Before beginning a Master's Program at Mountain Lake, a student must be admitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Virginia . Courses taken at the Station prior to admission cannot be counted toward the degree unless permission is granted by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Biology and the Dean of the Graduate School. A total of 24 hours of graded, graduate level coursework taken at the biological station is required to complete the degree. This can be accomplished in as little as two summers by taking 6 credit hours per term. This requirement holds whether or not research is conducted at the biological station.
Service awards are available to qualified students.
These awards offer room and board in exchange for help in the dining hall and maintaining the laboratory. The Station facilities are usually adequate to conduct most proposed field research. A request should be made in advance to the Associate Director for the upcoming summer for equipment and material needs not already available at the Station. The thesis requirement can be fulfilled either by conducting a literature review on a topic or by executing and writing a research project. Potential advisors may be members of institutions other than the University of Virginia.