MA Program Information and Admission Requirements

1. How do I register for the Individual Investigation course? 

• MA students have opportunities to pursue research projects and gain experience working with state-of-the-art instrumentation under the guidance of members of the biological sciences faculty through Individual Investigation. 

• The Individual Investigation course is a student-initiated course. MA students who are interested would directly contact faculty members to discuss the details of course set up. The form of MA Individual Investigation can be versatile. Students can perform hands-on research, in-depth literature reading and review, data analysis, etc. The length of the course could be half semester, one semester or multiple semesters. Please noted that 1 credit hour equals to 3 hours/week working hours for a full spring/fall semester. Please CLICK HERE for current openings in one of the many faculty’s research laboratories.  

• An application form needs to completed by both student and the faculty he/she will work with prior to registration. The form can be found in the Biology Form library or CLICK HERE. Please submit the signed e-form to the MA coordinator via xmou@kent.edu. After approval, a notification will be sent to you to register for the Individual Investigation course that is set up for you. 

2. How can I find out what courses are offered each semester? 

• Go to www.kent.edu 
• Sign into Flashline 
• Hover over the Student tab on the left 
• Under Resources, select Courses & Registration 
• Select Look Up and Register for Courses 
• At the bottom of the next screen hit I Acknowledge 
• Then at the bottom of the following screen hit I Acknowledge again 
• For Select by Term, hit the drop-down arrow 
• Select Fall 2021 (or whatever semester you are searching in the future) 
• 1/2 way down on the next screen:  

• For Subject: hit the drop-down arrow and select Biological Sciences 
• Skip the next 4 categories 
• For Course Level select Graduate 
• You can skip all the rest of the categories 
• Hit Class Search at the bottom 
• ** If you are ever looking for a specific course number or name, you can enter them in the Course Number or Course Title fields 
• ** If you are trying to find courses taught by a specific instructor, you can hit the drop-down for Instructor and select the faculty member you are looking for 
• On the next screen, you will get a class list for the semester you specified 
• The blue numbers are the unique CRN’s that every course is assigned / it will be followed by the BSCI course & section number and course name, along with instructor, dates and course location, etc. 

• For more information, please go to the following webpage 

https://www.kent.edu/registrar/how-register 

3. Where can I find program requirement for my concentration? 

• The program requirement, including the course list of Major requirements, Concentration requirements, Concentration Electives and minimum Total Credit Hours can be found on our MA program webpage. 

• MA program concentrations include:
  • Self-Guided Program (no concentration), Click Here 
  • Biological Data Analytics, Click Here 
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology, Click Here 
  • Medical Biology, Click Here 
  • Environmental Biology, Click Here 

• If you have taken some of the required courses before (at the graduate or undergraduate level), those required courses can be waived and substituted. Please complete the Course Substitution and Waiver Approval form and submit it to the MA coordinator via xmou@kent.edu.The form can be found on the Biology Forms page or Click Here. 

4. How many credit hours do I need to register for each semester? 

• The Kent State University MA in Biology program requires 31 credit hours in order to graduate.  5 concentrations are offered, so students should note the coursework required for each concentration and work with the MA Program Coordinator, Dr. Jen Mou (xmou@kent.edu) to determine what courses to take.  The coursework can be completed at a student’s own pace without deadlines for finishing the required credits for graduation. However, students are required to register for at least 1 credit hour for each of spring and fall semesters. Summer courses are offered, but students are not required to register for any summer courses.

5. How to register, add/drop a course? What should I do if I need a late registration? 

• General information can be found in the following webpage 

https://www.kent.edu/registrar/how-register 

• For BSCI MA students, we recommend you to email your tentative course list to the MA coordinator (xmou@kent.edu) and graduate secretary (skieklak@kent.edu) for double checking and approval. Please do so at least 2 weeks before the semester starts. 

1.   Is the GRE required for the MA Biological Sciences graduate programs?

• The GRE is NOT required.

2.   Why is the GRE listed on my application checklist as being required?

• The GRE is NOT required & will be removed manually from your checklist.

3.   Are English Proficiency scores required if my education was in Nigeria or another country that offers waivers and was taught in English?

• No.  Nigeria & other countries are on the waiver list, so you do not need to submit proof of English proficiency if educated in those countries.  Check the eligibility for an English Proficiency Waiver: English Language Proficiency | Kent State University. 

4.   Why is the English Proficiency listed on my application checklist as required when my education was from Nigeria or another country that offers waivers and was taught in English?

• Since Nigeria & other countries are on the waiver list, you do not need to submit proof of English proficiency if educated in those countries.  It will be removed manually from your checklist.

5.   Can I apply for admission for Fall, Spring or Summer semester?

• Yes.  We accept students in our MA program year-round.

6.   Can I submit my UNOFFICIAL transcript with my application?

• No.  Unofficial transcripts are not accepted.  We accept copies of OFFICIAL transcripts with your application.  If you are accepted into our program, we will ask you to have your official transcripts submitted directly to our university at that time.

7.   Am I able to get an application fee waiver?

• Unfortunately, we do not offer application fee waivers.

8.  Is my GPA high enough for me to be eligible for your MA program?

• The minimum GPA the university accepts for graduate program admission is 2.75/4.0.  International transcripts will be converted to the US 4.0 scale by our Office of Global Education.

9.  Where do I go to find Application & Admissions requirements?

• Please visit MA Program Information and Admission Requirements | Kent State University.
• Click on the yellow/green button 1/2 way down the page that says, "MA Program has continuous enrollment.  Click here to apply," it will take you to the Admissions page with the steps for applying to Kent State University's graduate programs.

10. Where is information for the MA program & concentrations that are offered in Biological Sciences?

• Please visit Graduate Programs | Kent State University for general info.
• For MA concentrations and additional information, visit MA Program Information and Admission Requirements | Kent State University.

11. How do I upload documents to my application portal?

• We are unable to accept document submissions via email. All application requirements and supporting documents must be uploaded through your applicant portal. You may follow the below instructions:

1. Go to your status page on your applicant portal and scroll to “upload materials”
2. Click on “choose file”
3. Click on “upload”

If you have any additional questions, please contact our MA Coordinator, Dr. Jen Mou, at xmou@kent.edu or contact the Biological Sciences Graduate Office at bscigrad@kent.edu or call (330) 672-2819.