Graduate Studies

What graduate degrees are offered
How do I apply
Online Departmental Application
Are there application deadlines
How is my departmental application evaluated
What financial assistance is available
What is required to complete a graduate degree
What courses will I need to take
What does graduate research involve
Whom should I contact if I have questions
Tips for Current Biology Graduate Students
Graduate School Links
Graduate Student Handbook

What graduate degrees are offered?

The Department of Biological Sciences offers the following:

Master of Science Degrees in:

Biology
Biological Informatics
Microbiology
Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy Degrees in:

Biology
Zoology

How do I apply?

Apply directly to the Graduate School for admission to Texas Tech University as a graduate student. Briefly, this includes submission of a completed application form, non-refundable application fee, official transcripts for all previous college-level study, and official GRE score reports. International students must also submit official TOEFL scores and a bank statement that indicates sufficient funds to cover the student’s education and living expenses. Submit these application materials directly to the Graduate School. See the Graduate School web site at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gradschool/ for the most up-to-date instructions.

You must also apply separately to the Department of Biological Sciences for admission into one of the M.S. or Ph.D. degree programs listed above. The application includes submission of a completed departmental application form (on-line or hard copy), goals statement, and three reference forms with accompanying letters of recommendation. The goals statement should explain in detail what your future career plans are and how earning a graduate degree from Texas Tech University will advance those plans. The reference forms should be completed by individuals who are able to evaluate your potential for success in graduate courses and, if applicable, in research. For Ph.D. applicants with the Master’s degree, one of the reference forms must come from your M.S. Major Advisor.

Before you are admitted into a degree program, a faculty member in Biological Sciences must agree to serve, at least provisionally, as your Major Advisor. This means that it is your responsibility to become familiar with the faculty working in your area of research interest and to contact them before your application for admission is considered. Otherwise, your application will be rejected for lack of a Major Advisor.

There is no application fee for the departmental application.

Submit the departmental application materials on-line or by mail to:

Graduate Secretary
Department of Biological Sciences
Box 43131
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409-3131

The reference forms and letters of recommendation must be mailed directly by the referees themselves, not by the applicant.

Online Departmental Application

Application For Graduate Enrollment (This form can be completed online)
Reference Form for Graduate Enrollment (This is a PDF file that requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Are there application deadlines?

The departmental application deadlines are March 1 for the following Fall Semester, September 1 for the following Spring Semester, and February 1 for the following First Summer Session. The Graduate School recommends that international students submit their completed application at least 6 months in advance of the desired date of enrollment, due to the length of time required to obtain a visa from the U.S. Department of State.

How is my departmental application evaluated?

Faculty members comprising the Graduate Student Selection Committee evaluate your completed application holistically, based on the combination of:

grades (including GPA for the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work and/or formal graduate courses);
GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing);
goals statement;
three reference forms with accompanying letters of recommendation; and
any additional evidence of potential as a research scientist (publications, awards, or other scholarly achievements).

The Selection Committee does not use any specific cut-offs to evaluate GPA and GRE scores. In addition, a faculty member must also have agreed to serve as your Major Advisor before your application is considered. International students for whom English is a second language must have a satisfactory TOEFL score.

What financial assistance is available?

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a limited number of Teaching Assistantships on a yearly basis. However, T.A. offers are usually not made until after an applicant has been admitted into the graduate program. You can request to be considered for a T.A. on the departmental application form .

The Department does not offer Research Assistantships. Individual faculty members may be able to offer such financial support, depending on the status of their current research funding. Discuss this possibility with your prospective Major Advisor.

What is required to complete a graduate degree?

Requirements for completing the thesis M.S. degree include coursework (30 credit hours), a research thesis, and a final oral examination. A 36-credit hour non-thesis option is also available. The Ph.D. degree requires 60 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate (including formal courses, seminars, and research credits), passage of a comprehensive qualifying exam (written and oral), and completion and oral defense of a dissertation.

What courses will I need to take?

During your first semester in the graduate program, you will select the members of your Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee (chaired by your Major Advisor) will meet with you regularly to advise and assist you toward the completion of your degree. The Committee will individually tailor the course plan to your academic background, research interests, and career goals.

Courses available in the Department of Biological Sciences cover a broad range of subjects spanning the diversity of life from microorganisms through higher animals and plants, and all levels of organization from the molecule to the ecosystem. The diversity of courses available is further expanded by offerings in other departments in the College of Arts and Sciences (including Chemistry and Biochemistry, Environmental Toxicology, Geosciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics) as well as in other academic units of the University (such as the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, College of Engineering, and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center).

Graduate Research

An important decision is the choice of a thesis or dissertation topic, one that is both of interest to you and complementary to your Major Advisor’s research program. Following discussions with your Major Advisor, you will submit a research proposal to your Advisory Committee for their approval. Typical times for completion of the M.S. degree are 2-3 years and for the Ph.D. degree are 4-5 years.

The Department of Biological Sciences has a continuing commitment to support quality scientific research among its faculty members and graduate students. The faculty include established leaders in biological sciences who have held editorships of scientific journals and offices in scientific societies, as well as newer faculty with promising research careers. Intradepartmental organization for research is centered around the areas of animal physiology and biomedical science, ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, plant physiology and biotechnology, and quantitative biology.

In addition to these departmental research groups, there are several University- wide research centers, institutes, and associated Federal research laboratories that promote and facilitate collaborative research. These include:

The Center for Biotechnology and Genomics
The International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies (ICASALS)
The Museum at Texas Tech University (Natural Sciences Research Laboratory)
The Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
The USDA-ARS Cropping Systems Research Laboratory.

Resources for research come from University funds and from federal, state, and private foundation grants to faculty and graduate students. The Biological Sciences faculty have a strong record in obtaining grant funds from numerous agencies including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Texas Advanced Research Program, and the Texas Advanced Technology Program. Graduate students are likewise encouraged to seek funding that can help increase their research productivity and provide experience in grantsmanship. The National Science Foundation’s Dissertation Improvement Grant Program and the Sigma Xi Grants-In-Aid of Research Program are avenues especially appropriate for support of graduate student research. A number of Biological Sciences graduate students have succeeded in obtaining funding from these and other sources. The Graduate School and the Department also provide summer research grants, awarded on a competitive basis to currently enrolled graduate students.

Whom should I contact if I have questions?

For questions regarding your application to the Graduate School, including transcripts, test scores, application fee, and issues relating to the status of international students, contact the Graduate School directly. Questions regarding your application to the Department of Biological Sciences can be addressed to the Graduate Advisor at the e-mail address listed on this web site.

To request information via email about our Graduate programs in the Department of Biological Sciences: Email Us

Phone Contacts:
Chairperson: 806/742-2715
Graduate Programs: 806/742-2715
Graduate Admissions: 806/742-2787
International Student Affairs: 806/742-3667

Department Mailing Address:
Department of Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University
Box 43131
Lubbock TX 79409-3131

General University Inquiries:
Graduate Admissions
Texas Tech University
Box 41030
Lubbock TX 79409-1030

International Inquiries:
International Student Affairs
Texas Tech University
Box 41036
Lubbock TX 79409-1036