Master of Science in Biology at Georgia Institute of Technology

Requirements for the Award of the Master's Degree-

For a student to receive a master's degree from Georgia Tech, the following requirements should be met:

1. During the semester prior to the anticipated final semester of work, students should petition to graduate. This can be done by completing the Online Application for Graduation.
2. The Approved Program of Study (which is listed on the petition for degree application) should show that course requirements for the master's degree will be satisfied before or during the final semester. The Approved Program of Study should be completed within a period of no more than six consecutive calendar years.
3. Students should have an overall GPA of at least 2.70 and satisfy all school academic requirements. (Some schools may require a higher overall GPA, and some programs may have different GPA requirements for certain segments of the program requirements, such as for core classes. If so, this must be reported to the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee through the initial proposal or as a curriculum change and will be considered an informational item on the agenda. These requirements will be enforced at graduation.)
4. Students should earn a grade of at least D on coursework for it to be considered completed. (Some individual programs may require a grade of C or higher. These requirements must be reported to the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee either as part of the initial proposal or as part of a curriculum change and will be considered an informational item on the agenda. These requirements will be enforced at graduation.)
5. Students may take three hours on a pass/fail basis, per Institute policy. (However, individual programs may not allow pass/fail grades at all or may restrict them to only specific portions of the degree such as electives. These restrictions must be reported to the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee as part of the initial proposal or as part of a curriculum change and will be enforced at graduation.)
6. Students should be registered for a minimum of three credit hours at all times. However, thesis students are permitted to enroll for one hour of MAJR 7000 in the semester of graduation. This reduction may be used only once. Students who have met all requirements for graduation before the last day of registration for the graduation term and who were registered the preceding semester may be eligible for a waiver of enrollment.
7. Coursework at the 1000 or 2000 level may not be used for a master's degree. In most cases, coursework at the 3000 level may not be used for a master's degree. But individual programs may allow a reasonable number of 3000-level courses in special circumstances, such as in a program that requires language proficiency. Individual programs may include 4000-level coursework, but this must be reported to the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee as either part of the initial proposal or clearly stated when revising a program. These rules will be enforced at graduation.
8. Students should have completed satisfactorily any language requirement imposed by the major school.
9. Thesis students must complete the requirements for training in Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR).
10. Students should have passed any qualifying or comprehensive examinations required by their school.
11. Students should have completed any required coursework outlined at the time of matriculation.
12. Students should ensure that all requirements for the degree are completed and certified by the Office of the Registrar no later than 48 hours after final grades for the term are due. If a candidate for a degree is not certified by the appropriate deadline, the degree will not be awarded. It is the responsibility of the student to reactivate the degree petition for the following semester.
13. The diploma of a candidate for a degree shall bear the date of the latest commencement ceremony for the term in which the degree is awarded with the exception of summer graduation diplomas, which will bear the date of the official end of term.