General Requirements
The candidate for a Master of Science degree must earn 30 or more semester credit hours (SCH), depending upon the specific degree requirements. These degree requirements are determined by the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student’s degree plan is approved by the graduate dean. For the traditional Master’s degree, 17-20 SCH of the total 30 consist of core requirements and thesis. The use of special problems courses is limited to a maximum of 6 SCH.
Specialized MS degrees in the disciplines of Biotechnology, Medical Science, and Clinical Research Management are administered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences. The MS discipline in Forensic Genetics is administered by the Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics.
Consult subsequent sections of this publication for the specific course requirements for the traditional master of science degree and for the specialized master of science degrees.
Time Limitations
All requirements for the Master of Science degree must be completed within six years.
As individual courses exceed this time limit they lose all value for degree purposes. Credits that are more than six years old at the time of first registration for graduate work are not transferable from other institutions.
Students anticipating that they will exceed the time limit should apply for an extension before the normal time period to complete the degree expires. Holding a full-time job is not considered in itself sufficient grounds for granting an extension.
Time spent in active service in the U.S. armed forces will not be used in computing the time limit. However, career members of the armed forces should consult the graduate dean concerning the credit given to work completed before or during active military service.
Use of Transfer Credit
Depending on the student’s previous preparation and degree plan, graduate work completed elsewhere may be transferred toward a Master of Science degree. Only those courses with a grade of “B” or higher will be transferred. Courses to be transferred must be taken within 5 years of transfer.
Extension and correspondence credit earned at other institutions will not be counted toward a graduate degree at the Health Science Center. The GSBS does not award credit for portfolio-based experiential learning or noncredit courses.
It is the student’s responsibility to insure that official transcripts of courses completed elsewhere are furnished to the office of the graduate dean, and that graduate credit has been assigned by the other institution or institutions to whatever courses are to be counted toward the GSBS degree. The student must provide the catalog description and/or syllabus from the semester the course was taken before transfer credit will be approved. Such courses, although listed on the degree plan, will not be counted toward the degree until official transcripts showing graduate credit have been received and the credit has been approved by the graduate dean. All transfer courses are subject to the time limitation described above. Exceptions are handled on a case-by-case basis.
In accordance with the rules of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the majority of the semester credit hours required for any degree must be completed in course work registered through UNTHSC.
Major Professor
Graduate training entails both formal education in a specific discipline and an apprenticeship in which the graduate student trains under the supervision of one or more investigators who are qualified to fulfill the responsibilities of a mentor (major professor). A positive mentoring relationship between the student and the major professor is a vital component of the student’s preparation to become not only an independent and successful research scientist but also an effective mentor to future graduate students.
Individuals who pursue a biomedical graduate degree are expected to take responsibility for their own scientific and professional development. Faculty who advise students are expected to fulfill the responsibilities of a mentor, including the provision of scientific training, guidance, instruction in the responsible conduct of research and research ethics, and financial support. The major professor also performs a critical function as a scientific role model for the graduate student.
Prior to the completion of 24 SCH, the master’s student must identify a major professor and file the Major Professor Designation/Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and their Research Advisors. This form and the full AAMC Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and their Research Advisors is available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines website.
Advisory Committee
Each student must select an advisory committee. The major professor and/or the graduate advisor assist the student in selecting members to serve on the advisory committee. The committee guides the student in selecting course work appropriate for the degree program, defines research goals and approves the research proposal. The advisory committee administers the final examination for the degree.
The major professor serves as chair of the advisory committee. Advisory committees for Master of Science students must include at least two additional graduate faculty members. Furthermore, all students in programs requiring thesis will be assigned a university member (see details below) who ensures that the policies and procedures of the GSBS and UNTHSC are upheld.
Each student is required to meet with his/her advisory committee at least once per academic year.
Students in MS programs that do not require internship practica or thesis projects are not required to designate advisory committees.
Degree Plan
Before the completion of 30 SCH, a degree plan listing all courses should be prepared by the student, approved by the student’s advisory committee, graduate advisor, and dean. The major professor and advisory committee members are chosen on the advice of the department chair or graduate advisor in the major area. All subsequent requests for degree plan changes must be approved by the advisory committee and submitted in writing by the major professor to the dean.
Degree requirements listed in the graduate catalog currently in force at the time the student’s degree plan is approved by the dean are those that must be completed by the student.
Students in MS programs with lock-step curricula are not required to file a degree plan.
University Member
When the advisory committee is formed for students in programs requiring thesis, the dean will appoint a university member.
The primary responsibility of the university member on both MS and PhD committees is to ensure that the policies, procedures and standards of the GSBS and UNTHSC have been upheld. The university member may choose to participate but must be present in any formal hearing (see below for list of such events); however, such participation is not mandated by the GSBS. The university member’s signature on appropriate forms indicates that the integrity of the review process has been preserved. It is the responsibility of the university member to report to the dean any inappropriate due process.
The university member must be present at all formal hearings that require a vote which include the thesis proposal presentation and defense and the final thesis seminar and defense.
Students in MS programs that require Internship Practicum (BMSC 5920) rather than Thesis (BMSC 5950) are not required to have a university member. Students in programs that require neither internship practica nor thesis projects will not be assigned a university member.
Research Proposal
All Master of Science students are required to submit an approved formal research proposal describing the thesis/practicum project. Clinical Research Management students are required to submit the research proposal by the middle of the second month of the internship practicum. Biotechnology students are required to submit the research proposal before the end of the fall semester during the second year of study. Forensic Genetics students are required to submit the research proposal at the end of the first week of the internship.
All other Master of Science students are required to submit the research proposal before registering for thesis credits.
Research Proposal Guidelines and the Research Proposal approval forms are available on the GSBS Forms and Guidelines site.
Program Requirements
Each student is responsible for the completion of the Master of Science program according to the procedures that follow. Each item must be completed in the sequence and time period indicated. Forms are subject to revision at any time and should be obtained from the GSBS Forms and Guidelines site.
- A major professor should be selected by the student at the earliest possible time, but no later than the completion of 24 SCH after beginning the master’s program. The student must file the Major Professor Designation/Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and their Major Professors with the Office of Admissions and Services. The student should meet with the major professor for guidance in forming an advisory committee and degree plan.
- Before the completion of 30 SCH, the student must select an advisory committee and file a Designation of Advisory Committee form in the graduate school. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 30 SCH without a designated advisory committee. Upon receipt of the Designation of Advisory Committee form, a University Member will be appointed to serve on the student’s committee. The student must file a degree plan approved by the advisory committee with the graduate school before the completion of 30 SCH. Course work deficiencies will be stipulated at this time. Enrollment will be restricted to prevent the accumulation of more than 30 SCH without an approved degree plan. Procedures vary slightly for Biotechnology, Clinical Research Management and Forensic Genetics students. Consult the discipline handbook for complete instructions.
- A thesis research proposal must be approved by the committee and filed with the graduate school prior to the semester in which the student first enrolls in thesis. Clinical Research Management students are required to submit the research proposal by the middle of the second month of the internship practicum. Biotechnology students are required to submit the research proposal before the end of the fall semester during the second year of study.
- Once a student has enrolled in internship practicum or thesis, he/she must maintain continuous enrollment in a minimum of 3 SCH of thesis during each long semester and the summer until the practicum report/thesis has been accepted by the GSBS. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will either invalidate any previous thesis credit or will result in the student’s dismissal from the degree program unless granted an official leave of absence by the graduate dean for medical or other exceptional reasons.
- At the time of registration in the final semester, the student must file an Intent to Graduate form with the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services. The form is available on the GSBS Graduation site.
- At least 30 days prior to the final defense, the student must file an Intent to Defend form with the GSBS Office of Admissions and Services. The Office of Admissions and Services will advertise the public seminar associated with the final defense. The form is available on the GSBS Graduation site.
- The completed practicum report/thesis should be submitted to the advisory committee at least two weeks prior to the defense.
- A formal public seminar pertaining to the practicum report/thesis will be presented in the student’s last semester.
- A final oral defense of the practicum report/thesis and related work will be given by the committee immediately following the seminar. The defense is closed to all parties except the advisory committee and university member. The committee will determine if a student fails, passes or passes with distinction.
- The thesis must be prepared for digital submission according to the instructions in the Guidelines for Filing Theses, Internship Practicum Reports and Dissertations, available on the GGSBS Graduation site.