Graduate Program

Doctor of Philosophy; Ph.D.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree may be pursued directly from the Bachelor's level, or following a Master's degree program. Doctoral study culminates in a dissertation (or its equivalent as refereed publications) based on original research. In many cases the work leads to a series of future studies and publications throughout the student's career. Research activity is often funded through extramural grants to the major professor which can support the student. Abundant opportunities exist to gain teaching experience during the doctoral program. Students are required to complete a practical teaching experience at some stage of their doctoral studies. The experience may be satisfied in a variety of ways, including serving as a a teaching assistant or working under the mentorship of a professor in the biology program. A written and oral examination is required to proceed to doctoral candidacy, at least one year proir to the capstone seminar and defense of the dissertation. Of the 60 credits required, 30-48 are awarded for course work (including special research topics and at least five seminars) and 12-30 credits for the dissertation.