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 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.
Admission
Graduate admission criteria of the Department of
Biological Sciences include a
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; 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.
Applications must include three letters of
recommendation from persons able to judge the applicant's ability to pursue
graduate study.
Applicants who are not
Applications normally are considered
only for fall entrance, but applicants who are
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
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
summer term 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.
Research Assistantships
Students 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 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.
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 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.
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 session. Thus, a student admitted
for enrollment in the fall semester
usually will complete 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, 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 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.
Identifying an Advisor
M.S. and Ph.D. students may 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.
If a student is unable to identify someone who agrees to serve as an advisor by the end
of 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 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.
Students who do not have committee meetings in a timely manner will be subject
to suspension of their assistantships or dismissal from the program.
Registration
Students in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs are expected
to maintain full time enrollment status in the fall, spring and summer
semesters. 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.
.
Course Requirements
The Master of Science program requires a minimum of
16 hours of graduate courses (as approved by the 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
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
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 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. 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.
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
dissertation committee, except that the student's advisor will not
participate in the examination. 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. Dismissal.
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.