College of Arts & Sciences Biology

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Graduate

The Department of Biology is one of the largest departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and consists of 13 full-time tenured (or tenure-track) faculty. The research interests of the faculty encompass the areas of ecology, physiology, neuroscience, cell biology, and evolution. Our particular strengths are conservation biology, environmental stress physiology, neuroscience, and population and evolutionary biology. Our faculty collaborate with biologists in The U's School of Medicine and at South Dakota State University as well as with colleagues at other institutions nationally and internationally.

Degrees:                 

The M.S. and M.A. programs are recommended for students with professional goals in biology, such as working for a federal or state agency, securing employment in industry, or employment in higher education. The M.A. program is for continuing graduate education or for the master's degree in secondary education. The M.S. degree requires a thesis, the M.A. does not. The Ph.D. in Biological Sciences is intended for students that are interested in careers in research and/or academia. 

Admissions

Please include these items in your application:

  • Application form from USD's graduate school.
  • Three letters of recommendation.
  • Two official transcripts. If you are a graduate of USD, you may submit two unofficial transcripts.
  • An undergraduate GPA of a 3.0 or better, based on a 4.0 scale is required for a full admission.
  • The GRE General test is required for those seeking the M.S. and Ph.D. in Biology. There is no minimum score required; the score is considered along with the other application materials.
  • Master's candidates should have a minimum of undergraduate equivalent of the Biology core curriculum.
  • $35 application fee.
  • A statement of purpose.
  • Students applying from outside the country also must demonstrate proficiency in English and provide a statement of financial support.
  • Application for assistantship (Ph.D. and  M.S. applications).

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.

You must specify when taking the GRE general and subject tests that you would like the results sent to the University of South Dakota Biology Department. We cannot accept copies of these results as official. 

Graduate Fellowships

Graduate Fellowships are available for students entering the M.S. or the Ph.D. program in Biology. The T.A. Fellowships, at $11,000 for M.S. students and $13,000 for Ph.D. students, with a 2/3 tuition waiver, are frequently supplemented with summer salary from faculty research grants. Research assistantships ($17,000 and up) are competitively offered by the department and by individual faculty members (please see faculty web sites). The application deadline is March 15th of each year. 

Additional Information