that the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Life Sciences (SoLS) are research degrees. Applicants must look through the faculty web pages to identify one or more potential mentors as part of their application. They are required to contact these faculty directly regarding the possibility of joining their lab.

Applications are not considered complete unless they contain:

• Two Letters of Recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic record and potential for advanced study in the biological sciences.
• A two-page personal statement describing a summary of research interests, reason(s) for wishing to earn an advanced degree, motivation for attending UNLV, possible faculty mentors, and an explanation of any non-traditional grades (other than letter grades A-D & F) earned during your degree(s).
• A CV or resume that includes all post-secondary education with dates of attendance, research experiences with dates and names of the principal investigators, research-related work experiences with dates and names of supervisors, publications, research presentations, honors/awards, and service/outreach activities. 

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Cellular and Molecular Biology
Subplan 2: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Subplan 3: Integrative Physiology
Subplan 4: Microbiology
Subplan 5: Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics

Subplan 1 Requirements: Cellular and Molecular Biology

Total Credits Required: 30

Subplan 2 Requirements: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Total Credits Required: 30 

Subplan 3 Requirements: Integrative Physiology

Total Credits Required: 30

Subplan 4 Requirements: Microbiology

Total Credits Required: 30

Subplan 5 Requirements: Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics

Total Credits Required: 30

Plan Degree Requirements

1. Complete a minimum of 30 credits beyond the undergraduate degree. At least 18 of these credits must be completed at the 700-level.
2. Students may request a maximum of 15 graduate credits taken at UNLV prior to admission into SoLS’s Graduate Program to be counted towards the 30 credit minimum graduation requirement, provided that those credits were not used to fulfill undergraduate requirements and that a minimum grade of “B” (3.00) was earned in each course.
3. At least 50 percent of the total credits required to complete the master’s degree must be earned at UNLV after admission into the Graduate Program.
4. Students should register for at least nine (9) credits each semester if they are receiving financial support from SoLS; otherwise they must register for at least six (6) credits each semester.
5. Students working on their thesis must register for at least three (3) credits each semester (excluding summer, unless it’s their semester of graduation) until the Master’s Thesis is completed and given final approval.

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully defend their thesis by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.

After the thesis defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their thesis to the Graduate College for format check. Once the thesis format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for thesis defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here. 

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.