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 Dissertation Requirements

Students must complete an original research project that is worthy of publication(s) in a refereed journal. A project research proposal must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee within the first 18 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 18-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 18-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

Students usually pursue the doctoral degree after completing a M.S. degree (Option 1), but less commonly begin a doctoral program directly following the B.S. degree (Option 2). Only exceptional students with an outstanding undergraduate background will be permitted to follow Option 2. Candidates pursuing Option 1 should not list courses from their M.S. program on the doctoral Plan of Study. The Plan of Study must include the following:

Option 1:
1. A minimum total of 60 credit hours.
2. A minimum of 4 seminar classes.
3. A minimum of 15 hours of dissertation (ZOOL 6000).
4. A minimum of 25 hours of 5000 or 6000 level courses or seminars, not including ZOOL 6000.
5. At least 75% of courses (including ZOOL 6000) taken at the 5000-6000 level.

Option 2:
1. A minimum total of 90 credit hours.
2. A minimum of 4 seminar classes.
3. A minimum of 15 hours of dissertation (ZOOL 6000); hours of ZOOL 6000 beyond 60 will not count toward the total of 90.
4. A minimum of 25 hours of 5000 or 6000 level courses or seminars, not including ZOOL 6000.
5. At least 75% of courses (including ZOOL 6000) taken at the 5000-6000 level.

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 by 15 September 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 by February 15 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 non-compliant status (and the reasons for it) and students will be given 3 months to resolve any/all deficiencies that caused the non-compliance.

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. The Graduate Coordinator will also track continuing doctoral students’ progress with respect to the deadlines for completion of the comprehensive exam. 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.

Comprehensive Exam

Doctoral students must schedule and take the comprehensive exam (both written and oral portions) within 36 months of enrollment in the graduate program. For students who enter the program during the summer, this 36-month duration starts in August with the beginning of the fall semester. For all other students this 36-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. The comprehensive exam will be administered by the student's advisory committee and will cover general biological principles as well as the specific research area of the student. Students must 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. The written portion must be taken and passed before the oral portion can be given. The oral portion should be taken within two weeks of passing the written portion. The doctoral student either passes or fails the written and oral portions as a whole and as the majority of the advisory committee decides. Results of the exam are reported on the departmental “Results of Doctoral Comprehensive Exam” form, with signatures of all members of the student’s advisory committee, and placed into the graduate student’s folder. All members of the advisory committee should also anonymously complete the form for Graduate Assessment Rubric 1 and submit it to the departmental assistant immediately after the comprehensive exam. Students are allowed two opportunities to pass the comprehensive exam. The second attempt may be scheduled no earlier than four months after the first and must be successfully passed within eight months after a failure.

Doctoral Candidacy

Approval of the completed Plan of Study and Research Proposal by the Student’s Graduate Advisory Committee advances the student to candidacy for the doctoral degree (student must submit the “Admission to Candidacy” form to the Graduate College and place a copy in his/her departmental folder) and the student must subsequently complete at least 10 credit hours of ZOOL 6000 before graduation.

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. All members of the advisory committee should anonymously complete the forms for Graduate Assessment Rubric 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, dissertation format, scheduling of the comprehensive examination and 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