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 the biological sciences, 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. 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 needed to 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:

develop the skillset to carryout experiments in a certain discipline within the Biological Sciences and obtain an understanding of how these technical skills are applied to test very different biological questions.
exhibit knowledge of the scientific study undertaken beyond that expected of a technician.
conduct original research of significant magnitude for publication.

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:

demonstrate knowledge in the core areas of biology, General Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Organism Diversity, Evolution, and Structure, General Ecology, General Microbiology, and General Physiology.
demonstrate knowledge in a subfield of biology beyond the core-biology level: Microbial, Physiology/Neurobiology, Cell/Molecular, Ecology/Environmental, or Self Design area of focus.
demonstrate a technical biology skill.
develop communication skills relevant for the biological sciences.
demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a topic within their specialty.

Faculty

Chair
Mark Buchheim

Professors
Akhtar Ali
Ron Bonett
Charles R. Brown
Mark Buchheim
Harrington Wells

Associate Professors
Warren Booth
Mohamed Fakhr

Assistant Professors
Matteo Avella
Alexandra Kingston
Matthew Toomey

Graduate Program Advisor
Harrington Wells

Programs

Master’s

Doctoral

Biological Science, Ph.D.

Courses

Biological Science

Common Questions

Colleges