Overview
Department of Biology Offers a Premier Faculty and Hands-On Research for Biological Sciences Programs and Degrees
There are some thirty tenured or tenure-track faculty members in the Department of Biology who are both teaching and leading research efforts in the biological sciences program. Their teaching and research expertise and experience covers the widest possible range of interests in the field, from developmental biology, cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and ecology to immunology, neurobiology, microbiology, plant hormones, gene expression, virology, and physiology. A biological sciences degree can be earned at both the master's and doctoral levels.
The biological sciences program confers Master of Science degrees in biology; biology with an emphasis in ecology; and biotechnology. A biological sciences degree at the Ph.D. level can be earned in biology with an emphasis in either cell and molecular biology or in neurobiology.
Graduate students benefit from the opportunity to participate in leading-edge research at various state-of-the-art research laboratories featuring small class sizes, individual attention, and mentoring. Real-world, hands-on science is being done in the Department of Biology, led by faculty members who serve on renowned peer-review panels as well as the editorial boards of leading scientific journals.
The Department of Biology receives research awards from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Forest Service and a variety of private foundations¿more than $8 million annually--for a number of active, ongoing research programs. Graduates of the biological sciences program are prepared and fully qualified for challenging careers in academia, industrial biotechnology, genetic studies, biomedical research, and many other fields.
San Antonio, Texas, Is a City With Multicultural Strengths and a Passion for a Better, Brighter Future
San Antonio is situated "deep in the heart of Texas," exuding a potent blend of vibrancy and charm-and a growing sophistication. Its unique Tex-Mex heritage and Old West traditions mix with the best of today's world, creating strong multicultural currents to take the region into a bright, beckoning future. Long a city of music, arts, and crafts, San Antonio has entered the twenty-first century with great momentum in industry, education, and high technology. It is truly a city of diversity and depth.
The greater San Antonio area holds many treasures of American history, from Texas's famed Alamo to the historic artisan village of La Villita, the city's original neighborhood. The past comes alive at the many missions and cathedrals that have graced the Texas landscape for hundreds of years, while the past, present, and future of the arts and entertainment are on display at year-round festivals, in dozens of galleries, along the River Walk, and in San Antonio's world-class museums.
Residents and visitors of all ages can enjoy more than 300 days of sunshine every year, and the presence of the SeaWorld and Six Flags theme parks is nicely complemented by the San Antonio Zoo, one of America's most prestigious. Some forty golf courses-including La Cantera, one of the top twenty courses in the world-combine with great expanses of sparkling desert and the amazing underground world of the Natural Bridge Caverns to keep nature lovers suitably engaged. Pro and amateur spectator sports include the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, as well as baseball, hockey, and rodeo.
Department of Biology Graduate Tuition Costs Can Be Offset By Scholarships, Stipends, and Assistantships
Scholarships and stipends at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Graduate School help reduce the impact of tuition, which is determined according to two main criteria. The first criteria is residence status (Texas residents vs. nonresidents/international), and the second is the number of hours students carry each semester. (Based on the 36-hour graduate program, 3- and 6-hour loads are part-time, and a full-time load is 9 hours.) Over the course of the program, it costs more in tuition to take part-time versus full-time classes, but the University notes that many graduate students take courses part-time because of work schedules, whereas nonresident/international students are typically required to attend full-time.
Scholarships for graduate students are widely available and the University is intimately involved with assisting students in funding their educations. Financial aid of various kinds is available, as well as Presidential Dissertation Fellowships and various levels of support for women graduate students from the Texas Conference for Women. The MBRS/Rise (Minority Biomedical Research Support/Research In Science Enhancement) Program and the Graduate Alumni Services Scholarships also fund the education of some of tomorrow's biological scientists. Nationwide Fellowship Opportunities, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and various other sources offer scholarships with a wide range of qualifying criteria.
Graduate students may also receive some tuition support in the form of research stipends or research/teaching assistantships. Stipends are also available for general (approved) educational fees and expenses, as well as for travel to scientific meetings and seminars.
