New offering at USM: Master of Science in Biology

The University of Maine Board of Trustees has approved a new master of science degree in biology to be offered at the University of Southern Maine.

Maine has ranked 50th in the nation in the number of science and engineering graduate students per capita. USM figures indicate nine of its 11 peer institutions already offer a M.S. in biology.

Chair of the USM department of biological sciences, Chris Maher, says such a graduate program not only satisfies an exponential growth in the field in recent years (students majoring in biology and environmental sciences) but will also strengthen research and development in the state of Maine. She says, “Graduate education teaches critical thinking skills, communication skills, and knowledge of the scientific process beyond what people learn in technical schools or undergraduate programs.”

This program, Maher says, will reinforce USM’s ties to the local business community -- Maine Medical Center, biotechnology firms, environmental consulting firms, non-profit organizations, etc. -- thus better serving the needs of the people of southern Maine.

She adds that a broad-based graduate program will foster collaboration among disciplines such as physiology, genetics, ecology and environmental science. It will, of course, prepare graduates for professional-level employment but will also allow sharing of equipment purchased for research purposes by both undergraduates and graduates as well as expanding the number of cross-listed courses available to undergraduates. The master’s level program will challenge faculty even more to stay abreast of their fields.

Maher says the program will also increase USM’s contact and collaboration with the institutions within the University of Maine System and will serve Maine’s secondary school science teachers.

For more information on this master’s degree offering, contact USM’s department of biological sciences at (207) 780-4260.