Directed Research Track Master of Science Requirements

Students who have been approved (by both the School of Biological Sciences and the UC San Diego Office of Graduate Admissions) for the Directed Research Track must complete at least thirty-six units of graduate course work as described below during the graduate year.

Students in the Directed Research Track are required to enroll full time each quarter and must take the following courses for a letter grade.

Students who deviate from this plan will be subject to dismissal from the program.

Effective Fall 2025: Students in the Directed Research Track will take a Comprehensive Final Examination in their final quarter of the MS program (Spring).

The Comprehensive Examination will assess a student's understanding of the research and collaborative skill-building content taught throughout the academic year. This examination will be administered by BGGN 275 and BGGN 276 course instructors.

To meet the minimum requirements for a MS degree at UC San Diego, BS/MS students must complete at least 3 quarters of residency as a MS student. Summer cannot be used as a quarter of residency for MS students.

BS/MS students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 3.000, both cumulatively and for each quarter of enrollment in the graduate program. If GPA falls below 3.000, the student will be subject to dismissal from the program

Students should pay relevant fees during any quarter in which the student is using university resources (taking courses).