The Biological Sciences Division (BSD) recognizes that some PhD students may have to leave their doctoral studies before completion. BSD graduate programs may award terminal Master's degrees to qualifying students who will not continue PhD studies within the division.
To be eligible for the terminal Master's degree, students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. This includes completing a minimum of five graded courses (excluding Pass/Fail courses) while maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.75 across these courses.
For programs with comprehensive examinations, candidates are required to pass this examination at Master's level proficiency or higher, as determined by their examining committee. For programs without comprehensive examinations, students must instead satisfy a research or scholarship requirement established by their program. Appropriate fulfillment may include:
- Production of a research article suitable for publication
- Completion of a substantive scholarly review paper
- Other comparable scholarly work approved by the program
Individual programs may provide additional details about implementation in their program handbooks. Students considering this option should consult with their program administrators about specific requirements and procedures.