Biology: Concentration in Physiology and Behavioral Biology

Students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in any of these programs must meet the general requirements as outlined as well as any additional requirements specified by the major field of study.

For current advising information, including research and funding opportunities, consult the SF State Biology Department website at biology.sfsu.edu.

General Admission Requirements

An applicant must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and the equivalent major coursework for the program area to which they apply. To evaluate an applicant, the biology department requires the following:

1. transcripts of all undergraduate work;
2. a statement of purpose;
3. two or more letters of recommendation, preferably from science faculty.

When the department receives this information, the completed file is forwarded to the faculty coordinator of the program area chosen by the applicant. The faculty in the program area evaluate the applicant's file and recommend admission or denial based on the following criteria:

• Grade point average in the undergraduate major–minimum required GPA in science courses is 3.0
• Statement of purpose
• Letters of recommendation

Denial of admission may be based on inadequacy in any of the above criteria, if an applicant's interests are not represented by current faculty, or if faculty in the applicant's area of interest are unable to support additional students.

1. Critically read and evaluate the significance and validity of peer–reviewed publications to develop a comprehensive knowledge of research in their field of expertise and to be able to clearly articulate such knowledge.
2. Conduct original research in a biological sub–discipline, including the design of experiments, development and testing of hypotheses, application of quantitative analyses to visualize and interpret data and derive conclusions.
3. Develop effective writing skills for both informal and formal professional communications that include a written thesis, scientific proposal, or scientific manuscript.
4. Develop skills to orally present scientific material to a broad range of audiences, including in courses and an oral thesis defense.
5. Practice the responsible and ethical conduct of research and professional integrity in carrying out scientific investigations.