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Introduction

Welcome to the graduate program in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi. The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with information concerned with requirements for the successful completion of M.S and Ph.D. degrees in the Department. General university-wide policies concerning time limitations, continuous enrollment, privacy of student information, sexual harassment, and academic honesty, are explained in the Graduate Bulletin and are not repeated in this handbook.

Research Mind-Set

Tenure as a graduate student provides one the opportunity to specialize in a particular field of study through active research. It is important that new graduate students make the transition from a undergraduate mind-set where degree requirements are fulfilled by completing a defined number of classes or credit hours to a graduate mind-set where degree requirements are fulfilled by completing and defending a research thesis. Graduation is rarely held up because the student was not able to complete enough course credit hours. The limiting factor is almost always the completion of research and the writing of the thesis or dissertation.

Conditional Admission

Graduate students admitted on a conditional basis must satisfy specific academic requirements to continue in the graduate program and are not eligible for a teaching assistantship while classified as a conditional student. A conditional student at the master’s level must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first nine semester hours of course work above 500. A conditional student at the doctoral level must achieve a GPA of at least 3.50 on the first nine semester hours of course work above 600. To request reclassification as a regular graduate student, the student’s advisor must write a memorandum, through the Chair of the Department, to the Office of Graduate Studies requesting such a change.

Direct Admission to the Doctoral Program

A student with a B.S. degree may pursue a doctorate directly with the approval of the major advisor and department chair. The student is first admitted into the graduate program as a M.S. student. After the completion of at least 30 graduate credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 or above, the student’s major advisor may request that the student’s classification be changed from M.S. to Ph.D. by writing a memorandum, through the Chair of the Department, to the Office of Graduate Studies.

Changing from the Master’s to the Doctoral Program

If a student with a B.S. degree in pursuit of  a Master’s degree decides to change to the doctoral program, the student must submit a new graduate application form declaring the student’s intention. The student’s major advisor should write a memorandum to the Chair of the Department supporting such a change. The student does not need to resubmit material submitted with the initial application such as transcripts, GRE scores, etc.

Degree Requirements

The major degree requirements for the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy are listed below. The Department of Biological Sciences has adopted a set of guidelines concerning when certain accomplishments should achieved and they are listed separately below under Milestones.

Master of Science Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 30 graduate hours with a 3.0 GPA or higher; 18 hours must be at the 600 level or higher.
• Pass a written and/or oral comprehensive examination administered by the thesis committee.
• Completion of a thesis approved by the faculty advisor, a three-member graduate thesis committee and the graduate reader. The advisor is included as a member of the thesis committee.
• Successful public oral defense of the thesis at a research seminar presented at an advertised meeting (see Appendix for an example). The advertisement should be posted at least five working days before the defense.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 84 graduate hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 54 graduate hours beyond the master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
• Pass both a written and oral comprehensive examination administered by the doctoral committee.
• Fulfillment of the research tools requirement (see below) specified by the student’s doctoral committee.
• Completion of a dissertation approved by the faculty advisor, a five-member doctoral committee and the graduate reader. The advisor is included as a member of the doctoral committee.
• Successful public oral defense of the dissertation at a research seminar presented at an advertised meeting (see Appendix for an example). The advertisement should be posted at least five working days before the defense.
  
   

Major Advisor

Incoming graduate students should arrange to have a major advisor as soon as possible. The advisor provides guidance and support thus the choice of faculty adviser is critical to the success of the graduate student. Students enrolling in the program without a major professor should read about faculty research interests at www.usm.edu/biology/Faculty_Index.htm, identify those that are conducting research of interest and then telephone or e-mail the faculty members to arrange a visit. Topics that should be discussed during the visit include mutual research interests and ideas, possible course work schedule and financial support. For students without a faculty advisor, the Graduate Program Coordinator will serve as the interim advisor.

Thesis/Doctoral Committee

The purpose of the committee is to supervise the student’s work toward degree. Thesis (M.S.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) committees are composed of three and five faculty members, respectively. The student’s advisor serves as the chair of the committee. The committee evaluates the prospectus, provides guidance on courses the student should take, administers the comprehensive exam and evaluates the written and oral defense of the thesis or dissertation. Successful completion of the prospectus, comprehensive exam and thesis/dissertation defense requires the approval of a majority of the committee members.

The choice of which faculty members to ask to serve as a committee member is made jointly by the student and advisor. The decision should be based on the likelihood that the faculty member will be of assistance in the student completing the graduate program. Qualified individuals from outside the university may serve if approved by the Graduate Council.

Research Tools Requirement

Given the disciplinary diversity that characterizes the biological sciences, the graduate advisory committee is in the best position to determine the number and nature of research tool requirements and to evaluate competency in relation to research skills. The research tools requirement as determined by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee and approved by the Chair of the Department becomes part of the student's plan of study.

Once a doctoral student's research tools requirement is determined, submit a memo describing the requirement to the Chair for approval. The memorandum will be placed in the student's file, and copies returned to the student and to the student's major advisor. The research tools requirement should also be listed on the Plan of Study Form.

Milestones

The following milestones were established to guide graduate students toward successful and timely completion of degree requirements.

Master of Science Students

• File a Plan of Study Form with the Office of Graduate Studies by the end of the first semester.
• Have a thesis committee by the end of the second semester.
• Gain approval of a written prospectus by end of the third semester.
• Complete the comprehensive examination (written and/or oral) by the end of the fourth semester.
• Complete degree requirements by the end of the third year.
   

Doctor of Philosophy Students

• Have a dissertation committee by the end of the second semester.
• File a Plan of Study Form with the Office of Graduate Studies by the end of the second semester.
• Gain approval of a written prospectus by the end of the fourth semester.
• Complete the written and oral comprehensive examinations by the end of the sixth semester.
• Provide an annual report on research progress to members of the dissertation committee after completion of prospectus. An annual meeting with the doctoral committee is highly recommended. The meeting provide an opportunity for the student to update the committee on progress made and avoids surprises at the time of the dissertation defense.
• Complete degree requirements by the end of the fifth or sixth year for students with or without a M.S. degree, respectively.
   

These milestones must be met for students to continue receiving financial support as Teaching Assistants. Teaching Assistants who do not meet these milestones must meet with the Chair of the Department and their major advisor to decide on the appropriate course of action. Students supported by a Research Assistantship should meet with their advisors to determine the duration of support vis-a-vis these milestones.

Documentation

The following documents must be on file with the Office of Graduate Studies in order for the student to graduate. The Plan of Study Form is available electronically (see below). Other forms are available from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Master of Science Students

• Plan of Study Form by first semester
• Graduate Committee Request Form by second semester
• Thesis Proposal Approval From
• Comprehensive Exam Results Form
• Application for Degree (see paragraph below)
• Thesis Defense Results Form
   

Doctor of Philosophy Students

• Plan of Study Form by second semester
• Graduate Committee Request Form by second semester
• Results of Comprehensive and/or Qualifying Exams Form
• Dissertation Proposal Approval Form
• Comprehensive Exam Results Form
• Application for Candidacy Form
• Application for Degree (see paragraph below)
• Dissertation Defense Results Form
   

The Plan of Study form is also used as the form for degree application. The form is in the form of a spreadsheet and can be downloaded from www.usm.edu/graduatestudies/  (under “Current Students”). An initial filing should be made during the student’s second semester of enrollment. A second and final one should be filed when applying to graduate. Keep an electronic copy and update regularly as milestones are completed.

The Application for Candidacy listed in the Graduate Bulletin is essentially the Comprehensive Exam Results Form and Dissertation Proposal Approval Form. There is no form named “Application for Candidacy”. When the Office of Graduate Studies is notified that the dissertation proposal by a doctoral student has been approved and that the student has passed his/her comprehensive exam, the student then becomes officially a candidate for a doctorate.

Travel Support

The Department encourages graduate student participation at scientific conferences. Those making a presentation may request financial support from the Department to help defray travel expenses. The request should be made via e-mail to the Departmental Chair and should contain: 1) the name and location of the conference and 2) an itemized estimate of expenses including the registration fee, airfare, ground transportation, parking, lodging and meals. The student should plan the trip with advice from his/her major professor and be judicious in making the cost estimate. The amount of departmental support will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Students granted financial support need to submit a Permission to Travel Form approximately one month before the conference. To be reimbursed for travel expenses, students need to submit a Travel Voucher (with original receipts) after the completion of travel to Accounts Payable (USM Box 5104).

Grievance Procedure

While pursuing graduate studies, students may encounter problems in areas such as academics, student life and financial support. If a student feels a need to pursue grievance, the graduate student should first consult his/her thesis advisor. However, if the student is uncomfortable or dissatisfied using this route, the student should meet with the Graduate Coordinator or department Chair who will counsel the student on a confidential basis and will assist in selecting an appropriate grievance procedure.