Graduate Studies in Natural Resources Science and Management

Handbook: The Ph.D. Program

Students in the Ph.D. program are urged to become thoroughly familiar with the details presented in the Graduate School Catalog and the regular Graduate School announcements for many aspects of the program relating to registration, special forms, deadlines, and graduate procedures. You should also refer to the degree completion information on the Graduate School web page.

Minimum Credit Requirements

The Graduate School does not specify a minimum number of credits in the major for the doctoral degree; normally, a student who enters the doctoral program with a master’s degree will complete 20-30 additional credits in the major program. At least 12 semester credit hours are required in a related or minor field. Twenty-four thesis credits are required for the Ph.D. Students cannot register for thesis credits until the semester after the completion of preliminary exams.

Filing the Ph.D. Degree Program

Doctoral students are required to submit degree program forms, outlining their proposed coursework and committee, no later than the fourth semester of registration. Degree program forms are available from the Assistant to the DGS, 105 Green Hall, or on the web (.pdf). You will also need to submit our internal form (.pdf)which requires a statement of your goals and your adviser’s evaluation of your degree program. If degree program forms are not submitted on time, a registration hold may be placed on the student’s record.

Students must contact proposed committee members to obtain permission to include them on their committee prior to submission of the degree program. Students who include a declared minor on their program must receive the approval of the DGS for the minor field prior to submitting the degree program forms. The degree program forms must be signed by the adviser and then submitted to the Assistant to the DGS, 105 Green Hall. The forms are reviewed by the Graduate Study Committee and DGS and, if approved, submitted to the Graduate School. Please note that, once the approved forms have been submitted to the Graduate School, it may take up to 6 weeks for final approval.

Preliminary Exams

Both written and oral preliminary exams in the major field are required for students in the Ph.D. program. Students are encouraged to take the written exam after completion of one year of coursework but before all coursework is completed.

Administration of the written examination is the responsibility of the student's advisor, using questions solicited from members of the Graduate Faculty. Grading of the questions will be conducted by the submitting members of the Graduate Faculty. Generally, exams are five questions long; each question requires approximately 1-2 hours to complete. Students may complete the exam over a four-day period.

Results of the examination are reported to the Graduate School on the Preliminary Written Exam Form (obtained from the Assistant to DGS, 105 Green Hall), signed by the advisor and DGS, at least one week before scheduling the preliminary oral exam. Be sure to submit a copy to the Graduate Studies Office to be placed in the student's personal file.

The preliminary oral exam may be scheduled after successful completion of the preliminary written exam. The Prelim Written Exam Report form must be sent to 316 Johnston Hall at least one week before scheduling the prelim oral exam. Students must submit the Prelim Oral Scheduling Form to 314 Johnston Hall at least one week in advance of the exam date. The Prelim Oral Exam Report form will be issued once the Graduate School has determined the student has met all requirements. After the prelim oral exam, submit the Preliminary Oral Exam Report form to the Graduate School within one working day of the exam. A copy of the results must also be sent to the program office in 105 Green Hall.

Filing the Ph.D. Thesis Title Form

The Ph.D. thesis title form and form for thesis statement (obtained from the Assistant to DGS, 105 Green Hall) should be completed and submitted to the Graduate School the semester after the preliminary exams. It is the responsibility of the advisor and student to list members of the final exam committee; members are to be contacted by the student to establish that they are available to serve. The advisor may not act as chair for this committee.

Final Oral Examination

The final oral exam is scheduled with the Graduate School after successful completion of the preliminary oral examination and the thesis review committee has accepted the thesis for defense. All coursework included on the degree program must be completed before the final exam can be scheduled. Students should check with the Graduate School for procedures for scheduling the examination and deadline requirements for graduation during a given semester.

The final oral exam involves a seminar (not for credit) of the Ph.D. thesis. The seminar is immediately followed by the formal final oral examination. Submit a copy of the final exam form to the program office in 105 Green Hall before submitting the original to 316 Johnston Hall.

Commencement Attendance Eligibility

A final oral exam must be scheduled and a dissertation approved by reviewers for the defense. A Commencement Attendance Approval form, signed by the advisor and the DGS, should be submitted to the Graduate School to allow attendance at the commencement exercises. Forms must be received in the Graduate School by March 1 for spring commencement and October 1 for fall commencement.

Degree Clearance

Graduate degrees are awarded monthly. The Graduate School Student Services Office clears students for graduation. All required materials must be submitted to 316 Johnston by the last working day of the month of intended graduation. Doctoral candidates must submit the Final Oral Examination Report form no later than one working day following completion of the Final Oral Defense. A copy of the thesis abstract and a copy of the thesis (all signed by the advisor[s]) plus the Microfilm Agreement Form and the Survey of Earned Doctorates must also be submitted by the last working day of the intended month of graduation.

Exit Interview

Students must meet with the DGS or Graduate Studies assistant for an exit interview.