Graduate Studies

Timetable Ph.D. Students

  1. Orientation of New Students
  2. Lab Rotations
  3. Qualifying Examinations
  4. Selection of Research Director
  5. Advisory Committee and Plan of Study
  6. Preliminary Examination and Research Conferences
  7. Thesis and Final Examination
  8. General Requirements
  9. Support and Time Limit
  10. Ph.D. Handbook

1. Orientation of New Students
Approximately a week and half before classes begin in the Fall, the Biology Department has an Orientation Week for incoming graduate students. It is at this time that students are assigned a temporary advisor. At the orientation, students are informed about departmental facilities, policies, research interests of faculty, and teaching techniques, etc. Temporary advisors assist students in planning course schedules, and course registrations are completed.

2. Lab Rotations
We encourage all incoming Ph.D. graduate students with teaching assistantships, training grants or fellowships to rotate through as many as 4 labs during their first year. Three rotations are required before joining a lab except for students on research assistantships who go directly into a lab. Each rotation lasts about 6 weeks. During laboratory assignments, students are exposed to methods, equipment, and experimental procedures currently in use in particular research laboratories. Each student is given a list of available labs from which to choose rotations. Lab rotations often provide valuable information for students in selecting their Research Director.

3. Qualifying Examinations
All Ph.D. students must take one of five qualifying exams by the end of their first year. By the end of their second year, students must pass a qualifying exam with a grade of B or better. The exam areas are: Ecology, Evolution, and Population Biology; Neurobiology and Physiology; Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology; and Biophysics, Biochemistry, and Structural Biology. The goal of these exams is to indicate that students have sufficient mastery of the important concepts in their field to proceed on to the research stage of their program. Study guides for examinations are available prior to the Fall semester. Exams are given in May.

4. Selection of Research Director
In April of their first year, students submit a form listing their preference for research director from their lab rotations.  Faculty are also asked to submit a form indicating student(s) they would accept into their lab. The Biology Graduate Office makes the assignments. The research director-student relationship must be a mutually acceptable one.

5. Advisory Committee and the Plan of Study
By the November following the successful completion of a qualifying examination, graduate students select an Advisory Committee which consists of their research director, two additional members from within the Department of Biological Sciences and one member from a Purdue Department other than Biological Sciences. These committee requests are then approved by the Biology Graduate and Advanced Studies Convener.

As soon as possible after forming their Advisory Committee, graduate students submit an Electronic Plan of Study (EPOS). The Ph.D. plan of study must include two student participation seminars. On average most Ph.D. students take a minimum of 24 credits. The student and all Advisory Committee members sign the plan of study.

6. Preliminary Examination and Research Conferences
Within six months after forming their Advisory Committee, graduate students take their preliminary examination. The exam is based on a proposed research project which is distributed to the Advisory Committee at least two weeks prior to the meeting. The student must clearly outline the objectives of the proposed research and indicate how these objectives would be met.

Students whose performance is not satisfactory may retake their preliminary exam within six months. After successful completion of the preliminary examination, students are required to meet at least annually with their Advisory/Examining Committee.

7. Thesis and Final Examination
After students have completed writing their thesis, they must defend the thesis to the Examining Committee. This examination consists of a public seminar, during which the candidate summarizes his or her thesis research, followed by an oral defense of the research that is attended only by the Examining Committee members.

8. General Requirements

  1. Official transcripts showing previous college or university degrees must be on file in the Graduate School.
  2. No minimum number of hours are required for the Ph.D. degree. On average, most Ph.D. students take 24-30 credit hours.
  3. Each graduate student must teach 1/4-time for one semester with direct student contact before completion of their degree. All students whose native language is not English must have on file a minimum SPEAK/TSE score of 50 prior to assignment to a course that fulfills the teaching requirement.
  4. Each Ph.D. student is required to present a satisfactory seminar in each of two student participation seminar courses, BIOL. 696.
  5. Only grades of A, B, or C are acceptable on a plan of study. A cumulative index of 3.0 is expected to be maintained. A maximum of six 400-level credits may be on the EPOS. Grades of B or better are required for 400-level courses.

9. Support and Time Limit

All regular, full-time, Ph.D. graduate students admitted to our program are guaranteed at least five years financial support as long as they are making progress towards their degree and remain in good standing in the program. This includes the coverage of tuition except for the Graduate Staff Fees. The College of Science has established a policy effective Fall 2000 that seven (7) years from entry into the graduate program be the maximum time allowed to complete the Ph.D.

Each student should be aware that, after five years of graduate study in this department, he or she will be given low priority in the assignment of departmental funds for his or her support during subsequent semesters of graduate study.