BL 657: Advanced Field Ecology Laboratory
Travel to Colorado’s grasslands, streams, and forests to hone your skills in fieldwork, study design, data collection, and report writing in collaboration with local land management agencies.
Environmental Biology
Master of Science
Be a force of (and for) nature.
Join the environmental workforce and become an advocate for our planet with Regis University’s Master of Science in Environmental Biology. Through fieldwork and your choice of an integrated externship or graduate research project, you’ll get hands-on experience working within one of Colorado’s many diverse environments.
Whether you see yourself as a biological technician, water quality specialist, wildlife biologist, urban or regional planner, Regis University’s Master of Science in Environmental Biology can give you the skills and experience you need.
Home to many state and federal government agencies, research labs, environmental consulting firms, natural resource-based companies and nonprofit environmental organizations, our Denver location puts you at the center of a wide range of exciting environmental opportunities.
Merit Scholarship AvailableEvery new, eligible M.S. Environmental Biology student starting at Regis University will receive a merit scholarship of up to $6,000. Learn more and see eligibility requirements here. |
Program Snapshot
Program Format
Full-time, on campus
16-week terms
Time Commitment
12-24 months
Start Dates
August
Sample Environmental Biology Classes
BL 652: Environmental Biostatistics & Research Design
Equip yourself with a statistical toolkit and gain fluency in the R programming language to answer questions in ecology, environmental science, and countless other disciplines.
ENVS 650: Environmental Regulation & Impact Assessment
Introduces the theory and methods of writing environmental impact assessment reports. Discusses NEPA ESA the Clean Water Act and other environmental regulatory acts.
Biology Teaching Fellowship
Interested in applying for a Graduate Teaching Fellowship in Biology award? Please submit a complete application for program admission and these supplemental questions to the Biology Department Program Coordinator, Ariel Wooldridge via email (woold729@regis.edu). The deadline to apply is July 31, but review of competitive applications begins March 15.
Fieldwork
All students in the program gain experience in designing and conducting field studies in collaboration with local land management agencies. Students conduct a diversity of fieldwork in grassland, stream, and montane ecosystems in Colorado during both the fall and spring semesters.
Externship and Research
Students may choose between an integrated externship or graduate research project, which includes a faculty-directed academic experience in an external environmental, laboratory or field research setting. This component of the program links academic content to your learned experiences and highlights ethical issues in environmental biology.
Environmental Biology Career Paths
Conservation Biologist
Conservation biologists are responsible for the management and protection of natural resources, providing advice to governments and private land owners about the best ways to maintain, use and improve their land.
Environmental Scientist
Conducting research to assist in the identification and management of pollutants and hazards that have a negative impact on the environment through gathering data, collecting samples and analyzing results.
Wildlife Biologist
Wildlife Biologists gather data about native plants and animals through fieldwork identifying species, observing animal behavior and analyzing the mannerisms of habitats.
Habitat Restoration Specialist
Habitat Restoration Specialists are responsible for the recovery of natural environments that have been harmed due to human interaction and interference.
Ecotoxicologist
Research and study the effects of chemical substances on all living organisms using knowledge of a variety of scientific subjects such as chemistry and biology.
Sustainable Agriculturalist
Preserve environmental health, economic profitability and social and economic equity with careers in farm management and land surveying and appraisal.
"The skills I learned at Regis are valuable for life."
Talisa Puentes-Ortega
Staff Biologist, USDA Wildlife Services Division
How to Apply
To apply to the M.S. Environmental Biology program, you will need:
- Completed online application
- Official degree-bearing transcripts from a regionally accredited university
- One academic or professional reference
- Resume or CV with relevant work, volunteer, or research experience
- Essay discussing your interest in and motivation to join the M.S. Environmental Biology Program
The first step in the application process is to contact an admissions counselor, who can evaluate your prior learning credit, provide information regarding financial aid and tuition assistance, and help you through the entire application process.
A Note for International Applicants: If an international applicant is accepted into the M.S. Environmental Biology program and is unable to obtain their F1 Visa in time to commit to the upcoming year’s start date, that person's acceptance will automatically roll forward for the following year.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition for the 2024-2025 academic year: $780 per credit hour
Total program credits: 35
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance, which includes all expenses students may have, including basic living costs. For more information about tuition, fees and your estimated cost of attendance, visit our Cost of Attendance for Adult Undergraduates and Graduate Students page. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Curious about financial aid options? Regis offers a variety of scholarships, grants and other programs to help you pay for school. Visit Financial Aid to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
A GRE test score is not required for admission to the Master of Science in Environmental Biology or the Environmental Biology Certificate program.
Yes, but our recommendations vary depending on the program you are completing and the time period over which you wish to complete it.
For students completing the M.S. in Environmental Biology in one year, we recommend students keep work commitments to an absolute minimum (no more than 12 hours per week). The one-year Master of Science program is full time and designed to allow students to complete a master's degree in 10 months. This requires intensive focus both inside and outside of class. In addition, students need to take their externship or research responsibilities seriously. Thus, we very strongly recommend that students keep their outside commitments to a minimum.
For students completing the M.S. in Environmental Biology in two years, we recommend students work no more than 30 hours per week in the first year (keeping overtime to a minimum) and no more than 20 hours per week in the second year. The second year of the program will include a required externship that will require significant time and courses are scheduled during the day. For students that must work 40 hours, we recommend deferring the externship or research until the summer of the second year. This will require a full two years (24 months) to complete the program, but will more reasonably allow someone to continue working full time.
For students completing the Graduate Certificate in Applied Environmental Biology we recommend students work no more than 30 hours per week (keeping overtime to a minimum). Two courses per semester require additional time outside of class that students who work full time may find challenging.
In addition to these general requirements, we also recommend having flexible hours given the collaborative nature of many projects that require group meetings outside of class time. If this is not feasible, students are required to meet asynchronously or through electronic conferencing.
The Environmental Biology course offerings are designed to leave mornings and two full days free to facilitate externship/research activities, work and studying.
The graduate Environmental Biology courses can only be taken as a part of the Graduate Certificate or M.S. degree programs and the course work is not open to additional students. The Applied Environmental Biology Certificate offers a way to take four courses focused on specific skills desired in environmental fields without committing to the full M.S. program. Students who complete the certificate and then wish to complete the M.S. degree can apply to continue taking classes. Given the coordinated nature of the program, we also do not accept transfer credits except in rare circumstances.
A Culture of Excellence
The Master of Science in Environmental Biology is offered by the Biology Department within Regis College.