Delivered Fully Online
The program coursework is delivered fully online in the Fall and Spring semesters,
with Summers off. You can start the program in either the Fall or Spring semester.
You can choose a course load that fits your schedule and your goals:
- A typical course load of 5-8 credit hours per term will allow you to finish in 2-3
years.
- You can spread your coursework across 3 semesters if you take 10 credits each term.
- You will have a total of five years to complete the program if you take just one course
each semester.
You will be enrolled in each course alongside students who are taking the courses
on campus. You will view classroom session recordings and take part in online activities
with other online and on-campus students.
Coursework (30 Credit Hours)
For an example of upcoming courses, visit the Current Students page for this program.
For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog. Please note: Not all courses listed in the catalog are available online. To learn
which courses are available via the online program, please contact the Program Coordinator.
Admission Requirements
Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally
accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent
degree earned or current degree in progress.
If you are still completing your bachelor's degree at the time you apply, admission
will be based on your current cumulative GPA, and you will need to re-submit your
official transcript (showing your conferred degree and final GPA) during your first
semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you will be given additional requirements
as defined by the academic program that must be met within one calendar year to remain
enrolled at UNC.
If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's
degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
- You may choose to submit standardized test scores. We expect that most applicants
will not provide test scores, but they are optional for those who feel that standardized
test scores will strengthen their application credentials. If you wish to submit a
recent test result, reviewers recommend the following minimum scores:
-
You must have completed at least four courses in biology and a combined total of three
courses in the areas of chemistry, calculus and physics.
Eligibility by State
At this time, UNC can provide distance education to students from every state, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. UNC cannot provide
distance education in American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia,
and the Republic of Palau.
Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional
state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential
learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and
healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state
lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional
information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.
International Student Eligibility
International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply
to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency,
or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.
Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United
States. You will not need a student visa or receive any immigration documentation,
and do not need to provide financial documentation.
Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements and applying as an international
student.
Transferring Credit
Biological Sciences requires that students earned a B- or better in all courses transferred
in for credit towards our graduate degrees. The GPA for all transfer courses combined
must be at least 3.0. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed
transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.
- Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not
including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation
proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
- Courses requested for transfer must not be more than five years old for master's degree
credit, and cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a previously awarded
degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
- There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry
specific course fees to support additional services and materials.
The tuition for your BIO courses for the 2024-25 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring,
and Summer terms) is $665 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2025-26 academic year will
be determined mid-June 2025.
- Any non-BIO courses that you take will likely be priced at a different rate per credit
hour (with most being priced lower).
- Note: you will be able to complete this program entirely through Extended Campus coursework.
However, if you choose to take any courses that are not offered through Extended Campus
(whether they are on-campus or online) you will be charged the applicable Resident or Nonresident tuition rate for that course, and will incur the typical student fees that are charged
to all on-campus students that term.
Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC
follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop
an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications.
For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition
information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while
completing your program.
Financial Aid
All Students – Federal Financial Aid
Degree-seeking students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for
federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The UNC FAFSA/financial aid page for graduate students has key dates and support, including the release date and deadline for each academic
year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August).
Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you
may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has
passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration
as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may
be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority
application for the following academic year.
Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time
enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.
To apply for federal financial aid assistance
Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid
at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.
Scholarship for Teachers in Rural Colorado Districts
If you are a K-12 educator in a rural Colorado school district, you may be eligible
to receive the Concurrent Enrollment Educator Qualification Scholarship for this program! This initiative is designed to help rural high school teachers
become eligible to provide concurrent/dual enrollment college coursework for their
rural students, which will better prepare those students for collegiate success.
Student Health Insurance
The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP)
to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended
Campus Center, or Online.
Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically
receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If
you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage,
you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.
Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.