Students may devise their specific graduate programs either drawing entirely upon the expertise present in the Division or taking advantage of faculty in the Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine or the School of Medicine. Any graduate career is strengthened by meeting and working with established professionals. University of Missouri students attend seminars and workshops on campus and throughout the country. The Division provides financial support and encourages students to attend national meetings and summer courses organized by, for example, the Organization for Tropical Studies. At MU, numerous informal journal clubs allow students to polish their presentation skills while keeping up with the latest research results.
Teaching is an essential part of academic life.
Responsibilities include supervision of both discussion sections and laboratory work. Most students require two years to complete an MA degree. On average it has taken 5.3 years for our students to complete a PhD, as compared to the national average of 6.8 years in the biological sciences.