M.S. Program Policies

Graduate School guidelines and requirements for M.S. degrees are provided on the Graduate School webpage. All M.S. students are expected to be aware of these requirements. Many of the forms that need to be submitted to the Graduate School are available on this page.

• The School of Biological Sciences has adopted the following policies affecting graduate students in our M.S. program (Spring 2026).

• 1.  Academic Preparation

  All M.S. students are assumed to have sufficient background in biology and chemistry to meet the prerequisites of their graduate coursework. The responsibility for identifying deficiencies rests with the faculty advisor in consultation with the student's thesis committe.

• 2.  Academic Standing & Program Requirements

  All M.S. students in the Biological Sciences must maintain academic good standing as defined by the University.  In addition, students must:     
       1.  Form an approved M.S. thesis committee chaired by their faculty advisor who must be a member of the Illinois State graduate faculty in                    the School of Biological Sciences.
       2.  Complete and submit a M.S. thesis proposal by the end of the student's second full semester in the program.
  
  Students who obtain course grades lower than a B in graduate courses, who perform inadequately as teaching or research assistants, or who fail to meet other University or School requirements can be denied assistantship support or be dismissed from the program by the Graduate Studies Committee.

3.  Seminar Attendance

Attendance at School seminars (4:00 PM Thursdays during the academic year, occassionally 4:00 PM Tuesdays) is required unless the student is officially excused due to course or teaching conflicts.

4.  M.S. Thesis Committee

M. S. thesis committees consist of the faculty advisor and at least two additional faculty members
       * At least 50% of the committee members, including the thesis advisor, must be tenured or tenure-track in the School.      
       *Qualified external scientists may serve with prior approval; a CV must be provided.
       *All committees must be approved by the Director of the Graduate Program prior to their official appointment.
A copy of the approved committee roster will placed in the student's file.

5.  Coursework & Credit Requirements

M.S. students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours, including;
         *4-6 credit hours of BSC 499
         *24–26 credit hours of coursework (of which at least 50% must be at the 400-level (excluding BSC 499). Coursework must include                         two (2) credit hours of BSC 420 seminars.

6.  Program Requirements & Expectations

M.S. students must follow the following Check-List for the M.S. Program, which outlines major requirements and milestones in the MS program:

      A.  Thesis Committee Formation
            *Select committee members in consultation with your advisor.
            *Submit the committee list (including CVs for external members) to the Director of Graduate Studies (cc: School office) for approval.
            *A copy of the email listing your thesis committee composition will be placed in your file in the Biology Office.

     B.  Committee Meeting & Coursework Plan

            *Meet with your thesis committee to plan remaining coursework.

     C.  Thesis Proposal & Approval Form

            *Prepare a written thesis proposal in consultation with your advisor and committee. The thesis proposal outlines the planned research for                 the MS thesis project. Its format typically follows the suggestions for grant proposals to external funding agencies (e.g., NSF or NIH). 

             *Proposal seminar: A Proposal Seminar in a School lunchtime or specially arranged seminar must take place prior to the Proposal Meeting                and submission of the Proposal Approval Form. The Proposal Seminar must be announced as such by the seminar organizers. 

             *Proposal meeting: Meet with your committee to discuss your thesis proposal, the research planned within, and the feasibility of the project. At the Proposal Meeting, obtain the approval of your thesis committee for the proposed research. Approval is indicated by submitting the signed Thesis Proposal Approval Form .

              *Complete the Thesis Proposal Approval Form
              *Complete the “Responsible Conduct of Research Basic Course” CITI training https://research.illinoisstate.edu/ethics/training/conduct-training/
              *Submit your approval form and CITI training certificate to the Director of Graduate Studies (cc: School office), along with an electronic copy of your finalized thesis proposal document.  Form, Citi Training, and proposal document are due by the end of your second full semester in the program.

         D.  Graduation Planning

               *Before the semester in which you graduate, consult the Graduate School calendar to determine deadlines for application, fee                                payment, defense scheduling, thesis deposit, etc.
               *Your advisor must approve your readiness for defense.

         E.  Master’s Degree Audit Form

              * You must also submit an application for graduation by filing the Master’s Degree Audit Form.  Email it to the Graduate Director who will                     forward it to the Graduate School.
              * Submit early in your final semester (deadlines listed in the Graduate School calendar; some course syllabi may be required).

          F.  Thesis Formatting

              * Review Graduate School formatting guidelines before writing.

          G.  Right to Defend Forms & Thesis Draft Submission

              * At least 10 business days before your defense:
               - Submit both the Graduate School Right to Defend Form and the Biology Right to Defend form to the Director of Graduate Studies                               ( do not  submit them to the graduate school directly ):

                     1) Graduate School Right to Defend Form

                     2) School of Biological Sciences Right to Defend Form

                -Provide a copy of your thesis draft, the defense date, time and location, thesis title and names of the committee members to the                   Graduate Director and the School office so that an official announcement of the defense can be made to the School. 

        H. Public Seminar Requirement

              *Present a School research seminar prior to the Oral Thesis Defense.
              *The School office must be informed of the seminar at least one week in advance so that an official announcement of the defense                              seminar can be made to the School. 
              *Before the beginning of the semester in which you expect to graduate, schedule your seminar through the appropriate seminar                                 coordinator. 
              *This seminar can be presented as part of a Brown-bag seminar program or as a specially scheduled seminar.

         I. Oral Thesis Defense Examination

               *Ensure that the defense is scheduled in compliance with the deadlines from the Graduate School .

          J.  Final Thesis Submission

                *After passing their oral defense, students should make any corrections required by their committee and upload the final version of                            their thesis to ISUReD. 
                 *After the final version is uploaded, the student should submit the Outcome of Defense form and the Final Deposit checklist (both are                        available on the Graduate School website). Final upload of thesis and submission of forms must occur on or prior to the  Final Deposit Filing Deadline listed on the Graduate School website.

K.    Key Return

         *Return any University keys prior to departure.

L.     Continuous Registration Requirement

          *If all degree requirements have been met except for thesis completion, the student must enroll each semester for at least one credit hour               of BSC 499 (full-time equivalent options available).

M.    Student–Advisor Relationship

          *Advisor–advisee relationships require mutual effort by both faculty and student. However, it is recognized that occasionally the                                  relationship may become unsustainable. If this occurs, the Graduate Studies Committee will ensure fair treatment and reasonable                              assistance to support the student during transition and to facilitate continued progress toward degree completion. Issues should be                          directed to the Director of Graduate Studies. 

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