MS in Biology

The Texas Chiropractic College (TCC) and the University of Houston - Clear Lake (UHCL) have established a cooperative DC/MS degree program. Students meeting the requirements (see below) may apply to enter the cooperative DC/MS program. This program provides students with the opportunity to earn a clinical doctorate degree while gaining theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the biological sciences. Students wishing to participate in this cooperative program must be accepted into both the TCC DC program and the graduate program in Biological Sciences at UHCL. Upon completion of the cooperative program the degrees of Doctor of Chiropractic and Masters of Science in Biology will be conferred by the Texas Chiropractic College and UHCL, respectively.

• Independent admission to TCC and the M.S. degree program at UHCL.
• Earn passing grades in all Tri-1 through Tri-5 courses at TCC.
• Prior to enrollment in the cooperative program, the student must earn a Bachelor’s degree or have earned TCC’s Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Human Biology (at the completion of Tri-5).
• Earn a TCC GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of application to the program.
• All students who apply to the cooperative DC-MS program are required to follow all UHCL academic standards and policies in addition to those of TCC as well as complete the UHCL application forms and fees.
• Copies of the student’s official TCC transcripts showing conferred B.S. degree will be made available for the Biological Sciences graduate department at UHCL.
• Upon acceptance into the program students must maintain a 3.0 or better GPA at UHCL. Earning a “C” at UHCL will result in academic probation in accordance with UHCL policies, which could ultimately result in their dismissal from the MS program.
• The GRE Exam will not be required for admission to the cooperative degree program. Students enrolled in the cooperative DC-MS program will complete a total of 36 hours of advanced courses in the M.S. program at UHCL as detailed below. The required foundation courses for admission to the Biology M.S. degree program [BIOL 3431 (Genetics), BIOL 4431 (Biochemistry), MATH 3038 (Computational Statistics), BIOL 3231 Microbiology, BIOL 4437 Cellular Physiology, and BIOL 4435 (Human Physiology)] will be waived contingent on the candidate’s earning a “B” (3.0 GPA) or higher in the first 5 trimesters of TCC classes.

The cooperative degree program consists of 7 hours of course credit for basic science courses at TCC, 17 core degree hours at UHCL, and 12 credit hours of elective courses. Key required courses include two Cooperative Education Work Term courses in which the student will serve as: 1) a laboratory instructor in gross anatomy, and 2) as a facilitator for a problem-based learning small group in physiology courses at TCC. A capstone course (3 hours) will also require students write and deliver an original basic science lecture in their area of specialization to first year TCC students. The student will pay all tuition and related course fees, as well as any additional fees (ex. parking, etc.) incurred.

To learn more about becoming a doctor of chiropractic at TCC and the dual-degree program, please contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-468-6839 or 281-998-6007 or via email at [email protected]. For specific information about UHCL’s biology program and the university as a whole, please visit www.uhcl.edu.