GRADUATE STUDENT RESOURCES
General Graduate Student Forms
Ph.D. Student Milestones
Dissertation Guidelines
Dissertation Guidelines
Dissertation Defense
Defense Announcement Template
Dissertation Approval Form
Dissertation Approval Form Submission Portal
M.S. Student Milestones
Frequently Asked Questions
Courses
A list of undergraduate course projections can be found here.
The Biology department does not maintain waitlists for closed courses. Please continue to watch PAWS to see if a seat becomes available in the course you wish to take.
Usually, the XL capacity seats have been designated to another population of students in a crosslisted course in another program or department and are not available to anyone who asks. The Biology department checks the capacity in the courses with available XL seats and may release those seats to the sections in demand, if possible.
B.S. Students:
Click on the title of the class and read the course description. Make sure you have satisfied the prerequisite requirements for the course you are trying to register for. If you have not satisfied the prerequisite requirement, consider registering for the pre-req course(s) instead. If you have satisfied the pre-reqs, but still receive the error, email the Undergraduate Director to ask for registration assistance. Include your panther id number, the CRN that you want to register for, course number, and the semester that you are trying to register for.
Graduate Students:
Click on the title of the class and read the course description. Make sure you have satisfied the prerequisite requirements for the course you are trying to register for. If you have not satisfied the prerequisite requirement, consider registering for the pre-req course(s) instead. If you have satisfied the pre-reqs, but still receive the error, email the Graduate Student Coordinator to ask for registration assistance. Include your panther id number, the CRN that you want to register for, course number, and the semester that you are trying to register for.
You need to speak with the professor teaching the course.
Contact the Director of Instructional Programs.
B.S. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please the Undergraduate Director if you need to have courses substituted.
M.S. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please contact the Master's Program Director if need to have courses substituted.
Ph.D. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please contact the Graduate Director if need to have courses substituted.
B.S. Students:
If you wish to take more than 18 credit hours in one semester, you will need to fill out an “Overload Request form” and submit it to the Office of Academic Assistance, located in 25 Park Place (suite 300), 404-413-5000.
A.S. Students:
Please visit your campus' Advisement Center.
B.S. Students:
Please visit the Atlanta Advisement Center to speak with an academic advisor.
For students with 0-89 credit hours, please contact the University Advisement Center at 404-413-2300 or 404-413-2360, or in person at 25 Park Place (4th and 5th floor).
For students with 90+ credit hours, please visit the Office of Academic Assistance at 404-413-5000, or in person at 25 Park Place (suite 300).
M.S. Students:
Please contact the Graduate Student Coordinator for direction.
Ph.D. Students:
Please contact your faculty advisor or the Graduate Student Coordinator for direction.
Course offerings change every semester. You can view what is currently offered and what has been offered in the past here.
Evening classes are offered, however, the majority of classes required for the program are during the day.
Graduate Advisement
The Biology department does not maintain waitlists for closed courses. Please continue to watch PAWS to see if a seat becomes available in the course you wish to take.
Usually, the XL capacity seats have been designated to another population of students in a crosslisted course in another program or department and are not available to anyone who asks. The Biology department checks the capacity in the courses with available XL seats and may release those seats to the sections in demand, if possible.
B.S. Students:
Click on the title of the class and read the course description. Make sure you have satisfied the prerequisite requirements for the course you are trying to register for. If you have not satisfied the prerequisite requirement, consider registering for the pre-req course(s) instead. If you have satisfied the pre-reqs, but still receive the error, email the Undergraduate Director to ask for registration assistance. Include your panther id number, the CRN that you want to register for, course number, and the semester that you are trying to register for.
Graduate Students:
Click on the title of the class and read the course description. Make sure you have satisfied the prerequisite requirements for the course you are trying to register for. If you have not satisfied the prerequisite requirement, consider registering for the pre-req course(s) instead. If you have satisfied the pre-reqs, but still receive the error, email the Graduate Student Coordinator to ask for registration assistance. Include your panther id number, the CRN that you want to register for, course number, and the semester that you are trying to register for.
You need to speak with the professor teaching the course.
Through PAWS, students can access their “Student Records” tab which opens a menu of options. Select “View Holds” and follow the prompts for how to resolve the hold. If no details are provided, contact the Registrar's office.
Questions about graduate research assistantships and graduate teaching should be directed to the Graduate Student Coordinator.
Contact the Director of Instructional Programs.
B.S. Students:
Visit the Advisement Center and ask to speak with a transition advisor. They will help you shift your projection from your current major to Biology.
Graduate Students:
You will need to apply to the respective graduate program via graduate admissions.
As of Spring Semester 2009 the Biology department has adopted the use of plus (+) and minus (-) grades, as a recommended standard for all faculty.
PLEASE BE AWARE : A grade of " B- " is NOT a passing grade for our graduate student courses, neither is " C- " a passing grade for our undergraduate courses. Always be sure to check the course syllabus. Although rare, deviations do sometimes occur from instructor to instructor.
A+= 97% and above; A= 90-96%; A-= 88-89%; B+= 86-87%; B= 80-85%; B-=78-79%
C+= 76-77%; C= 70-75%; C-= 68-69%; D= 60-67%; F= Less than 60%
These grades correspond to the following Grade Quality Points:
A+= 4.30; A= 4.00; A-= 3.7; B+= 3.30; B= 3.00; B-= 2.70
C+= 2.30; C= 2.00; C-= 1.70; D= 1.00; F= 0.00
B.S. Students
You will need to download and submit a transfer of credit form with your course description, syllabus and any other pertinent information attached, to be reviewed by the Associate Undergraduate Director.
Graduate Students:
You will need to download and submit a transfer of credit form with your course description, syllabus and any other pertinent information attached, to be reviewed by the Master's Program Director.
Yes. Students can receive up to 4 credit hours for off-campus internship experiences.
B.S Students:
If you would like to have your internship experience evaluated for credit, please contact the Undergraduate Director.
M.S. Students:
If you would like to have your internship experience evaluated for credit, please contact the Master's Program Director.
All students also have access to DegreeWorks available on PAWS.
B.S. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please the Undergraduate Director if you need to have courses substituted.
M.S. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please contact the Master's Program Director if need to have courses substituted.
Ph.D. Students:
The Biology department can substitute classes from the recommended course offerings for your concentration. Please contact the Graduate Director if need to have courses substituted.
Ph.D. Students:
Ph.D. students must declare a concentration.
All other students:
All other students do not need to declare a concentration. A concentration is for students who wish to focus on a particular aspect of Biology. It does not appear on your degree but it will appear on your official transcript.
Students seeking pre-med advisement should contact the Office of Academic Assistance at 404-413-5000, or in person at 25 Park Place (suite 300). More information can be found here
A.S. Students:
Please visit your campus' Advisement Center.
B.S. Students:
Please visit the Atlanta Advisement Center to speak with an academic advisor.
For students with 0-89 credit hours, please contact the University Advisement Center at 404-413-2300 or 404-413-2360, or in person at 25 Park Place (4th and 5th floor).
For students with 90+ credit hours, please visit the Office of Academic Assistance at 404-413-5000, or in person at 25 Park Place (suite 300).
M.S. Students:
Please contact the Graduate Student Coordinator for direction.
Ph.D. Students:
Please contact your faculty advisor or the Graduate Student Coordinator for direction.
Graduate Committees
You must have approval from your respective program director. A written request must be made along with the attachment of the person's CV. The student will then be notified by the Graduate Coordinator.
Ph.D. students and thesis M.S. students need 3 members. Non-thesis M.S. students need 2 members.
Graduate Assistantships
If you are eligible for a tuition waiver, it will automatically be applied to your student account by the week prior to the first day of class that semester. If you think you might be eligible for a tuition waiver but do not see your tuition waiver in your student account by the week prior to the first day of class that semester, then contact the Graduate Coordinator as well as your supervisor.
First, your supervisor will need to send the details regarding your position to the Graduate Coordinator. Then, you'll need to fill out the New Hire packet for graduate students. If you have previously worked at Georgia State University with a different title, you will still need to fill out a New Hire Packet for graduate students.
If you were previously a student assistant at Georgia State University, you will need to fill out the Student to Graduate Assistant Hire Packet. The New Hire packet sets up your payroll so that you can receive your stipend allowance.
If you would like to get a tuition waiver, you will need to register for the required number of credit hours. Contact the graduate coordinator about how and which classes to register for to meet the minimum requirements for a tuition waiver.
All Ph.D. students are automatically offered a graduate research assistantship upon admission into the Ph.D. program. Likewise, we only offer admission to Ph.D. applicants to whom we can offer a graduate research assistantship.
For M.S. students, we offer graduate research assistantships (GRA's) and graduate teaching assistantships (GTA's). If you are not automatically offered a graduate research assistantship upon admission, you will have to find a faculty member who is willing to be your thesis advisor and provide funding for your graduate research assistantship.
Graduate teaching assistantships generally require all students to complete a semester as a teaching apprentice before they can become a graduate teaching assistant. The teaching apprenticeship is not a graduate assistantship, but it is required before becoming a graduate teaching assistant. Students should contact the Graduate Coordinator for placement.
Students are also encouraged to find funding externally. Many students have luck looking on Handshake, speaking to other departments or units throughout the university, though university fellowships, through fellowships from outside organizations, as well as through a number of other funding sources.
Graduate assistantships are a form of student employment that provides a stipend allowance and a full tuition waiver. All Ph.D. students are automatically offered a graduate research assistantship upon admission into the Ph.D. program. This package is valued at $31,000+ for in-state students and at $62,000+ for out-of-state students per year. M.S. students have the option of doing a graduate research assistantship or graduate teaching assistantship. This package is valued at $16,000+ for in-state students and at $47,000+ for out-of-state students per year.
Graduate assistantships are a form of student employment that provides a stipend allowance and a full tuition waiver. We offer Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA's) and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA's). GRA positions are where a graduate student does research in a faculty member's lab with the purpose of completing a thesis or dissertation with the faculty member. GTA positions are where a graduate student teaches undergraduate courses or assists a faculty member with teaching.
We offer Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) and Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions, which provide a stipend allowance as well as a tuition waiver. Upon review of the admissions application, graduate applicants are immediately considered for a GRA position. If an applicant is not immediately offered a GRA position, then applicants should contact the professor of interest directly to inquire about the possibility of doing research in their laboratories. We recommend that a student take a course with as well as volunteer with the instructor of interest before asking about a position in their lab.
Due to the high skill level required to teach our teaching labs, most of our lab GTA positions require students to do a teaching apprenticeship first. Students should contact the graduate coordinator as early as possible to find a teaching apprenticeship.
There are a limited number of lecture GTA positions that do not require a teaching apprenticeship. These positions are reserved for newly admitted M.S. students. Students should apply through early admission and contact the graduate coordinator as early as possible to secure a lecture GTA position.
Undergraduate students are also allowed to apprentice in our teaching labs before they become graduate students. Once admitted these students can immediately be eligible to become a GTA.
Graduate Admissions
TOEFL
- TOEFL greater than 100-> You are exempt from the GSTEP exam at international orientation and any other ESL course.
- 80 to 100->You must take the GSTEP and wither take ESL 7250 (Academic Listening/Speaking for Graduate Students) and/or 7350 (Academic Writing for Graduate Students).
- less than 80-> You may not be recommended for admission and if you are recommended for admission, you will have to take both ESL 7250 (Academic Listening/Speaking for Graduate Students) and 7350 (Academic Writing for Graduate Students).
IELTS
- IELTS greater than 7.5-> You are exempt from the GSTEP exam at international orientation and any other ESL course.
- 6.5 to 7.5->You must take the GSTEP and wither take ESL 7250 (Academic Listening/Speaking for Graduate Students) and/or 7350 (Academic Writing for Graduate Students).
- less than 6.5-> You may not be recommended for admission and if you are recommended for admission, you will have to take both ESL 7250 (Academic Listening/Speaking for Graduate Students) and 7350 (Academic Writing for Graduate Students).
A breakdown of tuition and fees can be found here.
M.S. students can either be thesis or non-thesis. A thesis student is required to propose a thesis, write a thesis, and publish a thesis in order to graduate. Thesis students usually take longer to graduate because they have more requirements. A non-thesis student is required to complete a capstone project or paper, which can be published at an academic conference.
- Ph.D. applicants are required to pick a concentration.
- M.S. applicants are required to pick a concentration on the application. Concentrations can be removed or changed upon admission.
- The Medical Science concentration of the M.S. program requires a separate application process than all other concentrations in the M.S. program.
- The Ph.D. program requires 33 credit hours of classroom coursework and 57 credit hours of research.
- The thesis M.S. program requires a minimum of 26 credit hours of classroom coursework and 14 credit hours of research.
- The non-thesis M.S. program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of classroom coursework and 4 credit hours of non-thesis work.
Yes. However, the average time for program completion is 2 years. For more information contact the Graduate Coordinator.
Approximately 1 page in length, single-spaced
Yes, however, prior to submitting the application, you must indicate who your requested writers are on your application.
Yes, however, if you have an upcoming GRE score that you would like us to consider, please indicate that you have an upcoming test date.
We do NOT accept DAT scores.
They are acceptable on a case by case basis. Even so, GRE scores are still required and must be submitted by the designated time.
The general test should be taken.
We welcome all applicants. For applicants who do not have a degree in either Biology or Chemistry, we do recommend that you take the following courses or equivalent courses before applying.
- Biol 1103K Introductory Biology I or Biol 2107K Principles of Biology I
- Biol 1104K Introductory Biology II or Biol 2108K Principles of Biology II
- Biol 3800/7800 Molecular Cell Biology
- BIOL 3810/7810 Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory-CTW
- Biol 3840/7840 Animal Biology
- Biol 3900/7900 Genetics
- Chem 1101K Introductory Chemistry I or Chem 1211K Principles of Chemistry I
- Chem 1102K Introductory Chemistry II or Chem 1212K Principles of Chemistry II
- Chem 2400 Organic Chemistry I
- Chem 3410 Organic Chemistry II
- Chem 4600/6600 Biochemistry I
Contact Us
Main Office
Contacts
404-413-5300 (Atlanta)
[email protected] (Atlanta)
Perimeter campus
Office Hours
8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Office/Delivery Address
100 Piedmont Avenue SE, 4th floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4010
Atlanta, GA 30303