| Location | Email Address | Program Website |
|---|---|---|
| 102D Life Sciences Building | biogpa@yorku.ca | biology.gradstudies.yorku.ca |
The Graduate Program in Biology offers programs leading to the Master of Science degree (by research thesis) and the Doctor of Philosophy degree (by research dissertation). Details of each program are described herein.
Areas of Research
Research in the Biology graduate program is focused on several broad areas including cell and molecular biology; physiology; neuroscience; and ecology and evolution. This focus ensures that within each area there is a critical mass of interacting people and shared resources to produce a strong research environment. Within the research areas, faculty members work on a diversity of research problems, the range of which can best be seen by consulting the detailed descriptions on the Biology website.
Admission Requirements
At the master’s level, students work closely with a supervisor and their research is supported by that supervisor. Thus, no student is accepted into the program unless a faculty member agrees to supervise that student.
Graduates with a four-year bachelor’s degree in biological science or its equivalent, with at least a B+ average in the last two years of study, may be admitted as candidates for the Master of Science degree. Each candidate selects a faculty supervisor on the basis of their mutual research interests and a supervisory committee (usually consisting of the supervisor and one other faculty member with similar research interests) is appointed by the graduate program to supervise and monitor the student’s progress.
Qualifying Year
Graduates lacking the necessary undergraduate preparation may qualify for admission as undergraduate special students in the Faculty of Science. These admissions are dealt with by the undergraduate Admissions Office. Students are advised to take the equivalent of at least three, and up to five full courses. Students are advised to consult with potential graduate supervisors in selecting the courses to be taken, and are advised to have at least a C average before attempting such a program.
Note: Successful completion of a year as a Special Student does not guarantee admission to the graduate program.
At the PhD level, students work closely with a supervisor, and their research is supported by that supervisor. Thus, no student is accepted into the program unless a faculty member agrees to supervise that student.
Graduates from a recognized university with a master’s degree or equivalent in biological sciences, with at least a B+ average, or with a medical degree, may be admitted as candidates (PhD I) in a program of study and research leading to the PhD degree. Each candidate selects a faculty supervisor on the basis of their mutual research interests and a supervisory committee (usually consisting of the supervisor and two other faculty members with similar research interests) is appointed by the graduate program to supervise and monitor the student’s progress.
Graduates with an honours bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in one of the biological sciences, who have at least a B+ standing at the undergraduate level may be considered for admission to the PhD program. Normally, however, such graduates must first register as candidates for the MSc degree. MSc students may request advancement in status to candidates (PhD 1) for the PhD degree, without completing the requirements for the MSc degree. Their progress during the first year must be deemed excellent by their supervisory committee and the Graduate Program Director. Candidates wishing to make this change must pass the PhD preliminary examination within 20 months of registering for the MSc degree.
Degree Requirements
MSc Degree by Research Thesis
Candidates for the MSc degree by research thesis must fulfil the following requirements:
a) All entering students plan a research program with their supervisor at the start of their degree studies. Progress in research is monitored by the supervisory committee through meetings with the student and by a progress report consisting of a written paper. Satisfactory progress in research results in credit for Biology 6021 3.0/6022 3.0: MSc Research Evaluation and a statement of the student’s progress in the student’s record. In the event of failure to achieve satisfactory progress, the student will normally be required to withdraw from the program.
b) In addition to MSc Research Evaluation, each MSc student must take a minimum of six credits from Biology graduate courses including one of Biology 5038 1.5: Current Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biology 5086 1.5: Critical Skills in Ecology and Evolution, or Biology 5100 1.5: Critical Skills in Animal Physiology. MSc students in the Graduate Diploma in Neuroscience may take Biology 5146 3.0: Fundamentals in Neuroscience I in lieu of Biology 5038 1.5, Biology 5086 1.5 or Biology 5100 1.5.
c) Students may be required to take up to two full undergraduate courses (or equivalent) in biological science if this is necessary to strengthen the student’s background.
Candidates must conduct original research and report the results in appropriate thesis form. Acceptable thesis formats in the graduate program are monograph or manuscript-based. The research and thesis should demonstrate the candidate’s independence, originality, and understanding of the area of investigation. While the thesis results may not be publishable as is, the research should be presented according to publication-quality standards in the field of study. After the formal submission of the thesis, an oral examination is held, normally centering on the thesis and matters related to it. The total length of the thesis does not normally exceed 100 pages, excluding appendices. Prior to submission to the graduate Faculty, the thesis must be presented to, and approved by, a majority of the program members of the examining committee.
The MSc program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Full-time candidates should normally complete all requirements for the MSc degree in biology within two years of full-time study.
Subsequent years will be permitted only as a part-time student. If a student completes degree requirements earlier than 3 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 3 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.
PhD
All Candidates for the PhD degree program must fulfil the following requirements:
a) All entering students plan a research program with their supervisor at the start of their degree studies. Progress in research is monitored by the supervisory committee through meetings with the student and by a progress report consisting of a written paper. Satisfactory progress in research results in credit for Biology 7021 3.0/7022 3.0/7023 3.0/7024 3.0: PhD Research Evaluation and a statement of the student’s progress in the student’s record. In the event of failure to achieve satisfactory progress, the student will normally be required to withdraw from the program.
b) Students may be required to take a maximum of six credits of graduate courses (or equivalent) in biological sciences, if this is deemed necessary to strengthen the student’s background. Students who transfer internally from the MSc to PhD program must have completed the 6 credit course requirements for the MSc.
c) Students may be required to take a maximum of two full undergraduate courses (or equivalent) in biological sciences, if this is necessary to strengthen the student’s background.
Candidates (PhD II, or MSc transferring to PhD without first completing the MSc) must satisfactorily pass a preliminary examination before advancing in the Ph.D. The objectives of this examination are to determine whether:
a) the Candidate has adequate background and intellectual ability to pursue independent research in the field approved by the supervisory committee;
b) the proposed research is suitable for a PhD research program; and,
c) the candidate has demonstrated aptitude for conducting the proposed research by means of adequate progress and productivity.
The two to three hour oral examination is based on the written research proposal, oral research presentation, and quality of responses to examiner questions. Candidates must submit a detailed research proposal organized in scientific paper format (introduction and literature review, methods, results-to-date, discussion and interpretation) and conclude with a statement of future research plans and a timetable for research completion. The introduction must include a comprehensive and critical literature review of the research topic. Evaluation of the preliminary examination is based on both the written and oral components of the exam.
Candidates must prepare and submit a suitable dissertation based on original research carried out under the supervision of a supervisory committee. The research should demonstrate the candidate’s independence, originality, and understanding of the area of investigation at an advanced level. Acceptable dissertation formats in the graduate program are monograph or manuscript-based. Some, or all, of the dissertation is expected to be sufficiently meritorious to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The dissertation research is not required to be submitted for publication, or published, prior to the oral examination. After the formal submission of the dissertation, an oral examination is held, normally centering on the dissertation and matters related to it. Prior to submission to the graduate Faculty, the dissertation must be presented to, and approved by, a majority of the program members of the examining committee.
The PhD program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Candidates entering with an MSc degree are expected to complete their PhD degree requirements within five years (fifteen terms).
Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.