Advisory Committee

Before 12 months in residence, students must select an Advisory Committee. For students who enter the program during the summer, this 12-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 12-month duration starts the first day of the semester in August or January, depending on when the student first started the program. Advisory Committees for M.S. students must consist of at least three members of the Graduate Faculty with at least one, the major advisor, from the Department. An adjunct faculty member in the Department can count as a Departmental member.

Plan of Study

A copy of the signed Plan of Study (the original is submitted to the Graduate College) is to be placed in the student’s graduate folder before 12 months in residence. For students who enter the program during the summer, this 12-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 12-month duration starts the first day of the semester in August or January, depending on when the student first started the program. See Review of graduate student folders for consequences of missing this deadline.

Proposal and Thesis Requirements

Students must complete an original research project that is worthy of publication in a refereed journal. A project research proposal must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee within the first 12 months. The completed proposal with the Departmental cover page signed by each member of the student's Advisory Committee must also be placed in the student’s departmental folder within the above time frame. For students who enter the program during the summer, this 12-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 12-month duration starts the first day of the semester in August or January, depending on when the student first started the program. See Review of graduate student folders for consequences of missing this deadline.

Proposal Format. The exact format of the project research proposal should be determined by the student and their Advisory Committee. However, at a minimum, the proposal should follow an NSF or EPA-style narrative that clearly explains the research problem to be addressed, provides a review of relevant literature to support the basis for the study, and provides an overview of general methodology. The proposal should not exceed 30 double-spaced pages, not including literature cited.

Proposal Review. It is expected that students will prepare drafts of their research proposals to allow sufficient time for review and comment by the major advisor and Advisory Committee. It is also expected that faculty will review and return proposals to students in a timely fashion to allow the established deadlines for submission of the proposal to be met.

Advisory Committee Meetings

All graduate students will meet with their Advisory Committee at least once a year until completion of the degree. For students who enter the program during the summer, this 12-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 12-month duration starts the first day of the semester in August or January, depending on when the student first started the program. Upon completion of the meeting, the major advisor will draft a letter that: summarizes the student’s overall progress, lists significant achievements for the evaluation period (publications, presentations, grants) indicates important milestones for the upcoming year (e.g., comprehensive exams, graduation), and highlights potential problems/deficiencies that may delay awarding the degree. The advisor will provide a copy of this letter to the student for review before a final copy is placed in the student’s graduate folder. See Review of graduate student folders for consequences of missing this deadline.

Credit Hour Requirements 

The Plan of Study must include the following: 

Thesis:

1. A minimum total of 30 credit hours.
2. A minimum of 2 seminar classes.
3. A minimum of 6 hours of thesis (ZOOL 5000); hours of ZOOL 5000 beyond 6 will not count toward the total of 30.
4. A minimum of 15 hours of 5000 level courses or seminars, not including ZOOL 5000.

Report:

1. A minimum total of 32 credit hours.
2. A minimum of 2 seminar classes.
3. A minimum of 2 hours of thesis (ZOOL 5000); hours of ZOOL 5000 beyond 2 will not count toward the total of 32.
4. A minimum of 19 hours of 5000 level courses or seminars, not including ZOOL 5000.

Students must complete no fewer than 6 semester credit hours during the academic year (total for Fall, Spring, and Summer) to remain in good standing. Teaching and research assistants must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours/semester (Fall and Spring) or 3 credit hours/session (Summer) while they are being paid. During the last semester of enrollment when the final defense is administered, students not on assistantships must enroll in at least 2 credit hours (of ZOOL 6000). If students on assistantships fail to complete their degree in this last semester and carry their stipend (GTA or GRA) into a subsequent semester(s), they must enroll in 6 credit hours (Fall or Spring) or 3 credit hours (Summer); at least 2 hours each semester must be ZOOL 6000. A student not on an assistantship can carry 2 credit hours of ZOOL 6000 per semester beyond the initially declared last semester.

Review of graduate student folders

The Graduate Committee will review the folders of all graduate students who entered in the summer or fall and have been in residence for at least 12 months at the beginning of the fall semester of each year. Folders of those students who entered in January (and who have been in residence for at least 12 months) will be reviewed at the beginning of the spring semester each year. Folders will be assessed each year and given either a compliant or non-compliant rating based on the criteria outlined below. Students and their advisors will be notified of their compliant or non-compliant status; an evaluation of non-compliant status will include the reasons for it and students will be given 3 months to resolve all deficiencies.

a. Determination of non-compliant status. The Graduate Coordinator will track new students’ progress with respect to the deadlines for the (1) Plan of Study, (2) completion of the Research Proposal, and (3) summary letter from major advisor following annual meeting of Advisory Committee. Students failing to meet any of these deadlines will receive a non-compliant rating.

b. Consequences of non-compliant status. (1) Non-compliant students are ineligible to receive College of Arts & Sciences Research Enhancement Awards. Receipt of these awards will be terminated immediately; once lost, these awards are not renewable. (2) Non-compliant students are ineligible for any award or research grant through the department, college or university.

c. Once the missing document or deficiency is corrected, the student will be returned to compliance. This must occur within the 3-month probationary period.

d. Failure to meet the 3-month probationary deadline will result in a recommendation from the Graduate Committee to the Head of Zoology for termination from the Zoology Graduate Program.

Report Requirement

A formal proposal is not required for the report option, but the Advisory Committee must approve an outline of the report within the first 12 months and this approved outline placed in the student’s graduate file. See Review of graduate student folders for consequences of missing this deadline. The final report is reviewed and approved by the Advisory Committee and the Graduate College and subjected to the same format requirements and deadlines as a thesis.

Public Seminar and Final Defense

At the end of their studies, students are required to present a public seminar and complete a successful defense of their research to their Advisory Committee. In their defense, M.S. students (because they do not have a comprehensive exam) will demonstrate comprehension of the fundamental principles of evolution and knowledge of the diversity of evidence that supports this unifying theory for the life sciences, and be able to articulate the integrative nature of biological organization. All members of the advisory committee should anonymously complete the forms for Graduate Assessment Rubrics 1 and 2 and submit them to the departmental assistant immediately after the defense. Students have two opportunities to pass the defense; a second defense may not be scheduled earlier than 2 months or later than 4 months after a failure.

Responsibilities

It is the student's responsibility to meet deadlines of the Department and Graduate College. Students are advised to check with the Graduate College for additional requirements (e.g., changes to the Plan of Study, changes to the Advisory Committee, thesis format, scheduling of the final defense). Students are expected to participate in all Departmental activities (e.g., weekly, lunchtime, and special seminars, annual Departmental orientation seminars, and any other required training sessions).

-- Revised 11/11