Admission Requirements

1. Submit a graduate application along with the $55.00 matriculation fee to the Graduate Admissions Office, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725. Please submit the application PRIOR to submitting any additional items.
2. Have the Registrar(s) of ALL post-secondary institutions attended send official transcripts to the Graduate Admissions Office.
3. Have scores for the general Graduate Record Exam forwarded to the Graduate Admissions Office.
4. Send or have sent to: Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Biology, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725.  
       a. three references send letters of recommendation
       b. a cover letter discussing your professional goals and reasons for
           wishing to study raptor biology.

REGULAR STATUS may be granted to those students who submit the above materials if they have maintained a 3.0 GPA over the last two years of undergraduate study and average in the 50th percentile in verbal, quantitative, and analytical portions of the GRE.

PROVISIONAL STATUS may be granted to those applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular status or who may required to complete additional requirements as determined by the Biology Department.

Applicants are encouraged to correspond with faculty concerning openings and potential research opportunities in their laboratories for graduate students.

The Graduate Studies Committee evaluates applicants and makes decisions about who will be accepted into the graduate program.  For those applicants admitted to the program, this committee also will, in cooperation with the student's major professor and advisory committee, assess progress in thesis/project research, progress and performance in coursework, and performance as a teaching assistant (where applicable). Continuing enrollment in the program requires a 3.0 GPA and satisfactory progress toward completing the degree.

Each student will form a thesis/project advisory committee, which will consist of at least three members: the student's major professor (a Boise State University faculty member) and two other members from the Boise State University faculty or other institutions. The committee will determine if academic deficiencies exist that must be remedied, help design thesis/project research, help choose appropriate graduate coursework, evaluate the thesis/project, and conduct the final defense.

Enrollment in the program is limited. Applications for fall admission are due the previous February 1st.

Financial Aid

Teaching Assistantships that include a stipend, a tuition and fee waiver, and student health insurance are available on a competitive basis. Additional support for master's research projects may be available from faculty members. Other forms of financial aid, such as loans or the College Work Study Program, are available to graduate students. Prospective students should contact the Financial Aid Office and consult the Boise State University catalog.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 30 credits are required. Biometry (B501), two credits of graduate seminar (B 598), and six credits of thesis (B 593) are required as part of the minimum 30 credits. The final copy of the thesis must be approved by the student's thesis committee and submitted to the Dean of the Graduate College at least three weeks before commencement.

Department of Biology
Science/Nursing, Room 100
Boise State University
Boise, ID 83725-1515
Telephone: 208-426-3262

For information regarding the application process, contact:

For information, contact Dr. Ian Robertson, Director of Graduate Studies
208-426-2394 or iroberts@boisestate.edu .

For other information regarding the Raptor Research Center, contact:

Dr. Mark Fuller, Director of the Raptor Research Center
phone: 208-426-4115
email: mark_fuller@usgs.gov

Ms. Kathy Bledsoe, Administrative Assistant for the Raptor Research Center
phone: 208-426-3329
email: kbledsoe@boisestate.edu

Department Chair: Dr. Jim Belthoff
phone: 208-426-4033
email: jbeltho@boisestate.edu