Download Biology PhD Requirements

3 SCHOLARLY PRODUCTIVITY To become recognized as independent scientists and to have an impact on their fields, graduate students must communicate their findings to their colleagues. Therefore, all students are strongly encouraged to begin submitting the results of their research to refereed journals as soon as possible (ideally well before the dissertation is completed). It is expected that, in order to give their committee members an opportunity to comment on them, manuscripts that are intended to be included in the dissertation will be given to all committee members at least two weeks prior to submission. Each student should submit copies of papers accepted for publication to the DGS, to be included in the student’s file. TEACHING All graduate students will be required to serve as a teaching assistant for two semesters. Teaching is not simply a mechanism to provide financial support to graduate students. Rather, it is an integral part of each graduate student’s professional development as both an educator and a researcher. ANNUAL EVALUATION OF STUDENT PROGRESS All students beyond the first year will meet with their committee annually. For students in the second year of study, the first committee meeting serves as the annual committee meeting, and for students in the third year, the preliminary exam, if taken in the Fall semester, serves this purpose. In addition, all students1: • in their third year who either passed their prelims in their second year or will not take their prelims until their sixth semester (i.e., Spring of their third year) • in their fourth year of study • in their fifth or later years who are not planning to complete the dissertation in the current academic year are expected, prior to November 15, to present to their committees a written report on the progress made over the previous year, and on any difficulties encountered, as well as a plan for completing the dissertation. Before the end of the final exam period in December, the advisor will then convene a meeting of the committee to discuss the progress report with the student. By January 1, the advisor must send a letter to the DGS summarizing the discussion in the meeting, providing the committee’s evaluation of the student’s progress, and recommending whether the student should receive continued financial support from the department. The progress report submitted to the committee by the student should be attached to this letter. All faculty members not on the student’s committee will also be able to submit to the DGS any written commentary on the student’s performance (e.g., as a student or teaching assistant in a course taught by that faculty member). After January 1, the DGS, in consultation with the Graduate Affairs 1 In short, you are not required to have an annual progress meeting with your committee only if: 1) you are in your first or second year; 2) you are in your third year and are taking your prelim this Fall (not Spring, and not in your second year); or 3) you are defending your dissertation this year. Otherwise, you must have one each fall.