Master of Science in Natural Sciences

For general degree requirements, see the College of Letters and Sciences and the General Degree Requirements pages.

Area 1 Program Core Required Hours: 3
ENGL 5195 Technical and Scientific Writing

Area 2: Program Concentration

Group A: Biology
Program Concentration Required Hours: 18 (Thesis Option), 27 hours (Non-Thesis Option)
Program Concentration Required Hours 9
BIOL 6215 Principles of Experimental Design and Applications in Biology
BIOL 6795 Biology Seminar Series (repeated for credit thee times)
STAT 5176 Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments

Electives: 9 hours (Thesis Option), 18 hours (Non-Thesis Option)
Students must select at least two courses from the following area. (6-9 hours Thesis Option) (6-18 hours Non-Thesis Option)
BIOL 6515 Advanced Selected Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology (course may be repeated for credit when topic differs)
BIOL 6516 Advanced Selected Topics in Organismic Biology (course may be repeated for credit when topic differs)
BIOL 6517 Advanced Selected Topics in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology (course may be repeated for credit when topic differs)

Student may select one or more courses from the following areas if not taken for undergraduate credit with the same title. (0-3 hours Thesis Option) (0-12 hours Non-Thesis Option)
BIOL 5515G Selected Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology
BIOL 5525G Selected Topics in Organismic Biology
BIOL 5535G Selected Topics in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology

Students may take any 5000+ graduate CHEM, ENVS, GEOL, GEOG with advisor approval (0-3 hours Thesis option, 0-12 hours Non-Thesis option).

 

Group B: Environmental Science
Program Concentration  Required Hours: 21-25 hours (Thesis Option), 30 hours (Non-Thesis Option)
Students must take the following courses unless taken for undergraduate credit (Thesis option)
ENVS 5207 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis
ENVS 5715 Environmental Science Seminar (repeated twice for credit)
ENVS 6106 Environmental Law and Regulations

Students must take the following courses unless taken for undergraduate credit (Non-Thesis option)
ENVS 5207 Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis
ENVS 5715 Environmental Science Seminar (repeated twice for credit)
ENVS 6106 Environmental Law and Regulations
ENVS 6235 Introduction to Geographic Information and Global Positioning Systems

Students must take one course from Group A and one from Group B; at least one of these courses must include a lab (7-8 hours, thesis option)

Students must take two courses from Group A and two from Group B; at least one of these courses must include a lab (13-16 hours, non-thesis option)

Group A: Geosciences
ENVS 5165 Introduction to Hydrology
ENVS 5255 Environmental Geology
ENVS 7115 Environmental Chemistry
GEOL 5117 Climate and Global Change
GEOL 5135 Introduction to Oceanography
GEOL 5215 Germorphology

Group B: Natural/Cultural Resources
ANTH 5125 Human Ecology
ENVS 5226 Culture and Environmental
ENVS 5315 Stream Ecology
ENVS 5405 Topics in Conservation
ENVS 6206 Water Resources Management
ENVS 6235 Introduction to Geographic Information and Global Positioning Systems (for thesis option only)

Program Electives: (5-8 Thesis option)
Students may take any 5000+ graduate BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, GEOL, GEOG with advisor approval. May take Environmental Science Seminar for up to 2 additional credits beyond the 2 required semesters.

Program Electives (1-4 hours Non-Thesis option)
Student may take any 5000+ graduate ENVS 6698) for up to 3 additional credits beyond the 3 required.

 

Group C: Geoscience
Program Requirements
Required Hours: 21
Students must complete the following courses, unless an equivalent course was taken at the undergraduate level.(6-17)
ENVS 6235 Introduction to Geographic Information and Global Positioning Systems
ENVS/GEOL 5165 Introduction to Hydrology
ENVS/GEOL 5255 Environmental Geology
GEOL 6205 Current Research in the Geosciences(4)
GEOL 6705 Graduate Seminar (2)(may be repeated for credit)

Electives (4-15 hours):
Students will complete up to 15 hours from the following. Equivalent courses taken at the undergraduate level may not be repeated for credit.(4-15)
ENVS 6105 Environmental Issues
ENVS 6106 Environmental Law and Regulations
ENVS 6157 The Geology of Georgia
ENVS 6206 Water Resources Management
ENVS 7115 Environmental Chemistry
ENVS 7145 Land and Use and Waste Management 
GEOL 5115 Geochemistry
GEOL 5116 Meteorology: Introduction to Weather and Climate
GEOL 5117 Climate and Global Change
GEOL 5135 Introduction to Oceanography
GEOL 5175 Physical Anthropology and Archeology
GEOL 5215 Geomorphology
GEOL 5275 Vertebrate Paleontology
GEOL 5555 Selected Topics in Geology
GEOL 6705 Graduate Seminar (2) (maximum of 6 hours may be applied to Area 2)
GEOL 7565 Selected Topics in Environmental Geology

Students must pass the following courses upon completion of 24 hours of graduate level coursework
BIOL 6931 Master of Science Thesis Research Proposal
BIOL 6932 Master of Science Thesis Data Collection and Analyses
BIOL 6933 Master of Science Thesis Defense and Binding
GEOL 6000 Comprehensive Exam(0)

 

Area 3: Program Requirements

Group A: Biology
Thesis Required Hours:15
BIOL 6931 Master of Science Thesis Research Proposal
BIOL 6932 Master of Science Data Collection and Analyses
BIOL 6933 Master of Science Defense and Binding

 Non-Thesis Option Topic Paper Required Hours: 6
BIOL 6821 Master of Science Literature/Topic Paper Proposal
BIOL 6822 Master of Science Literature/Topic Paper
BIOL 6823 Master of Science Literature/Topic Paper Defense

 
Group B: Environmental Science
Thesis  Required Hours: 8-12
ENVS 7000 Masters Thesis Defense
ENVS 7999  Research in Environmental  Science

Non-Thesis Option Internship Required Hours: 3
ENVS 6698 U/G Internship

 
Group C: Geoscience
Thesis Only Required Hours: 12
GEOL 6005 Thesis Defense
GEOL 6905 Thesis Research