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Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Contiguous Bachelors/Masters pathway

METX offers a fifth-year Plan I (thesis) M.S. degree pathway, earned contiguously with an appropriate Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree at the UC Santa Cruz. The fifth-year M.S. pathway provides highly motivated undergraduate majors the opportunity to earn separate B.S. and M.S. degrees in five years. The pathway provides the additional level of preparation and experience that students need to pursue careers in industry, government, or to increase their competitiveness for top Ph.D. programs.

To be accepted into the pathway, students will need to prepare an application packet and academic plan in consultation with their M.S. Plan I faculty adviser, and undergraduate adviser, providing evidence of solid academic performance in general and in their undergraduate major. The application should be submitted to the METX department by Aug 1 (prior to the beginning of their senior year), and should include:

  • A one-page personal statement describing:

    • a) the student’s motivation and academic preparation for entering the path

    • b) the student’s goals for the fifth-year path, including the area of concentration

    • c) the name of a faculty member willing to serve as their thesis advisor

    • d) future professional goals.

  • Copy of unofficial transcripts establishing the GPA requirements in the undergraduate major and overall. Applicants should possess a GPA in courses of their undergraduate major (biology, chemistry, etc.) of 3.2 or above, and an overall GPA of 3.0 or above.

  • A letter of recommendation from a sponsoring METX faculty member attesting to the student’s aptitude for a M.S. degree in METX.

  • A coursework plan that will enable them to complete both the requirements for the B.S. in their undergraduate department and M.S. in METX in five years, demonstrating sufficient coursework capacity to complete at least two METX graduate courses in their final undergraduate year.


If accepted into the fifth-year B.S./M.S. pathway, students will apply to the M.S. program during their senior undergraduate year. The criteria and deadlines for admission to the METX M.S. program will be the same as for all METX M.S. program applicants.