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differences between the current policy and the proposed new policy. Proposed
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Department of Biological Sciences
Graduate Program Policy
Degrees Offered
By the action of the
Administrative Structure
Graduate Program
Director
One member of the Biological Sciences faculty will
serve as the Graduate Program Director and oversee the academic progress of
graduate students admitted to the Department for training under the auspices of
the Graduate Program in Biological Sciences. The Graduate Program Director will
serve as the advisor for all first year graduate students until they have
selected an approved thesis or dissertation advisor.
Graduate Affairs
Committee
The Committee consists of five faculty members,
including the Graduate Program Director, and is
responsible for evaluating applicants to the graduate program, initiating
modifications in graduate education policy, reviewing recommendations from
faculty and graduate students, and approving steps in the progress of students
toward the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.
Department Chair
The Graduate Program Director and the Graduate
Affairs Committee are advisory to the Department Chair, who is responsible for
Departmental approval of degrees, recommendations to the Office of Graduate
Studies regarding dismissal of students from the Department,Program,
appointment of students as teaching or research assistants and other academic
and curricular issues.
Graduate Research
Tracks
Groups of faculty with common educational and
research interests may establish formal Graduate Research Tracks
("Tracks") that include specific curricular requirements, examination
formats, seminars/journal clubs and other aspects of training in a particular
research area. New Tracks must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee,
and subsequently by the Department Faculty and Chair. Tracks are subject to
periodic review by the Committee.
All students admitted to the Department of
Biological Sciences are subject to the graduate degree requirements of the
Department and the University. Tracks within the Department of Biological
Sciences may request exceptions to graduate policy through the Graduate Affairs
Committee. All decisions regarding variances to graduate regulations are
subject to final approval by the Department Chair and will be reported to the
Office of Graduate Studies.
Admission
Graduate admission criteria of the Department of
Biological Sciences include a
recommended scholastic
index (grade point average on a 4.0 point scale) of at least 2.8
overall and 3.0 in the sciences. The Graduate Record
Examination (GRE) General test (Verbal and Quantitative) is required.
Competitive scores are approximately 550 (Verbal) and 650 (Quantitative). Those
who meet the stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are
those who fail to meet all those requirements necessarily precluded from
admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Applicants are required to complete the following (or
the equivalent): two years of biological sciences; (applicants who did
not major in a life science discipline will be considered if they have
completed two years of courses in biological sciences and have strong academic
backgrounds in other scientific areas); one year of mathematics, preferably to
include calculus and/or statistics; one year of college physics; one year of
general chemistry; and one course in organic chemistry. Applicants who did
not major in biology will be considered if they have completed two years of
courses in biological sciences and have strong academic backgrounds in other
scientific areas. Provisional admission may be offered with the
stipulation that any deficiency in undergraduate training be made up (without
graduate credit) during the first year of graduate study.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General test
(Verbal and Quantitative, and Analytical) is required, and the GRE Advanced
Biology test is highly recommended. Competitive scores are approximately 550
(Verbal), 650 (Quantitative, Analytical), and 650 (Advanced Biology). Applications must include three
letters of recommendation from persons able to judge the applicant's ability to
pursue graduate study.
Applicants who are not
Admission to the graduate program in Biological
Sciences is competitive. Those who meet the stated minimum requirements are not
guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all those requirements
necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Applications normally are considered only for fall
entrance, but applicants who are March
1January 15 with a final deadline of July 1 April 15.
Applications received between
March 1 and July 1January 15 and April
15 will be considered only
if unfilled slots remain. In exceptional circumstances,
Students are admitted to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs
with the expectation that they will devote full time to their training. Written
requests for part-time enrollment must accompany the application forms.
Students transferring from the graduate program of
another college or university may be eligible to have some requirements
substituted or waived on the basis of previous graduate training. Such requests
should be submitted in writing to the Graduate Program Director at the time of
admission to the
Teacher Training for
Non-U.S. Citizens
Prior to the beginning of the fall term, all foreign
students admitted for graduate training at the
Funding
Under normal circumstances,
full-time students making satisfactory progress towards a degree receive
financial support, including a stipend and a tuition waiver. Support during the
academic year is usually provided through teaching assistantships or research
assistantships; support through externally-funded fellowships or scholarships
is also encouraged. Summer support is usually provided through research
assistantships funded by the advisor's external grants.
Teaching Assistantships
All Ph.D. students are required to serve as a
Teaching Assistant (TA) for at least one academic year (two full semesters;
fall/spring equivalents). M.S. students may be TA's for the entire duration of
their training, while Ph.D. students may serve as TA's for a maximum of two
academic years. Requests for exceptions to this policy must be reviewed by the
Graduate Affairs Committee and are subject to final approval by the Department
Chair.
Teaching assistants receive a stipend and a full tuition
scholarship. Only a limited number of
Teaching Assistantships are available during the summer months, and Students should
arrange financial support during the winter
and summer term s either from Research Assistantships or other
funding sources (see next section). Only a limited number of Teaching
Assistantships are available during the summer months.
In accordance with
The TA's responsibilities and performance standards
will be established by the director of the course in which the student teaches.
In the event of an unsatisfactory performance by a TA, the course director will
notify the student and the Graduate Affairs Committee. The Committee may
recommend termination of the assistantship to the Department Chair.
at least four weeks prior to recommending to
the Department Chair termination of the assistantship.
Research Assistantships
Students may usually will be supported as Research
Assistants (RA's) through their advisor's research funds after their first
year. RA's receive a stipend and full tuition scholarship. Doctoral
students Students
who enter as TA's in the fall semester fulfill the minimum teaching requirement
by the end of the spring term. RA appointments for these students should be
finalized by the first day of the summer semester.
The RA's advisor is responsible for defining the
student's responsibilities and for evaluating the student's performance. In the
event of an unsatisfactory performance by an RA, the advisor will notify the
student and the Graduate Affairs Committee at least four weeks prior to
terminating the assistantship.
Internal and External
Awards
Students are encouraged to seek funding in the form
of fellowships or scholarships from sources within the University and from
private and federal agencies. The Graduate Program Director will advise
students of these opportunities.
Laboratory Safety and Research Regulations
Graduate students performing
laboratory research are subject to all University regulations regarding safety,
use of human subjects and animals, and hazardous/radioactive material use and
disposal. These guidelines may be found in the University of Delaware Policies
and Procedures Manual.
Academic Requirements
Graduate Research
Tracks
Groups of faculty with common
educational and research interests establish formal Graduate Research Tracks
that include specific curricular requirements, examination formats,
seminars/journal clubs and other aspects of training in a particular research
area. Each student must choose a research track before beginning the first
semester of coursework.
A
student whose research interests span two or more of the established tracks may
follow a custom track. A student on a custom track is required to establish a
committee that includes at least two (for M.S. students) or three (for Ph.D.
students) faculty with primary appointments in Biological Sciences. This
committee will establish the course requirements and administer the preliminary
examination for the student. The composition of the custom track committee, the
coursework requirements and the format of the preliminary examination require
the approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee.
Students who desire to change tracks, whether from one established
track to another or to/from a custom track, must obtain the approval of the
Graduate Affairs Committee before the start of their second semester of
coursework.
Tutorials
To ensure exposure to a broad spectrum of research
and to facilitate the identification of an advisor, Ph.D. students must perform
laboratory rotations ("tutorials") with three different faculty
members, regardless of whether the student has identified an advisor prior to
the completion of the three rotations. Ph.D. students with research-based M.S.
degrees or significant post-baccalaureate research experience may petition the
Graduate Affairs Committee for permission to waive one tutorial. Ph.D. students
may petition the Graduate Affairs Committee for permission to perform a fourth
tutorial in the event that they have not identified an advisor upon completion
of three rotations. The format of the tutorial may vary among the Department's
Program's Tracks.
Students in the M.S. program are not required to
perform tutorials, but may enroll in as many as needed to identify a thesis
advisor. M.S. students are encouraged to identify an advisor as quickly as
possible so as to initiate and complete their thesis research within specified
time limits (see Time to Degree, below).
Tutorials may be performed with any faculty
affiliated with Biological Sciences. member of the
Biological Sciences faculty, or
any scientist who has a joint appointment in the Department .
Students must secure approval from the Graduate Program Director for each tutorial
they select.
Each tutorial normally will last one-half of a full
semester (fall/spring) or the entire winter or summer term session.
Thus, a student admitted for his/her
first enrollment in the
fall semester usually will complete his/her the tutorial
requirements by the end of the winter term. Exceptions to the normal tutorial
schedule can be granted by the Graduate Program Director.
Tutorial students should enroll in the course, BISC868:BISC864:
Research Tutorial
for two credit hours under the name of the faculty member ("tutorial
mentor") in whose laboratory the research will be performed. When two
tutorials will be performed in a semester, students will register for two
sections (each for two credit hours) of BISC- 868 BISC864, one under each tutorial
mentor.
Prior to beginning the rotation, the student should
meet with the tutorial mentor who will define the project and the student's
performance expectations. Students will be assigned a letter grade (A, A-, B+,
etc.) by the tutorial mentor at the conclusion of the rotation; a grade of pass
is not an option.
Selecting Identifying
an Advisor
M.S. and Ph.D. students may choose identify a thesis/dissertation advisor
from among the scientists who have either primary or secondary faculty
appointments in Biological Sciences. Students may request
approval from the Graduate Affairs Committee for collaborative training in the
laboratory of a scientist outside of Biological Sciences only if a faculty
member in the Department officially accepts the role of advisor and assumes
responsibility for the student's academic progress. The Graduate Affairs Committee
must approve all advisor selections. It is the expectation of the Committee
that graduate advisors will have active research programs with funding at a
level sufficient to support graduate student training.
Once a student is admitted, it is the student's
responsibility to identify a faculty member willing to be the thesis or
dissertation advisor. M.S. students should identify an advisor as
quickly as possible. Ph.D. students must select an advisor by the completion of their final
tutorial. For students
entering in the fall semester, an advisor must be identified and submitted for
approval by the Graduate Affairs Committee prior to the registration deadline
for the summer term of their first academic year.
Students may request approval
from the Graduate Affairs Committee for collaborative training in the
laboratory of a scientist outside of Biological Sciences only if a faculty
member in the Department officially accepts the role of advisor and assumes
responsibility for the student's academic progress.
Once
a student is admitted, it is his/her responsibility, through rotations,
tutorials, coursework and informal contacts, to select a faculty member to be
the thesis/dissertation advisor.
If a student is unable to identify someone who agrees to
serve as an
advisor by the end of their the second semester of full-time
enrollment, the Graduate Affairs Committee will review the situation and may
recommend to the Department Chair that the student be dismissed from the Department
Program for failing to make satisfactory academic progress.
Students
may switch to a different advisor at any time, upon the approval of the
Graduate Affairs Committee. Switching advisors does not change the deadlines
for completing the preliminary examination, qualifying examination, or other
requirements for a degree.
Committee Composition
and Meeting Requirements
Each M.S. and Ph.D. student will form a thesis/dissertation
committee within one semester of the approval of their advisor selection.
Committee members must hold the rank of assistant professor or higher.
Scientists employed outside of academia may serve on thesis/dissertation
committees upon approval by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
M.S. thesis committees must consist of the advisor
and at least two other individuals. A minimum of two members must hold primary
appointments in Biological Sciences.
Ph.D. dissertation committees must consist of the advisor
and at least four and not more than six other members, one of whom must have
his or her primary academic appointment outside of the Department. A minimum of
three members must hold primary appointments in Biological Sciences.
Students must convene their thesis or dissertation
committees at least once every six months. Upon completion of the meeting, the
student's advisor must complete a meeting report and submit it to the Graduate
Program Director. The deadlines for
submission of these meeting reports are August 15 and January 20 of each year. Failure
to convene his/her committeeStudents
who do not have committee meetings in a timely manner will subject
the student to the possibility of having his/her enrollment and assistantship
suspended.be subject to suspension of their assistantships or
dismissal from the program.
Registration
Graduate studentsStudents
in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs are expected to maintain full time enrollment
status in the fall, spring and summer semesters ; winter enrollment
is not required . Requests for part-time enrollment must be
submitted to the Graduate Affairs Committee and are subject to approval for
only one semester at a time.
Full-time enrollment for TA's in fall/spring requires
registration in 6 to 9 credit hours of graduate study. RA's must register in
fall/spring for 6 to 12 credit hours. Students must
register for three credit hours in the summer to qualify for a summer Research
Assistantship. Students do not register for Winter Session, but are expected to
use this time to continue their thesis or dissertation research.
Students
who are not receiving financial support may register for Sustaining Status. The
student will not register for credits, but must pay a fee to the University.
Ordinarily this status will be used by students who have finished all of the
degree requirements except the thesis or dissertation defense, and who have
begun employment or further academic training elsewhere. Any use of Sustaining
Status must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
of graduate study and 3 graduate credit hours
in the summer to qualify for full-time status. RA's receive a full tuition
scholarship and the students will pay only summer Registration .
Course Requirements
The Master of Science program requires a minimum of
16 hours of graduate courses (as approved by the thesis student's track committee), 6 hours of Thesis
(BISC 869) and successful completion of the preliminary examination (see
below). Research (BISC864 and BISC-868) credits do not
count toward the 16 credit hour requirement. Primary emphasis is on research
that culminates in a written thesis and the oral defense of that thesis.
For the Ph.D. degree, successful completion
of the preliminary and qualifying examinations (see below) as well as the oral
defense of a dissertation are required. Ph.D. candidates must complete
three laboratory tutorials (above) and a minimum of 16 credit hours of graduate
course work (as approved by the dissertation student's track committee), which should be
completed as soon as possible to allow time for independent study and research,
and 9 hours of Doctoral Dissertation (BISC-969). Research (BISC864 and BISC
868) credits do not count toward the 16 credit hour requirement. It is expected
that a significant portion of the dissertation will be suitable for
publication.
Only
graduate courses completed with a grade of B or higher count towards the
requirements for the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Students receiving a B- or lower in
a required course may be subject to dismissal and must petition the Graduate
Affairs Committee for permission to retake the course and remain in the
program.
Teaching Requirements
All Ph.D. students are required to serve as a
Teaching Assistant (TA) for at least one academic year (two full semesters;
fall/spring equivalents). M.S. students may serve as TA's, but are not
required to do so. M.S. students may be TA's for the entire duration of their
training, while Ph.D. students may serve as TA's for a maximum of two academic
years. Requests for exceptions to this policy must be reviewed by the Graduate
Affairs Committee and are subject to final approval by the Department Chair.
Grade Requirements
All graduate students are subject to the are
subject to either warnings or probation.
A GPA below 2.0 makes a student subject to immediate dismissal from the
University.
Transfer of Credits
Students may request that credit earned in graduate
courses taken at the University of Delaware as a continuing education student,
or at another institution, be applied toward their degree requirements in
Biological Sciences. In accordance with
University policy, The
student must have earned a grade of at least B- in a course taken not longer
than five years ago at an accredited college or university. Requests must be
made to the Graduate Affairs Committee in writing using the University's
Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form.
Time to Degree
It is the expectation of the Department that students
will complete the M.S. degree in two years, with a time limit of three years.
Students in the Ph.D. program are expected to complete all degree requirements
within five years, with a time limit of seven years. An extension of these time
limits may be granted for circumstances beyond the student's control. Requests
for extensions must be submitted to the Graduate Affairs Committee at least one
semester prior to the time limit. The University Office of Graduate Studies
must grant final approval of requests for extensions.
Students must submit an "Application for
Advanced Degree" to the University's Office of Graduate Studies.
Information about this form, including fees and deadlines, are available in the
University Catalog.
Preliminary Examination
M.S. and Ph.D. students must pass a preliminary
examination that tests their general knowledge base in their area of
specialization and their ability to critically evaluate scientific literature.
The format of the examination will be determined by the student's
thesis/dissertation committee or, if applicable, the Track with which the student is
affiliated, or the student's custom track committee, if
applicable. The preliminary examination must be completed by the
end of the student's first year of enrollment. The results of this examination
will be one of the following:
1. Unconditional pass. The
student may proceed to the next stage of his/her degree training.
2. Conditional pass. In
the event that the examination committee feels the student's performance was
generally acceptable but with a specific deficiency, a condition(s) will be
specified that the student must satisfy to achieve an unconditional pass
and remain in the Program.
3. Re-examination. This
result is appropriate for a student whose performance was unsatisfactory, but
displayed evidence of the potential to complete graduate degree training.
Re-examination must be completed within one semester. The possible outcomes of
the re examination are unconditional pass, conditional pass or failure.
4. Failure. This outcome
would indicate that examination committee considers the student incapable of
completing degree training. In
this situation, the student is subject to immediate dismissal from the Track in
which he/she is affiliated (if applicable). The student's academic progress will be
reviewed by the Graduate Affairs Committee, who will make recommendations to
the Department Chair regarding the student's enrollment status. The
Chair may recommend to the Office of Graduate Studies that the student be
dismissed from the Program immediately.
The student is
subject to immediate dismissal from the Department by the Chair.
Ph.D. Pre-Candidacy
("Qualifying") Examination
Ph.D. students who achieve an unconditional pass of
the preliminary examination must complete a qualifying examination by the end
of their sixth semester of enrollment. The format of the examination will be
determined by the student's thesis
or dissertation committee,
except that the student's advisor will not participate in the examination. or, if applicable, the Track with which the
student is affiliated. It
will include both a defense of the student's proposed dissertation research and
an in-depth examination of the student's knowledge of their research specialty.
Students are expected to demonstrate competency in both oral and written
communication skills. The possible outcomes of this examination are same as for
the preliminary examination, above.
Post-Candidacy Defense
and Dissertation/Thesis Preparation
M.S. and Ph.D. students nearing completion of their
degree requirements must submit to the University an application for degree and
pay an application fee. Details about this process, including submission
deadlines, are available from the Office of Graduate Studies.
Written theses/dissertations must comply with
University style regulations. A thesis handbook is available from the Office of
Graduate Studies and online.
Graduating students should
submit a completed Departmental "Thesis/Dissertation Announcement
Form" to the Graduate Program Director at least two weeks prior to the
oral defense. A copy of the thesis/dissertation must be provided to the
Graduate Program Director at least two weeks prior to the defense.
Consequences of
Unsatisfactory Academic Progress
The Graduate Affairs Committee will meet at least
once each semester to evaluate each student's progress. If a student is failing
to make satisfactory progress towards a degree, the committee will recommend
suitable action to the Department Chair. Possible actions include (but are not
limited to):
1. Requirement for
additional courses;
2. Conversion to the
terminal M.S. degree program;
3. Suspension of financial
support;
4. Recommendation to the Office of Graduate
Studies for dismissal from the Department.Dismissal.
Students will be notified of any suspension of
financial support or termination from the Department by December 1 (for
decisions effective spring semester) or July 1 (for decisions effective fall
semester), if the reason for the action is failure to make satisfactory
progress towards a degree. Violations
of the
Standards of Student
Conduct
All graduate students are subject to
Laboratory Safety and
Research Regulations
Graduate students performing
laboratory research are subject to all University regulations regarding safety,
use of human subjects and animals, and hazardous/radioactive material use and
disposal. These guidelines may be found in the
Graduate Student
Grievance Procedures
Students who feel that they have been graded
inappropriately or receive what they perceive as an unfair evaluation by a
faculty member may file grievances in accordance with
Access to Student
Records
Students wishing to review their Departmental file
must submit a written request to the Graduate Program Director at least 24
hours in advance. Students are not permitted to remove a file from Wolf Hall
but may photocopy documents from their folder.