The Master of Science is the conventional degree for which programs are offered by the departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physiology, and Surgery.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the University as described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
Any student who possesses a bachelor's degree may apply for admission to a master's degree program. Admission is determined by the academic unit responsible for the program into which admission is sought and by the dean, after consideration of the student's record, experience, personal qualifications, and proposed program of study.
With the exception of the departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Surgery, those units of the college which offer master's degree programs are shared departments responsible to the College of Human Medicine and to other colleges such as Natural Science and Veterinary Medicine. Whether a student's program is administratively associated with the College of Human Medicine depends on the character of the proposed program, the nature of the student's career aspirations, and the college of the student's mentor. A student accepted by a given department for admission to the graduate program may be identified with the College of Human Medicine upon recommendation of the chairperson of that department and the concurrence of the appropriate deans. This recommendation is contingent on the relevance of the student's program and/or career aspirations to the field of human medicine.
Requirements for the Master of Science Degree
All programs of study must include a thesis for which 4 credits in master's thesis research (course number 899) are required. A maximum of 10 credits may be authorized for thesis research. In addition, an oral examination over the thesis is required. A written examination may be required. The nature of the examination is at the discretion of the academic unit responsible for the program of study.
Academic Standards
The grades required for course credit toward the master or arts and master of science degrees are set by the academic unit responsible for the degree program. The accumulation of grades below 3.0 in more than three courses of three or more credits each removes the student from candidacy for the master of science degree. Candidates for the master of arts degree may accumulate no more than 6 credits with a grade below 3.0 in courses that are to be counted toward the degree. A student who fails to meet the standards set for any program may, on recommendation of the program director and the department chairperson, be required by the dean to withdraw at the end of any semester.
Time Limit
The time limit for completion of the master's degree is six years from the beginning of the first semester in which credit was earned toward the degree.