Master of Science Program Information

Selecting an Advisor and Committee

Initially, the Graduate Program Coordinator will assist students (e.g., in registering for courses for their first semester). However, graduate students should, by the end of their first semester, select an advisor. Your advisor will be the chair of your Graduate Committee and should, of course, be someone with expertise in your area of research. Once you've selected an advisor, two additional faculty members should then be selected to serve on your committee. Committee members may be members of other departments or from other universities.

Planned Program

The M.S. degree (Thesis option) requires 30 semester hours of coursework. After consultation with your Advisor and Committee, a Planned Program form should be submitted to the Graduate School (forms are available from your advisor or a department secretary). You will not be allowed to register for your second semester if a Planned Program form is not on file in the Graduate School office.

• The Planned Program must include:


• Six hours of thesis research (BIO 891)


• Six hours of 'Biology core' courses:
  
  + Scientific Literature and Writing (BIO 801; 2 hours)
  + Graduate Seminar (BIO 890; 1 hour)
  + Statistics (either BIO 710 or STA 700; 3 hours)


• At least 9 additional hours of 800-level courses (in biology or related subject areas), plus


• 9 additional hours of 700- or 800-level courses (in biology or related subject areas)
• Students in the Applied Ecology Option must also complete a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours and their program of study must include:


• Six hours of thesis research (BIO 891)


• Six hours of 'Biology core' courses:
  
  + Scientific Literature and Writing (BIO 801; 2 hours) + Graduate Seminar (BIO 890; 1 hour) + Statistics (either BIO 710 or STA 700; 3 hours)


• Eight (8) hours of 'Applied Ecology core' courses:
  
  + Aquatic Ecosystems (BIO 848; 3 hours) + Field Methods in Ecology (BIO 849; 3 hours) + Dynamics of Ecosystems (BIO 850; 2 hours)


• At least 1 additional hour of 800-level courses, plus


• 9 additional hours of 700- or 800-level courses
• Any prerequisites must also be listed on the Planned Program and all prerequisites must be completed before you can be Admitted to Candidacy. Planned Programs can be changed at any time by submitting a Change in Planned Program form (available from your advisor or a department secretary) to the Graduate School.

Grade Point Average

Your overall Graduate GPA must be maintained at 3.0 or above. If, after any semester, your GPA drops below 3.0, you will be placed on academic probation. Subsequently, you will have one semester to bring your GPA back to 3.0 or above. If you fail do to so, you will be dismissed from the program. In addition, while on probation, students cannot be Teaching Assistants or serve as part-time instructors.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to Candidacy for an M.S. degree must be accomplished prior to completion of 18 semester hours of graduate coursework. To qualify for Candidacy, the following conditions must be met:

1. All prerequisite courses must be taken.


2. Graduate GPA must be at least 3.0.


3. The thesis proposal must be completed and approved by the student's Graduate Committee.

For most students, the Admission to Candidacy should be completed and approved by the Graduate School prior to a student's third semester. The Candidacy Form can be obtained from your advisor or a department secretary.

Application for Graduation

If you plan to schedule the written/oral comprehensive exams or to receive the M.S. degree in the fourth semester of your program, then you should apply for graduation (at the Graduate School office) during your third semester. Failure to apply for graduation may delay the scheduling of exams and subsequent graduation.

Written Comprehensive and Oral Examinations

All students must successfully pass written examinations submitted by their Committee members. Written exams must be taken by the end of the semester (usually the fourth) that a student completes their Planned Program (exclusive of thesis hours). All exams must be completed within a 15 day period with the following conditions:

1. The 15 day time period during which exams will be taken must be on file in the Graduate School office at least two weeks before starting the exams (the scheduling form in available from your advisor or from a department secretary). Written exams will be scheduled only after your application for graduation has been filed in the Graduate School office.


2. Written exams must be passed before the oral exam can be scheduled.


3. If, under extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness or a death in the family), the written exams are not taken during the semester the student completes their planned program, the exams must be completed within 60 days of the end of that semester.


4. A student is considered to have failed their written exam if they fail any of three (or more) exams. For example, if a student has three committee members and fails an exam submitted by one of those committee members, then the student will have failed the written exam. The Graduate School will be notified of such failure. As noted in the Graduate School catalog, 'A review period of not less than 60 days nor more than one year is required of candidates who fail the comprehensive examination initially.' So, a student who fails their written exam must wait at least 60 days (but no longer than one year) before taking only that portion of the original exam that they failed. According to Graduate School regulations, written comprehensive exams may not be retaken more than once.


5. A student who fails to schedule and take written comprehensive exams during the semester they complete their Planned Program will be said to have failed the written exam. This failure must be reported to the Graduate School.

The oral comprehensive exam includes a defense of the thesis. The following conditions must be met before the oral exam:

1. The final draft of the thesis must be submitted to the student's Graduate Committee before the exam can be scheduled.


2. The Graduate School must be informed about the date of the oral exam at least two weeks before the exam (the form is available from your advisor or a department secretary).


3. The oral exam will be preceded by a formal seminar in which the results of the thesis research are presented. This seminar should be advertised like any other departmental seminar. The oral defense will occur after the seminar.


4. The student's Graduate Committee will inform the Graduate School concerning the results of the oral exam (pass or fail).

Completion of the Thesis

Each semester, the Graduate School will publish the date by which the completed thesis must be submitted to meet requirements for graduation. Guidelines for preparation of the thesis are available from the Graduate School and the Graduate Program Coordinator. The Department's Guidelines are available at:

http://www.biology.eku.edu/gradprogram/ms_thesis_guide.php

Time Limit

The time limit for completion of the M.S. degree is 7 years. A request for a waiver of this time limit must be submitted to the Graduate School within one calendar year immediately following the semester that ends a seven year period.