Courses and requirements for Ph.D. students Graduate students
are actively involved in designing courses of study tailored to their
particular research interests. A typical Ph.D. student spends a portion
of his or her first year of study in formal coursework and a portion
exploring research options. Students in laboratory-based areas of biology
usually rotate through several laboratories in their first year to gain
experience and information useful in choosing a thesis advisor. Many
graduate students in the areas of ecology and evolution focus on potential
thesis advisors before coming to the University and can initiate their
thesis research without rotations. A graduate student's course of study
and qualifying exam format are arranged in consultation with an individual
supervisory committee, including the thesis advisor and four other faculty
members. The qualifying exam is normally taken at the end of the second
year.
As part of the requirements for a degree, all Ph.D. students must
complete four one-semester graduate-level courses, or the equivalent.
These may be a combination of seminar and lecture-style courses. Students
who enter through one of the interdepartmental programs with first year
curricula (e.g. Biological
Chemistry, Molecular
Biology, or Neuroscience), are
required to take additional graduate level courses or seminars equivalent
to 1.5 semester courses. In one course for incoming students, faculty
describe major advances in their own research areas as well as case
histories illustrating the process of developing a research project.
Students are also kept abreast of current research in a seminar series run
by graduate students and in several journal clubs.
Each Ph.D. student must work at least one semester as a teaching
assistant. Additional teaching may be done as a source
of financial support and as training for an academic career.
Courses and requirements for Master's Degree students Students
working toward a Master of Science degree in Biology must complete at
least 20 hours of graduate level classes, which include at least 12 hours
of course work in the Biology Department. A total of at least 30 semester
hours in graduate classes and thesis research is required. Course
descriptions can be found in the University's General
Catalog.
Non-traditional students are encouraged to apply. The
Department can offer such students considerable flexibility in scheduling
course work, research, and teaching requirements.