Environmental & Plant Biology Graduate Student Guidelines
Effective Fall Semester 2023
View these guidelines as a PDF.
Table of Contents
Departmental Support
- M.S. Degree (PBIO or PBIO-MCB)
- Ph.D. Degree
- Conditions for Departmental Support
M.S. Degree (PBIO)
- Important Deadlines
- Graduation Requirements
- Program of Study
- M.S. Thesis Committee and Proposal
- M.S. Thesis
- Changing Programs
M.S. Degree (PBIO-MCB)
- Important Deadlines
- Graduation Requirements
- M.S. (MCB) Program of Study
- Master’s Advisory Committee (MAC) and Proposal
- M.S. (MCB) Written Comprehensive Examination
- M.S. (MCB) Thesis
Ph.D. Degree (PBIO)
- Important Deadlines
- Graduation Requirements
- Program of Study
- The Dissertation Committee
- Dissertation Proposal
- Comprehensive Examination
- Ph.D. Dissertation
Ph.D. Degree (PBIO-MCB)
- Important Deadlines
- Graduation Requirements
- Program of Study
- Doctoral Advisory Committee (DAC)
- Dissertation Proposal
- Comprehensive Examination
- Ph.D. Dissertation
Grievance Procedures
- Dismissal from Program
- Cancellation of Assistantship
- Contesting Dismissal or Cancellation of Assistantship
- Plagiarism
- Other Grievances
- Departmental Procedures
- Exemption Procedures
- Guidelines
Links
Preface
In the case of conflicting regulations and procedures, those of the College of Arts & Sciences and the Graduate College supersede those listed here. Regulations listed in the Graduate Catalog are binding at the time of admission.
The graduate committee will review this document at least every three years. It is the student’s responsibility to become aware of the procedures of the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology and the specific requirements and deadlines for each degree. New graduate students should discuss these guidelines, degree requirements, and expectations early in their first semester with their advisor.
Students in the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) program should also consult the Memo of Understanding for requirements of that program.
Introduction
The purpose of a graduate education is to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to master a highly specialized discipline. Although coursework is emphasized in the following set of rules and procedures, it represents only a part of the training and goals of the program. Most of the lasting knowledge and meaningful experience of a graduate student is gained through independent study, scholarly interactions with faculty and other students, and original research.
The graduate program emphasizes research, and graduate students are expected to demonstrate significant motivation, initiative, and resourcefulness in the pursuit of publishable research. Master's students should devote at least as much time and effort to research as to coursework, whereas a Ph.D. is dominated by research and related professional activities. However, research expectations vary by discipline and advisor. Therefore, the student-advisor relationship can be a major factor contributing to the student’s success in the discipline.