生物系提供了两种获得理学硕士学位的方法。第一种是非论文的选择，适合那些可能已经具有丰富研究经验的人，寻求提升其学术技能但不需要研究经验的教育者，或需要扩大其生物学背景的人。第二是传统的学徒制研究，导致撰写论文。除非已被个别学院的实验室录取，否则所有被研究生课程录取的学生均被视为非论文课程。从一个共同的核心开始，非论题或论题选项都可以在生物学的两个广泛领域之一中发展为最终学位课程：1）细胞和分子生物学或2）生态，进化和系统学。
The Biology MS program offers students exciting research opportunities in modern biological sciences. Areas of interest for graduate research include: pollination biology, conservation biology, physiological ecology, life history evolution, mating systems, aquatic ecology, evolution in developmental processes, behavioral evolution, spider biology, biomedical research, biomaterials, biofilms, environmental microbiology, hypertension and stress research, bio-materials and biomechanics, developmental molecular biology and physiology, comparative biochemistry, and evolutionary biomechanics. Students entering the MS program must have a potential advisor identified during the application process. We encourage applicants to contact the Biology Graduate Coordinator for a current list of faculty accepting graduate students.