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Environmental Science and Biology BS/MS Combined Degree Program
This may be the first attempt to document the program for the catalog and needs close scrutiny.
Description
The combined degree prorgam in Environmental Science and Biology allows students to receive a bachelor of science and master of science degrees in fewer credits and less time than typically required to complete them separately. Students should consult the degree requirements for the undergraduate major and graduate degree. In many cases, full-time students who begin their course of study at Brockport will be able to complete this combined degree program in five years instead of six.
Admission to the Program
Admission to the combined BS/MS program is selective, restricted to students with exceptional records, and subject to the availability of a faculty member able to serve as a thesis advisor. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better by the end of the first semester of the junior year (defined as having completed at least 75 credits) may apply for admission to the combined program. Admitted students are expected to complete the undergraduate core curriculum by end of the second semester the junior year. Transfer students may be considered for the BS/MS program after taking 15 credits of course work at The College at Brockport.
Qualified applicants will be interviewed by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Environmental Science and Biology which will decide on admission to the program in the period between the end of the fall term and beginning of the following spring term. Entry into the program also requires an application that includes, but is not limited to: a statement of interest, a technical writing sample and two letters of recommendation.
Achievement of the minimum standards for admission does not guarantee acceptance. Students who withdraw from the program in good standing can reapply to the traditional MS program later as new applicants.
Program Requirements
Before 120 Credits
To remain matriculated in the combined BS/MS program, students must:
- complete all requirements for the bachelor of science degree by the end of their fourth year.
- maintain a GPA of at least 3.0; and
- meet the academic requirements for the MS program, which includes making satisfactory progress toward completing graduate coursework, the oral comprehensive exam, and thesis research.
Students who fail to meet these requirements forfeit admission to the combined program and revert to the regular BS program.
A student who is admitted to the combined program may revert back to the regular BS program voluntarily, in which case, he/she will receive the BS degree at the completion of 120 credits, provided that all other undergraduate degree requirements are met.
Students may begin their graduate course work once they are enrolled in the program.
Students in the combined degree program have reduced requirements at the undergraduate level in light of their graduate coursework. These changes are by track:
| Track | BS Requirement | Combined Degree Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Ecology/Biology Track | 7-8 elective credits are required. |
0-2 elective credits are required. |
| Terrestrial Ecology Track | 12 elective credits are required. | 4 elective credits are required. |
| Combined Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology/Biology Track | 10-13 elective credits are required. | 0 elective credits are required. |
| Wetland Ecology Track | 6-8 elective credits are required. | 0 elective credits are required. |
| Environmental Chemical Analysis Track | 5 elective credits are required. |
0 elective credits are required. |
| Earth Science Track | 20 credits from designated courses required. | 12 credits from designated courses required. |
At the completion of 120 credits, if all other undergraduate requirements are met, students in the combined program will receive their bachelor of science degree.
After 120 Credits
After the combined-degree student receives the bachelor of science degree, the student is considered a gradaute student pursuing the master of science in master of science in Environmental Science and Biology, the coursework for which the student previously began. The student is expected to meet all the requirements of that program.
The five-year limit to complete the graduate degree starts at this time.
Is this correct? Or are they graduate students before they receive their bachelor's degree?
Other Requirements
- Establish a Thesis Advisory Committee upon admission to the program.
- Complete a Graduate Plan of Study, as approved by the Thesis Advisory Committee in consultation with the candidate, by the end of the second semester of the junior year.
- Complete a Thesis Proposal acceptable to the Thesis Advisory Committee before thesis research begins. To allow degree completion in five years, research should begin in the summer after the second semester of the junior year.
- Successfully complete an Oral Comprehensive Examination, administered by the Thesis Advisory Committee, by the end of the second semester of the fourth year of full-time study.
- A minimum of 15 credits at the 600- and 700-level.
- A minimum of 30 credits of graduate credit with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in all graduate courses taken at The College at Brockport.
- Successfully complete a Defense of the written thesis administered by the Thesis Advisory Committee.
- Submit five properly formatted copies on approved paper of the successfully defended thesis to the department secretary.
Department of Environmental Science and Biology
Department Chair: Christopher NormentLocation: Lennon 105
Visit Website
Email: ddilker@brockport.edu
Phone: (585) 395-5975
Fax: (585) 395-5969
Related Programs
Other Undergraduate Programs
Graduate Programs
Faculty & Staff
Kathryn L Amatangelo Ph.D
(Stanford University)
Assistant Professor
Deborah A Dilker BS
(SUNY Empire State College)
Secretary 1
Andrea Graham BS
(Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus)
Teaching Assistant
James M Haynes Ph.D
(University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities)
Professor
Chris Hays BS
(Paul Smiths College Of Arts And Science)
Teaching Assistant
Theodore Lewis BS
(SUNY Brockport)
Research Scientist
Joseph C Makarewicz Ph.D
(Cornell University)
Distinguished Service Professor
Hilary R Mosher MS
(SUNY College At Brockport)
Instructional Support Technician
Bradley M Mudrzynski MS
(SUNY College At Brockport)
Adjunct Lecturer
Bradley M Mudrzynski MS
Research Scientist/Adjunct Lecturer
Christopher J Norment Ph.D
(University Of Kansas Main Campus)
Professor and Chair
Norma A Polizzi JD
(SUNY At Buffalo)
Adjunct Lecturer
Jacques J Rinchard Ph.D
(University of Namur)
Associate Professor
Douglas A Wilcox Ph.D
(Purdue University-Main Campus)
E. I. Prof. of Wetland Science