Admission and Application
Admission to the Biology Graduate Program is normally offered only to those students intending to complete the Doctor of Philosophy degree. However, eligible Clark University undergraduates may apply to enter the program as master's degree candidates through Clark's Accelerated B.A./Master's Degree Program. Some Ph.D. candidates may choose to complete the Master of Arts degree en route to the doctoral degree.
Application Requirements
Application requirements for Ph.D. program:
- Completed application form
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended
- Three completed confidential recommendation forms
- Official GRE score reports
- Official TOEFL score reports for applicants from countries where English is not the primary language
- Application fee of $50
Download application forms (PDF format)
Deadline for admission in fall 2008 was Feb. 15.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to qualified Ph.D. students. This may be in the form of tuition scholarships, teaching assistantships and some research assistantships. Teaching assistantships offer a twelve month stipend and tuition remission. Applicants are considered for assistantships in conjunction with admission.
Eligibility normally lasts four years for students in good standing. Extensions may be granted based on reviews by the department and by the student's Advisory Committee, up to a maximum of seven years. Information on tuition and fees, housing, and scholarships, fellowships and assistantships, can be found in the Graduate Program section of the Academic Catalog.
Residency Requirements
Residency requirements: The Graduate School requires a minimum of 16 semester courses in residence for the Ph.D. Courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better to earn graduate credit. The time necessary for completion of the degrees will depend on the student's research and is usually in excess of this minimum. Part-time graduate work is discouraged as it is impractical for a research degree.
Course Requirements
Course requirements: Each student's Advisory Committee will determine which courses must be taken, based on the student's research interests and prior training. These requirements, as well as the residency requirement, will be met with a grade of B- or better. Grades lower than B- will not be counted towards the degree, and students who accumulate more than two grades lower than B- will not be allowed to continue in the program.
In addition to formal courses stipulated by the committee, graduate students are required to attend all departmental seminars, and Ph.D. candidates must present a departmental seminar during their third year in residence.
Teaching Requirements
Teaching requirements: Students conducting doctoral research are required to assist in the teaching of a course (or courses) for at least one semester.
M.A. Degree
The M.A. degree: Ph.D. candidates who write an acceptable thesis, and pass a final oral examination may be awarded the M.A. degree. A master's degree is not a prerequisite for a Ph.D., but a student may choose to write a master's thesis, or the faculty may require that the student do so. A paper accepted by a refereed journal may be submitted in lieu of a thesis with the approval of the department and the Graduate Dean.
Ph.D. Dissertation
The Ph.D. dissertation: (or MA thesis) is written under the supervision of the student's advisor, and is based on the student's original research. Format guides are available on the Office of Graduate Studies and Research web pages.
Papers published in or accepted by a refereed journal may be submitted as part of a thesis with the approval of the department and the Graduate Dean. A copy of the work, in final format and approved by the student's advisor must be submitted to each member of the examining committee and made available to the department faculty as a whole at least one week before the final examination, and at least six weeks prior to commencement.
Dissertation Defense
The dissertation defense: The dissertation defense consists of two parts: a public seminar in which the student presents his or her research, and an oral thesis defense before the Advisory Committee. The examination is conducted by a committee of at least three members composed of the thesis advisor, members of the Advisory Committee, and any additional persons from within or outside of the University whom the Chair may appoint. The Chair of the department has final approval over the composition of the examining committee. The Chair notifies the Dean of the Graduate School, at least one week in advance, of the time and place of each Ph.D. examination and the composition of the committee. The Dean is authorized to invite any person from within or outside the University to be present and to assist in the examination.
Acceptance of Dissertation
Acceptance of thesis or dissertation: after revisions required by the advisory committee have been made, the thesis or dissertation is submitted to the thesis advisor for final approval and signature. The original copy, bearing the advisor's signature, must be delivered to the University Format Advisor no later than four weeks before Commencement (if the student is participating in Commencement activities). One copy must be submitted to the Biology Department, and another to the thesis advisor.