Department of Biological Science

For more information about degree offerings by the faculty of biological science, visit the Department of Biological Science webpage.

Mission

Graduate work in biological science at The University of Tulsa maintains scholarly excellence in fields that range from cell and molecular biology to ecology and physiology. The Faculty of Biological Science supports both thesis (M.S. and Ph.D.) and non-thesis (M.S.) degree programs to meet that goal. Our mission for the thesis track degrees focuses on developing skills to be scientists. That includes not only scholarly expertise in an area of biology but also development of technical research skills and knowledge of experimental design and statistical data analysis. Central to the thesis degrees is critical thinking skills associated with literature review and scientific writing. Our mission for the non-thesis degree centers on scholarly expertise in an area of biology that complements professional development in law, the health sciences, or teaching. The non-thesis degree also requires critical thinking and analytical skills in order to understand the biological literature. 

Graduate Academic Programs

The graduate faculty of biological science offers courses leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) (thesis option  and non-thesis option ) degree and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)  degree in biological science.  

Dissertation and thesis tracks are available for the M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs. These programs are designed for graduate students who wish to undertake a significant research project. Although coursework is required, the focus of these degree options is research and writing, and each requires considerable non-flexible time commitments. The non-thesis M.S. degree  in biological science is a coursework-focused program. Options exist for completion of the M.S. degrees in one calendar year.

Program Goals

The goal of the Ph.D. program is designed to give students the background and experience to work as independent scientists, and to graduate Ph.D. students prepared for leadership roles in academia, industry, and government. 

The goal of the thesis M.S. program is to offer quality graduate level courses in advanced topics in biological science and graduate M.S. students prepared for an advanced degree program (e.g., M.D., D.O., Pharm.D., D.D.S) including those with a research focus (e.g., Ph.D.), or research technician positions in industry or academia. 

The goal of the non-thesis M.S. program is to offer quality graduate level courses in advanced topics in biological science and graduate M.S. students prepared for non-research positions or advanced degree programs not involving research (e.g., M.D., D.O., Pharm.D., D.D.S). 

Program Learning Outcomes

Doctor of Philosophy. The focus of the program is to offer quality graduate level courses in advanced topics in biology and to graduate Ph.D. students prepared for leadership roles in both academia and industry. Graduating students will have:

• gained an in-depth understanding of a particular set of sub-fields within biological science, which involves both knowledge of the literature and analytical ability to relate existing studies to alternative theories;
• conducted original research, with a leadership role in the experimental design, and the research will be of a magnitude that it could lead to several publications;
• developed communication skills to function successfully in the scientific community; and
• developed research skills to the degree that they can work as independent scientists.

Master of Science Thesis Option. The focus of the program is to offer quality graduate level courses in advanced topics in biological science and graduate M.S. students prepared for an advanced degree program (e.g., M.D., D.O., Pharm.D., D.D.S) including those with a research focus (e.g., Ph.D.), or research technician positions in industry or academic. Graduating students will be able to:

• conduct original research of significant magnitude for publication,
• exhibit knowledge of the scientific study undertaken beyond that expected of a technician, and
• write-up and defend research results.

Master of Science Non-Thesis Option. The focus of the program is to offer quality graduate level courses in advanced topics in biological science and graduate M.S. students prepared for non-research positions or advanced degree programs not involving research (e.g. M.D., D.O., Pharm.D., D.D.S.). Graduating students will be able to:

• exhibit knowledge beyond the B.S. level within a selected special focus area of biological science, and
• effectively give an oral presentation on a selected area of focus.

Faculty

Programs

• Biological Science, Non-Thesis, M.S.
• Biological Science, Thesis, M.S.

• Biological Science, Ph.D.

Courses

• BIOL 6023 Environmental Microbiology
• BIOL 6054 Histology
• BIOL 6113 Pathogenic Microbiology
• BIOL 6123-4 Selected Topics in Microbiology
• BIOL 6153 Animal Behavior
• BIOL 6163 Experimental Techniques in Molecular Biology
• BIOL 6173 Principles of Neuroscience
• BIOL 6193 Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
• BIOL 6203 Food Microbiology
• BIOL 6213 Environmental Ethics and Conservation
• BIOL 6234 Comparative Animal Physiology
• BIOL 6243 Mechanisms of Animal Development
• BIOL 6253 Molecular Evolution
• BIOL 6263 Selected Topics in Molecular Genetics
• BIOL 6283 Selected Topics in Molecular Cell Biology
• BIOL 6333 Experimental Design
• BIOL 6343 Introduction to Virology
• BIOL 6383-4 Selected Topics in Biological Science
• BIOL 6443 Advanced Molecular Biology
• BIOL 6473 Advanced Cell Biology
• BIOL 6483 Biology of Cancer
• BIOL 6603-4 Selected Topics in Invertebrate Zoology
• BIOL 6613-4 Selected Topics in Vertebrate Zoology
• BIOL 6623 Medical Botany
• BIOL 6793 Population Ecology
• BIOL 6823 Selected Topics in Microbiology
• BIOL 6833 Immunology
• BIOL 7011-9 Research Experience
• BIOL 7253 Seminar in Organismic/Environmental Biology
• BIOL 7263 Seminar in Cell/Molecular Biology
• BIOL 7333 Phylogenetic Theory
• BIOL 7863 Selected Topics in Biology
• BIOL 7961 Residency
• BIOL 7981-6 Thesis
• BIOL 7991-3 Independent Study
• BIOL 8991-9 Directed Doctoral Reading
• BIOL 9981-9 Dissertation Research