Ph.D. Program Requirements

The Graduate School requires a minimum of 16 semester courses in residence for the doctoral degree. Courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better to earn graduate credit. The time necessary for the completion of the degree 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.

Early in their first semester, new students should meet with a prospective adviser to discuss possible course requirements and Advisory Committee members. Students may elect to work with any member of the department faculty, including adjunct and affiliate faculty. The responsibilities of the Advisory Committee are:

• To determine what courses must be taken
• To meet at least once a year to assess the student’s progress
• To administer the qualifying examination, proposal defense, and thesis defense, and to inform the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee regarding their outcome

The Advisory Committee must include the student’s adviser (who serves as chair of the committee), at least two full-time faculty members of the Biology Department (including adjuncts and affiliates), and an external member (external to the university). The adviser may invite additional scholars from within or outside the University to join the Advisory Committee. The adviser submits the proposed Advisory Committee to the department chair, who appoints the committee. The Advisory Committee should be chosen, and a full committee meeting (external member is not required for this meeting) should be held, by the end of the first year of study.

Students are required to take BIOL 390 Science Careers and Effective Practice within the first 2 years of entering the PhD program. Each student’s Advisory Committee will determine which additional courses must be taken, based on the student’s research interests and prior training. These requirements, as well as the residency requirement, must be met with a grade of B- or better. Grades lower than B- will not be counted toward 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 enroll in the Graduate Research Seminar (BIOL 350) and attend all departmental seminars.

This is a committee composed of Biology Department faculty, staff, and a PhD student representative. The chair of the Graduate Studies Committee keeps records of each graduate student’s progress toward the Ph.D. and sends an annual letter to every student informing them of their status. The student’s adviser should notify the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee when Advisory Committee meetings and examinations are scheduled (see below), and should report their outcome.

Students conducting doctoral research are required to assist in the teaching of a course (or courses) for at least two semesters.

Ph.D. candidates must take a qualifying examination, which consists of a series of written examinations on specific subject areas administered by each Advisory Committee member, followed by an oral examination on the same subjects, as well as general subjects in Biology. It is expected that this examination will be completed by the end of the second year in residence.

The Advisory Committee will decide whether the student passes or fails. Students who fail the qualifying examination may, at the discretion of the Advisory Committee, be given one additional opportunity to take the examination, or may be required to leave the Ph.D. program; it may be possible for some students to complete a master’s thesis at this point, with the approval of the advisory committee. Students who fail the qualifying examination twice will be required to leave the program.

Doctoral candidates who write an acceptable thesis and pass a final oral examination may be awarded the Master of Arts 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 Advisory Committee.

Doctoral candidates must present a departmental seminar during their third year in residence.

Each Ph.D. candidate must pass a proposal defense, an oral examination that is based on a written research proposal. It is expected that the proposal defense will be taken by the end of the third year. The proposal defense is administered by the Advisory Committee, plus any additional scholars from within or outside the University who might be invited by the chair of the Advisory Committee to participate.

The written research proposal must be delivered to the committee at least three weeks prior to the proposal defense.

The Ph.D. dissertation is written under the supervision of the student’s adviser, and is based on the student’s original research.

• Read the Dissertation Format Guide

Papers published in or accepted by a refereed journal may be submitted as part of a thesis with the approval of the Advisory Committee. A copy of the work, in final format and approved by the student’s adviser, must be submitted to each member of the examining committee at least three weeks before the scheduled 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 and any additional persons from within or outside of the University whom the chair of the Advisory Committee may appoint. The chair of the department has final approval over the composition of the examining committee.

The chair of the Advisory Committee notifies the Graduate Studies Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School when the defense has been scheduled, and also informs them of its outcome.

After revisions required by the Advisory Committee have been made, the thesis or dissertation is submitted to the thesis adviser for final approval. The approved thesis or dissertation must be submitted electronically to the graduate school by the semester deadline (typically April 1st, August 1st, or December 1st).

The Biology Department will pay the cost of printing and binding the departmental copy of the thesis, as well as copies for the student and the adviser.

At the beginning of the spring semester, the Graduate Studies Committee will send each Ph.D. student a letter that includes a copy of the student’s record of progress and a form that allows the student to request support as a Teaching Assistant in the coming academic year. Students should update their records, indicate whether they desire continuing T.A. support, and return the form to the Graduate Studies Committee by February 15.

Students who request support beyond the fifth year should include a statement of progress and a timetable for completion of degree requirements. The department, through the Graduate Studies Committee and after consultation with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, will inform students of the availability of T.A. support by the end of the spring semester.