Master of Science in Conservation Biology

USF St. Petersburg has announced the new Master of Science in Conservation Biology degree program, which will launch in Fall 2017. The addition of the new graduate program—the only M.S. thesis-based degree of its kind in the State University System—will complement the institution’s thriving undergraduate degree program in biology, which has grown to include more than 760 enrolled students since its Fall 2012 inception. The increase in biology majors aligns with the state’s goals to prepare more graduates for fields in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM.

“ This new program, and others like it at USF St. Petersburg, are preparing students to become leaders in creating and leading community, state, national and international efforts in conservation and sustainability, ” said Martin Tadlock, regional vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at USFSP. “ We have tremendous faculty members engaged in this work and highly supportive community partnerships to help us in that preparation. ”

The program aims to address regional needs for biologists with training in conservation, ecology, organismal biology, and taxonomy. Students who successfully complete the degree will be eligible for jobs in conservation biology at government agencies, at non-profit agencies that protect natural resources, at environmental consulting firms, and at aquaria, and zoological and botanical gardens. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net OnLine, the median salary for careers in conservation biology range from $59,000 to $75,000 with an anticipated job growth rate of 2-13 percent between 2014 to 2024.

“ This hands-on program fits our priorities as a university concerned about the future of our planet, ” said Tadlock. “ We are dedicated to engaging the citizens of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County to address environmental challenges critical to our neighborhoods. ”

In mid-March, USFSP will open the doors to new biology and chemistry labs, which will host many of the university’s science classes. The facility, which totals more than 10,500-square-feet, will include four labs, two prep rooms, and mechanical spaces. Additional space will be converted into offices at a later date. The facility is anticipated to achieve a minimum of LEED Gold certification. The university has two LEED Gold certified buildings with a third in the final steps of the certification process.

The College of Arts & Sciences is USF St. Petersburg’s largest college, offering a wide range of academic programs. The College has a legacy of providing programs of excellence in a student-centered atmosphere. World-class research and creative activities are carried out in one of the most beautiful metropolitan campuses in the U.S. Take some time to explore our offerings, where “the world will recognize your degree and your professors will know your name.”

College of Arts and Sciences Mission

To embody the principles and activities of a research-intensive liberal arts college, where our graduates will be well trained within their disciplines, and thus prepared for a graduate or professional schools. Our students will have the critical skills, broad outlook, and civic awareness that will make them engaged and productive citizens. In short, our students will be recognized as citizen-scholars.

Unit Goals/Strategies

1. Make significant and meaningful contributions to ongoing dialogues in our academic fields; 2. Expect our undergraduates and graduate students to engage in research – where feasible, in collaboration with faculty; 3. Cultivate a vigorous liberal arts culture by recruiting talented and diverse faculty and students, maintaining small class sizes, and mentoring those students we have; 4. Encourage free discussions, foster critical thinking, demand that our students write, and when possible, to work across disciplines; 5. Initiate and expand graduate programs and develop formal academic ties to other graduate programs within the University of South Florida system; 6. Introduce, as part of the mosaic of learning experiences at USFSP, civic engagement, service learning, and experiential learning into classes, when appropriate.

Dean Biafora's Welcome

Welcome and thank you for your interest in our graduate offerings at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP). As a dynamic research-active institution, USFSP College of Arts & Sciences offers world-class academics and personalized real-world experience in a culturally vibrant, urban, waterfront community. Our student body is diverse; reflecting the demographics of the region, the state, and the nation. Our distinguished faculty is recognized locally, nationally and around the world for their excellence in research and scholarship. Our flexible programs are designed to meet the needs of the students–from the fully online degree in Digital Journalism and Media Studies to the hands-on research focused Psychology graduate program. I encourage you to reach out to the Graduate Program Director of the program of your interest to learn more. Our story at USFSP continues to be written and we are excited to invite you to be a part of our future. Join us in the exploration that is graduate education and research at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.