Advisory Meeting

Prior to the end of the first semester in residence in the Department, the advisor or temporary advisor assigned by the Associate Head will assemble the Stage I Advisory Committee. This committee will consist of the advisor who will act as chair, and two other faculty members from the Plant Biology Department or other appropriate units on campus. This meeting is informational and advisory, its purpose being to discuss the student's academic background, career goals, planned course work, and possible areas for research. A brief written summary of the meeting is prepared and forwarded to the Associate Head and the student by the chair of the committee (the student's advisor)

Guidelines for the Stage I Advisory Meeting:

1. The meeting should be informal and last no longer than one hour.
2. The student should assemble and distribute to all members of the Advisory Committee at or prior to the meeting a list of all relevant courses taken as well as a list of currently enrolled courses.
3. The student should be knowledgeable about UIUC course offerings in his/her area of study and be prepared to discuss preferences.
4. The Plant Biology Graduate Program Timetable should be filled out and copies left with the student and his/her advisor

∧ topCoursework for Stage I

1. The completion of 32 hours of course work is required.
2. At least 16 of these hours must be earned in courses meeting on the Urbana-Champaign, Chicago or Springfield campuses, or in other locations that have been approved by the Graduate College.
3. At least 12 of the 32 hours must be at the 500-level.
   • Hours of PLBIO 590 and IB 599 may be applied to the 500-level hour requirement.
   • 12 of the 32 hours must be distributed among three of the following nine areas of plant biology: anatomy, biochemistry, development, ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and systematics.
   • At least 4 of the 12 hours must be outside the immediate research interests of the student.

Research during Stage I

Research experience is required during Stage I and may consist of either a special problem (PLBIO 590) or research leading to a thesis (IB 599). For a special problem, not more than 8 hours of PLBIO 590 may contribute to the 32 hour course requirement. The results of a PLBIO 590 special problem must be submitted to the advisor in the format of an appropriate scientific journal. The advisor must notify the Associate Head by letter indicating the successful completion of that report.

∧ topMaster's Thesis

Preparation of a master's thesis is not required for students in the Plant Biology Ph.D. program. However, should a student elect to write and submit a Master's thesis to the Graduate College, not more than 12 hours of thesis credit (PLBIO 599) may be applied to the 32 hours of course work. The completed thesis will be examined by a 3-member committee selected by the thesis advisor before it is forwarded to the Graduate College. A certificate of approval signed by the Department Head is required by the College. Students pursuing a Master's degree must complete all requirements for the degree within 5 years of first registering in the Graduate College.

∧ topAdvisory Meeting

The Stage II Advisory Meeting is a Departmental requirement intended to serve the interests of Ph.D. students. Like the Stage I advisory meeting, it is not an examination. It takes place as soon as possible after the student enters Stage II. This meeting provides the opportunity for the student to meet with some prospective members of his/her preliminary and final examination committees in order for them to become acquainted with the student's intended program of study and research. The principal purpose of the meeting is to provide early advisory input. In this way, faculty are able to offer more effective advice in planning coursework, preparing for the Preliminary Examination, and designing thesis research.

Guidelines for the Stage II Advisory Meeting

1. Prior to the meeting, a Stage II Advisory Committee is assembled
1. The committee will include the major advisor and two or more additional faculty members.
2. A faculty member from another department may serve on the committee.
3. Membership of the Stage II Advisory Committee is determined jointly by the graduate student and her/his advisor.
4. Membership may differ from that of the student's Stage I Advisory Committee.
5. The responsibility for initially contacting prospective members of the committee is that of the student and her/his advisor.
2. As chair of the Stage II Advisory Committee, the student's advisor is charged with the following responsibilities:
1. Schedule and make all necessary arrangements for the meeting.
2. Notify the student and the Associate Head of the committee's recommendations in writing
3. One week prior to the meeting, the student must provide each member of the committee with:
1. A copy of her/his complete transcript
2. A summary of completed and anticipated courses, organized by subject area
3. Her or his Curriculum Vitae
4. A brief statement describing the anticipated degree program
4. The Advisory Committee will evaluate the student's progress and make recommendations regarding the remaining portion of her/his graduate program. The meeting should include discussion of coursework, the thesis research subject and its scope, the timetable for the program including scheduling of the preliminary exam and plans for satisfying the teaching requirement. The meeting should be informal and last no longer than one hour.

∧ topCoursework for Stage II

32 additional hours of 400-500 level coursework are required. Courses may include any combination of classroom and research credit. For the Ph.D., the requirement of proficiency in a foreign language or any requirement for specific coursework is left to the discretion of the advisor and advisory committee. These coursework requirements must be completed before taking the preliminary examination.

Preliminary Examination

For students entering the graduate program with a B.S., the preliminary examination must be taken prior to the completion of the third year after entering the graduate program. For students entering with an M.S. or its equivalent, the examination must be taken prior to completion of the second year.

Guidelines for the Preliminary Examination

1. The Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee shall be composed of four or five faculty members representing a minimum of three of the following defined areas of plant biology: anatomy, biochemistry, development, ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and systematics. At least one faculty member must be from another department, and a member of the committee other than the advisor will be appointed Chair by the Associate Head.
2. The student and her/his advisor are responsible for initially contacting prospective members of the committee.
3. A written recommendation for the composition of the committee should be made by the advisor to the Associate Head. These recommendations are sent to the Graduate College after Departmental approval.
4. It is the responsibility of the advisor to schedule and make all arrangements for the examination.
5. The student must prepare a thesis proposal in the format of an NSF Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Application. See details at Guidelines for the Preparation of the Ph.D. Research Proposal. The thesis proposal must be distributed to members of the Preliminary Examination Committee at least one week prior to the examination.
6. Three hours should be scheduled for the exam and it should be completed within this time.
1. During the first hour of the examination, the student will be examined on the three areas of plant biology as specified above in 1. Students are encouraged to talk with committee members prior to the examination, in order to determine the scope of coverage of the topics and receive guidance in preparation for the exam.
2. In the remainder of the examination, the student will orally present her or his thesis proposal, during which questions regarding the proposed research and related areas will be posed by committee members.
3. It is the responsibility of the Committee Chair to ensure that this format is followed and that the exam is conducted in the best interests of the student.
7. The decision to pass the student on the examination must be unanimous and transmitted by the Chair to the Department and the Graduate College. If a student does not pass the examination, the committee must choose one of three of the following alternatives:
1. Adjournment. The examination can be rescheduled after a period of time not exceeding six months.
2. Conditional failure. The student may be given another opportunity to take the examination after completing additional course work, independent study, or research. The Graduate College must be informed of the conditional failure, and the committee chair will indicate that the student is to be given a second examination within one year after the first examination.
3. Failure.
8. If the Graduate College is not informed of the results of the examination within thirty days after its scheduled date, an adjournment will be recorded.

Stage III Annual Advisory Meetings or Research Presentation

During Stage III each graduate student is required to hold an Annual Advisory Meeting or Research Presentation with his/her Ph.D. Committee until passing the final Ph.D. examination. The format is intended to be flexible. The Ph.D. Committee may have a composition different from the Preliminary Exam Committee. The meetings take place within the month of the calendar date of passing the preliminary examination (e.g. Feb. 04, then Feb. 05, Feb. 06). The meeting is not an examination. It should offer the student an opportunity to apprise the Committee of his/her progress during the past year, to outline his/her proposed plans and schedule for the next year (and beyond) of the project, and to seek advice from the Committee on current and projected problems. It is the responsibility of the student and his/her advisor to schedule the meeting. The advisor, as chair of the meeting, must provide a brief summary of the meeting for the student's files. A majority of committee members must be present at each annual meeting.

The specific requirements for Stage III are

1. Completion of 32 hours of 400-500 level courses, including 590 and/or 599;
2. Completion of thesis research;
3. Completion of the thesis;
4. Passing the Ph.D. examination; and
5. Delivery of the thesis to the Graduate College.

Procedures for fulfilling these requirements are described below.

∧ topCoursework for Stage III

The student must have accumulated a total of 96 hours including the 32 hours required for the M.S. degree or its equivalent. At least 64 of the hours, which may include thesis credit, must be earned in courses meeting on the Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, or Springfield campus, or in courses meeting in other locations that have been approved by the Graduate College. (see A Handbook for Graduate Students and Advisors, Chapter VII, Section 6a).

Registration is not required after the preliminary examination if the student is (a) making no use of University facilities, (b) has left the campus, and (c) has finished the 96-credit hours requirement. Registration, however, is required during the semester in which the final examination is taken. If registration is not continuous, the candidate should consult the Graduate College Handbook for Students Faculty and Staff (Chapter IV.B.) to determine how to proceed with reentry.

Dissertation Preparation

All candidates for the Ph.D. degree are required to submit a thesis. For details on thesis format, see the Thesis Handbook at the UIUC Graduate College website.

Before her or his degree is conferred, a student may find it desirable or expedient to publish some of the findings, which will later be incorporated into the thesis. If this is done, an appropriate acknowledgment of the earlier publication should be included in the thesis. The Graduate College encourages such publication, but the thesis may not be published in its entirety before all degree requirements have been met. In cases where the early results of thesis research are published, it is expected that they will be integrated into the thesis in the usual way, i.e., the thesis format is carefully regarded and the relationship to the whole study is evident.

∧ topThe Ph.D. Final Examination ("Thesis Defense")

1. The Ph.D. Final Examination Committee shall be composed as follows:
2. A recommended number of five, but a minimum of four faculty members, including the advisor, who will be the Chair.
1. At least one faculty member from another department.
2. It is specified by the Graduate College that all voting members of the committee must be present in person or via appropriate electronic communication media at the preliminary and final examinations.
3. The thesis, in its complete and final form, must be delivered to members of the Examination Committee at least one week prior to the Ph.D. examination.
4. The first hour of the examination shall consist of a public seminar covering the student's thesis research. Members of the examination committee and the candidate shall then meet for detailed examination of the thesis.
5. A decision of the examination committee to pass the student must be unanimous and transmitted by the Chair to the Department and the Graduate College.
6. If a student does not pass the examination, the committee may make one of three decisions:
1. Adjournment: Examination must be rescheduled within six months.
2. Conditional failure: Student may be given another opportunity to take the examination. In this case, the Graduate College is informed of the failure, and the committee chair indicates that the student must be given a second examination within one year after the first examination.
3. Failure.

If the Graduate College is not informed of the results of the examination within thirty days after its scheduled date, an adjournment will be recorded.

∧ topDates and Deadlines for Graduation

M.S. degrees are awarded in January, May, August, and October. Ph.D. degrees are awarded in January, May, and October. If needed, a letter certifying that the student has completed the degree may be obtained from the Graduate College only after completion of all requirements, including deposition of the thesis.

The Graduate College calendar lists the dates of important deadlines for graduate students. Ph.D. candidates must complete all requirements within seven calendar years after the initial registration in the Graduate College. Please consult the department Administrative Assistant well in advance of submitting your thesis to make sure you have completed all the necessary requirements.

∧ topTwo-Year Review

It is a Graduate College requirement that all students intending to pursue a doctoral degree must be evaluated by the Department no later than the end of the second year after entering the Graduate Program. The Graduate Affairs Committee is in charge of the review. The following written materials are required for a student's evaluation:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Graduate Transcript(s)
3. Statement describing the anticipated research program (if entered with B.S., one page, double-spaced; if entered with M.S., two pages, doubled spaced)
4. Three current letters of reference

These materials are to be submitted to the head secretary of the Department. After evaluating the student's materials, the Graduate Affairs Committee notifies the student and the advisor of its conclusions and puts the summary letter in the student's permanent file. The Department views this review as an important opportunity for assessment, as it evaluates whether or not the student will continue in the graduate program.

Upon approval by the Graduate Affairs Committee, the student entering with a B.S. is admitted to the Ph.D. program. Approval of the student entering with a M.S. allows the student to continue in the Ph.D. degree program. Students may not take the Ph.D. preliminary examination without a favorable Two-Year Review.

Teaching

While the Department tries to recognize the capabilities and potential of its students through Fellowships and Research Assistantships as much as possible, it also recognizes the importance of teaching experience in their overall training programs. Therefore, all graduate students in the Department of Plant Biology are required to complete at least the equivalent of one semester as a half-time teaching assistant prior to completion of the doctoral degree. Teaching assignments will normally be in courses in which there is direct instructional contact with students. Students whose first language is not English will be required to satisfy University requirements for English proficiency prior to teaching.

Stage I Advisory Committee. Prior to the end of the first semester in residence in the Department, the advisor or temporary advisor assigned by the Associate Head will assemble the Stage I Advisory Committee. This committee will consist of the advisor who will act as chair, and two other faculty members from the Plant Biology Department or other appropriate units on campus.

Stage II Advisory Committee. The Stage II Advisory meeting is held as early as possible after a student enters Stage II. Membership on the Stage II Advisory Committee is determined jointly by the graduate student and her/his advisor and includes the major advisor and two or more additional faculty members. A faculty member from another department may serve on the committee. Membership may differ from that of the student's Stage I Advisory Committee.

Preliminary Exam Committee. The Ph.D. Preliminary Examination Committee consists of four or five faculty members representing a minimum of three of the following defined areas of plant biology: anatomy, biochemistry, development, ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and systematics. At least one faculty member must be from another department. The Associate Head appoints a member of the committee other than the advisor to serve as Chair. The Graduate College specifies that all voting members of the committee must be present in person or via appropriate electronic communication media at the final examination.

Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee consists of a minimum of four faculty members including the advisor, who serves as chair. However, a committee of five is recommended. At least one committee member must be on the faculty of another department. The Graduate College specifies that all voting members of the committee must be present in person or via appropriate electronic communication media at the final examination.

Advisory Meetings

Preliminary Exam

∧ topAnnual Progress Meetings

The Ph.D. Examination

In addition to credit for the 400-500 level graduate coursework, a student may get credit for IB590 (Research) until the time he/she passes the preliminary examination. Therefore, in addition to formal classes, students should register for research credit hours such that the combined total of both classes and research is at least 16 credit hours for Fall and Spring semesters (for Summer semester see below). This applies as well to students on a Training Grant or University Fellowship.

If a student is being supported by a teaching assistantship (TA), she or he should register for a combined (classes + research) total of 14 credit hours.

International students may be advised to take a reduced load if they are taking remedial English courses (ESL504 or ESL506).

All students should register for the maximum allowable credit to ensure that enough credits have been earned for the Ph.D. degree by the time the student is eligible to graduate.

Minimum registration credit to be considered a full-time student is 12 credit hours for each Fall and each Spring semester. The minimum registration credit for Summer is 6 credit hours.