PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The goal of the M.A. program is to produce graduates who are well founded in the principles of organ system and cellular physiology, and are able to perform research in specialized areas of physiology.

STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM

Admission requirements and student selection procedures:

The candidate should have demonstrated above-average academic performance, especially in mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology.
Entry into the program is contingent upon award of the baccalaureate degree.

Applicants to the program are required to submit all college transcripts, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, three(3) letters of recommendation, and a letter explaining their reasons for applying and special interest in science and physiology. Foreign applicants must also present financial data and the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) if English is not a native language. A TOEFL score of 575 is considered the minimum acceptable for admissions consideration. The Graduate Affairs Committee evaluates these credentials, conducts interviews with promising candidates, and, with the approval of the Graduate Faculty, makes offers of admission to the program.

Curriculum and Requirements for the M.A.

• Curriculum
  Objectives of the Curriculum are to provide a general education in the principles of physiology: instruction in research methodology including experimental design, instrumentation, and analysis; and instruction in the basic sciences relevant to the understanding of physiological principles. A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate study is required; 24 of these must be completed at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Continuous registration for a minimum of one semester hour each Fall and Spring term is required until all requirements for the degree are completed.The following course of study is required of all students entering the program unless they have completed equivalent graduate-level courses elsewhere:
  
  

  Year/Sem	Course #	Course	Credits
  Yr1, Fall	PGY 551	Human Physiology I	3
  	BCH 503	Biochemical Principle	4
  	PGY 507	Laboratory Exercises in Physiology	5
  Yr1, Spring	PGY 552	Human Physiology II	3
  	PGY 508	Laboratory Exercises in Physiology	2
  *	BIO 505	Advanced Cell & Developmental Biology	4
  *	PGY 505	Cell Physiology	4
  	* Select either BIO 505 or PGY 505
  Yr1, Summer		Thesis Research	-
  Yr2, Fall	PGY 701	Thesis Research	1-12
  Yr2, Spring	PGY 702	Thesis Research	1-12

  
  Courses in other disciplines may be elected by the student in consultation with the student's Major Professor.
  
  
• Grading and Promotion Standards
  The Physiology Department requires a grade of at least 'B' in all course work in Physiology. Failure to meet this requirement in a single course results in a probationary period; multiple failures to meet the "B" requirement may lead to dismissal from the program. A grade of 'C' in courses outside the Department is acceptable provided that it represents passing performance in the view of the department concerned. The Graduate School also requires that the student's overall average be maintained at least at the 'B' level. The Department does not accept the grade of Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and discourages the use of "Incomplete" for graduate courses.
  
  
• Thesis Research, Thesis Preparation, Thesis Reviews
  The thesis research is conducted by the graduate student under the tutelage of his/her Major Professor and Thesis Advisory Committee.
  A Major Professor and a minimum of two members of the Department's Graduate Faculty and a third member from outside of the Department shall form the Thesis Advisory Committee. All should hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above in the University faculty.
  The research will culminate in a written thesis dissertation, which is an original contribution, written in English. Thesis preparation is critically monitored and supervised by the Major Professor and the Thesis Advisory Committee, both of whom must approve the thesis prior to the oral defense.
  The oral defense of thesis is scheduled after the candidate's Thesis Advisory Committee and the Department have approved the thesis.
  The thesis is presented to the Graduate Faculty in a seminar followed by an oral defense.