Graduate Programs in Biology

The Department of Biology welcomes graduate applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints.

Applicants to graduate programs in the Department of Biology should have a strong background in the biological sciences, including coursework in general biology, genetics, and ecology or physiology, as well as in adjacent fields like chemistry and mathematics.However, applicants missing coursework in one or more of these areas may be admitted conditionally (for example, on the condition that they take a course in genetics during their first semester of enrollment).

For regular Fall admission, application materials must be received by January 15th. Applications received after this time will only be considered if spaces are available (see below).

Graduate students are admitted to the Department of Biology in one of four categories, and students should clearly indicate the category to which they are applying in their Statement of Purpose.

1. PhD student with a specific Major Advisor
2. PhD student on rotation system (no initial Major Advisor)
3. MS student with a specific Major Advisor (thesis track)
4. MS student with a specific Major Advisor (non-thesis track) 

Prospective applicants to the first three categories should start by exploring potential faculty advisors and their research topics on the research page.

Applicants must submit online to the Graduate School all of the following:

• An application.
• PhD and thesis Master’s applicants should submit:
  • A 1-to-2-page Statement of Background and Future Goals.
    • In this statement, please describe any prior research experience, prior relevant coursework, motivation for pursuing this graduate degree, and how it relates to your career goals. Please include "Statement of Background and Future Goals” as a title in bold font.
  • A 1-2-page Statement of Research Interests and Potential Research Questions.
    • Use this statement as an opportunity to express your future research interests and ideas. In bold font near the beginning, please mention the faculty member(s) who have agreed to support the application as a potential Major Advisor or rotation host. If you have a prior graduate degree, please clarify how/whether you want to continue that work or go in a different direction. If you’ve discussed potential projects with your prospective advisor, please discuss those explicitly. If you’re applying to the rotation program, please express your goals for the rotation process, and any potential ideas or interests you might want to pursue. Be sure to emphasize your strengths. Please include "Statement of Research Interests and Potential Research Questions” as a title in bold font. 

• Non-thesis Master’s applicants: Please submit the Statement of Background and Future Goals, as described above, but do NOT submit a Statement of Research Interests and Potential Research Questions. The Statement of Background and Future Goals should be no longer than one page for non-thesis Master’s applicants, and should describe the applicant’s background and future goals, should mention which faculty member has agreed to be their Major Advisor, and should explain how the non-thesis Master’s degree in Biology will help to achieve those goals.
• A CV or resume.
• Two letters of recommendation, preferably from individuals who can comment on the applicant’s research experience and/or potential for conducting research in the life sciences.
• Official transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work (See the Graduate School’s FAQ page for the address to which official transcripts must be mailed.  Keep in mind that mailed applications can take 2-3 weeks to be received by the Graduate School and forwarded to the Department of Biology). Until official transcripts are received and processed, unofficial copies can be provided for review by the admissions committee. These can be attached to the online application, or emailed to biology2@olemiss.edu
• International applicants must also submit English language proficiency test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE-A) as per University policy.
• The Department of Biology does not require GRE scores.

Applicants are only admitted to the PhD and thesis Master’s programs if there is evidence of financial support for their graduate studies. This can be provided in the form of departmental graduate assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis and include a tuition waiver, subsidized health insurance, and stipend support. All components of the application (statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, GPA, and, if applicable, letter of support from Major Advisor) are used by the Graduate Studies Committee to determine eligibility for assistantships. These assistantships are competitive and the Department of Biology recommends that applicants have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), and a strong research background to qualify. Applicants may also be eligible for additional fellowships and scholarships that are available through the Graduate School.

Admission into the Biology graduate program is based on the recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee who will assess all of the application material and make a recommendation to the Chair of the Department of Biology.

The Graduate School’s application fee cannot be waived for any reason, but if an applicant cannot afford to pay the fee due to financial challenges, they may ask their prospective faculty advisor to pay the fee on their behalf. In that case, the completed application should be submitted, and the advisor can contact the Graduate School to pay the fee.

This category is for potential MS students who have identified a member of the graduate faculty to be their Major Advisor, who will become their Thesis Director.

Applicants should have a specific research area in mind and should not apply until a specific faculty member agrees in writing to potentially serve as their Major Advisor. Correspondence with potential Major Advisors among the Biology faculty should begin well before the application deadline, and typically develops over the course of many months. Specific faculty and their research topics can be explored on the research page. The applicant should identify that Major Advisor in bold font, in the initial sentences of their submitted Statement of Research. The prospective Major Advisor is responsible for placing a letter of support in the applicant’s file, describing why the student should be admitted into the program, how the student’s research will relate to that of the Major Advisor’s current laboratory/research group, and expectations for the student’s success in the Graduate Program.

The Graduate Studies Committee reviews applicants and makes recommendations for admission and awarding of assistantships to the Department Chair. For full consideration, applicants for Fall admission (August start) must have all of their materials submitted through the Graduate School online submission system and received by the Department of Biology by January 15th. Because testing agencies, universities, and references often take 2-3 weeks to submit materials, applicants are advised to make requests for test scores, transcripts, and letters of reference well ahead of the deadline. Applications that are incomplete in the Department of Biology as of January 15th will not be considered initially, and may be considered as late applications. Late applications are only considered if admission places or assistantships are still available; such applications are typically reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee in late March. While we appreciate early decisions from applicants who are offered admission and/or assistantships, the Department of Biology supports the Council of Graduate Schools’ resolution to allow applicants to graduate programs up to April 15th to make decisions on offers of admission.

Applications for Spring admission (January start) are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but are usually only considered when a faculty member has an open Research Assistantship position.

This category is for potential M.S. students who wish to base their M.S. degree mainly on coursework, with a capstone project at the end under the supervision of their Major Advisor.

In this case, the applicant should attempt to identify a member of the graduate faculty to be their Major Advisor, but the Graduate Program Coordinator can also serve as the Major Advisor. The applicant should clearly state their intention to enter the non-thesis M.S. track, and identify their Major Advisor in bold, in the first sentence of their submitted Statement of Research Interests and Potential Research Questions. The prospective Major Advisor is responsible for placing a letter of support in the applicant’s file, stating their willingness to serve as the Major Advisor if the student is admitted to the program. Please note that non-thesis M.S. students are not generally eligible for financial support from departmental teaching assistantships.

This category is for potential PhD students who have identified a member of the graduate faculty to be their Major Advisor, who will become their Dissertation Director.

Applicants should have a specific research area in mind and should not apply until a specific faculty member agrees in writing to potentially serve as their Major Advisor. Correspondence with potential Major Advisors among the Biology faculty should begin well before the application deadline, and typically develops over the course of many months. Specific faculty and their research topics can be explored on the research page.

The applicant should identify that Major Advisor in bold font, in the initial sentences of their submitted Statement of Research. The prospective Major Advisor is responsible for placing a letter of support in the applicant’s file, describing why the student should be admitted into the program, how the student’s research will relate to that of the Major Advisor’s current laboratory/research group, and expectations for the student’s success in the Graduate Program. Applications without such a letter of support from the Major Advisor will not be considered for admission.

PhD students admitted to the graduate program on the rotation system should expect to be involved in the research of three different labs during their first year in the program, with the requirement of having a Major Advisor in place by the end of their first year. Applicants must contact potential rotation faculty before applying, must identify at least three Biology faculty who have agreed in writing to host them in  a rotation, and must mention those three faculty in bold font in the initial sentences of their Statement of Research. Applicants should be aware that some faculty may not be available to participate in the rotation system. The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) will only review applications from rotation students who have agreements from at least three Biology faculty for lab rotations.

If admitted, the Graduate Program Coordinator will serve as the student’s temporary advisor for their first year and will establish a rotation plan in consultation with the student, the Graduate Studies Committee and individual faculty.

Students should expect to start their first rotation at the beginning of their first semester. Typically, a rotation student will be within a lab for 4-5 weeks (approximately 1/3 of a semester) before rotating into a new lab. At the completion of each rotation, students are required to write a brief report describing their experience, which is submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator and GSC. Following the completion of all rotations, the student will write a brief summary of their entire rotational experience, which also describes their preferred choice of permanent Major Advisor as well as alternates. While the GSC will endeavor to place students with their preferred Major Advisor, after consultation with the faculty involved, students may be placed with alternate choices. Rotation students must have a Major Advisor in place by the end of their first academic year.

Graduate students in the Department of Biology’s PhD program and the thesis-based MS program are typically supported through departmental Teaching Assistantships or through Research Assistantships associated with faculty members. The current 9-month stipend for Teaching Assistants is $23,000 for students in the MS (thesis) program, $25,000 for students in the PhD program before advancing to candidacy, and $26,000 after advancing to candidacy. Stipend amounts for Research Assistants are determined by the sponsoring faculty member. Students with either type of assistantship also receive a tuition waiver (covering both in-state and out-of-state tuition) and subsidized health insurance.

Students entering into the non-thesis MS program as a new student do not typically receive assistantship support (but PhD students picking up the non-thesis MS degree in route, and graduate students leaving the graduate program with the non-thesis MS option, can keep their current assistantship for one semester when doing so).

To qualify for assistantships, applicants must be admitted to the graduate program in the Department of Biology as a PhD or thesis MS student. All components of the application are used by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) to determine eligibility for assistantships. These assistantships are competitive, and the Department of Biology recommends that applicants have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and/or a strong research background to qualify.

Summer teaching assistantships to supplement the standard 9-month stipends are sometimes available on a competitive basis. Summer funding depends on teaching loads and responsibilities. Students may also compete for a limited number of summer scholarships available from the Department of Biology. Faculty may also provide summer stipend support through grant funding.

Funding opportunities are also available through the University of Mississippi Graduate School.

Graduate students in the Department of Biology have access to a number of resources on campus to support their research, including

• John Davis Williams Library (U.S. Government Documents Regional Depository)
• Grisham Law Library (with LEXIS and WESTLAW facilities)
• The Center for the Study of Southern Culture
• Mississippi Center for Supercomputing Research
• Social Science Research Laboratory 

The Department of Biology offers graduate assistantships that require assisting faculty with teaching or research. We offer competitive funding packages for students that center around graduate assistantships in the department. Students with a half-time graduate assistantship, corresponding with 20 hours of work per week, will also receive a full-tuition waiver (including out-of-state fees, if necessary), as well as subsidized student health insurance. Students with a quarter-time graduate assistantship, corresponding with 10 hours of work per week, will receive a 75% tuition waiver, along with subsidized student health insurance.

The Graduate School’s financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities, including summer support and a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education to groups who are historically underrepresented. 

Eligibility:

• This scholarship supports first year graduate students, M.S. or Ph.D., on the basis of academic excellence.

About Johhn and Renee McRight

Johnny and Renee McRight from Greenville, MS, created the McRight Biology and Speech Pathology Endowment as a way of recognizing the role that education played in their professional careers in agricultural research, testing and product development and speech pathology (respectively) and noted UM professors who mentored them. Johnny McRight completed a BS in Biology and Chemistry in 1973 and a Masters of Combined Sciences in Biology in 1975. “Thanks to my studies under Dr. Bailey Ward, a plant physiologist at UM, my interest and understanding of plant nutrition really flourished,” stated McRight, who started McRight Services (now Delta Ag). Renee, a native of Jackson, earned her undergraduate degree in education (1973) and graduate degree in communicative disorders (1975) from UM and formed a private practice to help adults and children with speech disorders. 

Eligibility:

• This scholarship is to support either M.S. or Ph.D. students and is based on academic excellence.

About Reginald Ott

Reginald Ott was a native of Pike County & was a cotton broker in Clarksdale for 65 years. He attended Millsaps but was a loyal supporter of UM & his family created this fund in his name to provide financial assistance to students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in the biological sciences.

Eligibility:

• This scholarship is to support either M.S. or Ph.D. students and is based on academic excellence.

About Georgia St. Amand

This scholarship was created by UM biology professor Wilbrod St. Amand in memory of his wife, Georgia Ann St. Amand, who was a biologist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory & joined the faculty of the University of Mississippi in 1959 as an Instructor of Biology, retiring from the University in 1988 as an Assistant Professor emeriti of Biology.

Eligibility:

• This scholarship supports M.S. or Ph.D. students on the basis of academic excellence.

About Steve ad Mary Ann Cockerham

Mary Ann Cockerham was an instructor at USM in Marketing and Finance in 1998, Assistant Dean of the College of Business Administration in 1995, retiring in the early 2000’s. Steve Cockerham, a native of Gunnison, MS, and graduate of UM 1969, was a successful oral surgeon in Hattiesburg, MS, for many years.

Eligibility:

• The recipient must be a student performing molecular or cellular research with preference given to graduate students, followed by undergraduate juniors and then seniors. Selection will be based on academic excellence.

About Dr. Jennifer Wong

Dr. Jennifer Wong, a native of Jackson, MS, received her bachelors in biology in 1995 from UM and her MD, PhD in physiology in 2000 from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Benjamin Bridges of Boise, Idaho, graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 2001 and is currently a Medical Oncology Specialist in Boise, ID, where Dr. Wong practices.

Eligibility:

• This scholarship supports M.S. or Ph.D. students on the basis of academic excellence.

About Dr. R. Wayne Alexander

Dr. R. Wayne Alexander, a native of Memphis, graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1962. He received his M.S. degree from Emory University in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Emory in 1968. He was Chair of the Department of Medicine of Emory University School of Medicine and Emory University Hospital from 1999-2013. Dr. Alexander is internationally known for his research in vascular biology, hypertension and arteriosclerosis.

Eligibility:

• This scholarship is to support either M.S. or Ph.D. students and is based on academic excellence.

About William B. Keith

Dr. Keith joined the faculty of the Department of Biology at the University of Mississippi in Oxford in 1968 and remained there until his retirement in 1999.

Jessie Stamn – Ph.D., Placed 1st for Podium Presentation (2024)

Anita Shrestha – Ph.D., Placed 2nd for Pitch Talk (2024)