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The Combined B.S./M.S. Degree Program

The combined B.S./M.S. degrees program in Biology is designed to allow exceptional students with a strong interest in biology to accelerate their professional education. This program is to be completed in eight terms of enrollment. The requirements are as follows:

  1. Candidates must satisfy the Yale College requirements for the B.S. degree. In addition to the three core requirements specified in the standard track, the four upper-level electives must be graduate-level courses designated "G". One of these is a graduate seminar selected with the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Students must earn honors (A or A-) in two graduate-level courses and high pass (B+, B, B-) in the rest.
  2. Six credits outside the major must be taken in the last two years, and at least two undergraduate courses in the last two terms.
  3. In addition to the courses specified above, students must complete two graduate laboratory courses for six course credits:
    a) E&EB/MCDB 585b, a two-credit course typically taken in the second term of the junior year. At the start of the course, each student forms a committee comprised of their adviser and two faculty members that meets to discuss the research project. Two of the committee members must be members of either the E&EB or MCDB departments. At the end of the course, students complete a detailed prospectus describing their thesis project, and the work completed to date. The committee evaluates an oral and written presentation of the prospectus; the evaluation determines whether the student may continue in the combined program.
    b) E&EB/MCDB 595, a four-credit course (two credits per term) that is similar to E&EB/MCDB 495 and is taken during the senior year. During this course, students give an oral presentation describing their work. At the end of the course, the adviser and two other faculty members evaluate a comprehensive thesis. Students must earn a B grade or higher in this course in order to receive the M.S. degree.

Students must also satisfy the requirements of Yale College for the combined bachelor's and master's degrees program, including the following:

  • Students must apply in writing to the director of undergraduate studies and obtain departmental approval no later than the beginning of the second term of their Junior year. Students must have the approval of both the director of undergraduate studies and the director of graduate studies to receive graduate credit for the graduate courses they select.
  • At the time of the application, only those students with two-thirds A or A- grades in all their courses, and with two-thirds A or A- grades in Biology courses will be admitted to the program.
  • Students must have this program approved by the undergraduate affairs committee of the major and the relevant departmental faculty by the end of the first term of their junior year. Because faculty meetings are held irregularly, the director of undergraduate studies should receive proposed programs by November 1.

Five year program for the combined BS/MS in Forestry and Environmental Studies

The School of Forestry and Environmental Studies offers a program whereby a Yale student can earn a Masters Degree in F&ES with an additional year of study. Students must fulfill the requirements for a Yale College bachelor?s degree that includes the appropriate prerequisites for acceptance into F&ES. Two summers and one further academic year are used to fulfill the Masters requirements. Interested students should contact Gordon Geballe in F&ES.

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