PLANT BIOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM
PLANT BIOLOGY GRADUATEPROGRAMTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN“Howdy Bluebonnet” by Tahmin Rouzbahani2019– 2020GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK
Table of ContentsWelcome and Overview2Your Responsibilities2Graduate Program Administrative Structure2Student Advising3PB Annual Assessment4PhD Curriculum Requirements5Qualifying Exam7Advance to Candidacy10Dissertation Defense10Master of Arts Program11Registration12Academic Appointments and University Fellowships14Prestigious Outside Fellowships16Department Fellowship Competition16Health Insurance Benefits17Required Student Training18Crisis Procedures191
Welcome and OverviewWe the faculty and staff of the Plant Biology Graduate Studies Committee wish towelcome you to the PB Graduate Program. We look forwards to working with you andsupporting your progress towards a graduate degree in PB. We encourage you toactively use this handbook throughout your studies as it is a summary of the university,department and graduate program policies and procedures. For more completeinformation, please refer to our website at ur ResponsibilitiesYou are responsible for understanding the rules and policies that govern your academicdegree. Use all resources available to you and plan well in advance to meet necessarydeadlines. Please feel free to ask our Graduate Coordinator about any deadlines, orissues you may have questions about.The Graduate School website https://gradschool.utexas.edu/ is an excellent resourcefor information on degree requirements, as well as policies for applying to graduate anddeadlines for defenses, thesis and dissertation submissions.The College of Natural Sciences website for Graduate / is another great resource for graduatestudents. It covers college policies, graduate courses offered throughout all CNSgraduate programs, as well as, professional development and career support options.Graduate program Administrative StructureThe Graduate Studies Committee (GSC)The Graduate Studies Committee consists of faculty in the Departments of IntegrativeBiology and Molecular Biological Sciences, as well as faculty from other departmentswhose interests overlap substantially with the PB GSC. The GSC sets the policiesconcerning the graduate program curriculum and academic requirements within theguidelines of the Graduate School and the College of Natural Sciences.2
GSC Chair (Dr. Ed Theriot, etheriot@austin.utexas.edu)The GSC Chair is a faculty member who oversees the PB GSC and oversees all GSCmeetings. The chair also implements GSC policy regarding curriculum, and serves as aliaison to the Graduate School and the College of Natural Sciences.Graduate Advisor (Dr. Randy Linder, rliinder@austin.utexas.edu)The Graduate Advisor is a faculty member of the PB GSC who advises graduatestudents and monitors their progress towards degree. The advisor also serves as aliaison to the Graduate School and the College of Natural Sciences.Graduate Coordinator (Tamra Rogers, tamra@austin.utexas.edu)The Graduate Coordinator is the person who actually does most of the work involved inrunning the program. The coordinator keeps track and processes funding sources,student records, and ensures forms and procedures are processed in a correct andtimely manner. Questions concerning procedures should be addressed to the GraduateCoordinator, who will consult with the Graduate Advisor, College of Natural Sciences, orthe Graduate School, as necessary.Admissions Chair (Dr. Enamul Huq, huq@austin.utexas.edu)The Admissions Chair oversees the process of recruiting, evaluating, and admittingapplicants to the PB graduate program.GSC Faculty MembersFaculty members on the PB Graduate Studies Committee can mentor PB graduatestudents, advise and vote on PB GSC policies, serve on the PB GSC sub-committeesand dissertation committees. Our current list of PB GSC members can be found on ourwebsite at rectory?Itemid 1737.Student AdvisingEach student in PB receives a personalized education, under the supervision of a teamof faculty.Major Professor(s)3
All students have a faculty member appointed as their major professor (PI) beforearriving at UT. The major professor, or professors if co-advised, is responsible forproviding the student with academic guidance regarding coursework, research and theaccess needed to the facilities and resources to conduct their research. All major PI’smust be on the PB GSC, however, co-advisors do not have to be GSC members, oreven affiliated with the university.It is possible to change major professor(s) or add a co-advisor if during your work youfind your interests fit more closely with another faculty member. If any changes aremade regarding your major professor(s), you should notify the Graduate Coordinatorabout the change as soon as possible.First Year Advisory CommitteeDuring the fall semester, all first-year students are required to develop an academicplan of work including coursework expectations. This is developed in consultation withthe PI and two other PB GSC members, who will be selected by your PI. One of thosemembers must be from outside your area of specialization. The Graduate Advisor willapprove the form when complete. The Graduate Coordinator will provide you with theform.Diversity & Inclusivity CommitteeThis committee’s two main efforts are (1) to address concerns or complaints aboutisolation, bias, harassment, mentor-student conflict, or any other inclusivity-relatedchallenge, and (2) to assist in the support of prospective, incoming, and currentgraduate students through mentorship and community-building. All graduate studentsare encouraged to speak with one or more committee members, the GSC Chair,Graduate Advisor, or the Graduate Coordinator about any concerns they may have. Wewill coordinate with students on how to proceed, and will hold all their concerns inconfidence. Further information, as well as a list of all current faculty and graduatestudent representatives serving on this committee are listed on our website /diversity-and-inclusivity.PB Annual AssessmentAll students are expected to make reasonable progress toward their degree. Beginningthe student’s second year, the student must meet with their PI and complete the annualassessment. Once in candidacy, the student will continue to meet annually with theirPI, along with any committee member’s that are available. It is the studentsresponsibility to set up this yearly meeting and complete the Annual Assessment byNovember 1st each year. Once complete, the assessment must be forwarded to the4
Graduate Coordinator who will then send copies of the annual assessment to the PI andthe current committee members.The reports are used by the PB Graduate Student Evaluation Committee in its annualreview of graduate student progress and is important evidence when the committeeawards merit fellowships, research and travel funds. Flagrant or repeated violation ofthis expectation may affect students’ eligibility for TA and GRA appointments orfellowships. A formal meeting of the Dissertation Committee can be requested at anytime by the student, or any member of the Dissertation Committee, but this annualmeeting is required every fall by the EEB Graduate Program.PhD Curriculum RequirementsThe Graduate School requires 30 credit-hours of graduate-level coursework to completea Ph.D. This includes classes, seminar courses, research and dissertation hours. TheGraduate School policy is students must receive a minimum grade of B- or higher toreceive credit towards fulfilling degree requirements. PB’s policy is students arerequired to fulfill the following coursework and training requirements.BIO 389D – Subjects & Skills in Biological SciencesThis core course is required for all first-semester students in PB and is taken with theEEB Cohort.Three Additional Lecture CoursesIn addition to the Subjects & Skills course (BIO 389D), each PB student must take aminimum of three additional graduate-level lecture courses. Lecture courses are definedas courses that meet a minimum of two hours per week, including some instructor-ledcontent (e.g., not just student-led reading discussion), and involve both reading andgraded assignments leading to a letter grade.Two of the additional PB courses must be in the students area of study and one mustbe outside the students area of study. Typically, this is defined as organismal studentswill take two plant organismal courses and one molecular course, while molecularstudents will take two plant molecular courses and one organismal course.All three additional courses must be graduate level and taught, or co-taught, by a PBGSC member, or a Plant Biology instructor.Course Offerings5
Some of the graduate courses listed below will be offered every year, while some will beoffered at least every few years, as faculty are available.Advanced Conservation BiologyAdvances in Plant EcologyAdvances in Plant EvolutionAdvances in Plant SystematicsAdvances in Plant Molecular BiologyFundamentals of EvolutionFundamentals of EcologyPython Programming for BiologyAdvanced Plant PhysiologyAdvanced Plant AnatomyLab in Advanced Plant AnatomyPopulation EcologyPlant Growth and DevelopmentLab Studies in Cell Biology: Plant BiologyPlant Molecular BiologyPlant Biology: Lab Studies in Plant BiologyRecent Advances in Population EcologyRecent Advances in Community EcologyRecent Advances in Ecosystem EcologyRecent Advances in MacroecologyRecent Advances in Conservation BiologyRecent Advances in Microbial EcologyGlobal Change and ChallengesRecent Advances in EvolutionRecent Advances in Mol & Genomic EvolutionBIO 380CBIO 386K-1BIO 386K-2BIO 386K-3BIO 386K-4BIO 390CBIO 390EBIO 382K-6BIO 381PBIO 387JBIO 187LBIO 384EBIO 388EBIO 388LBIO 388MBIO 395BIO 384K-29BIO 384K-30BIO 384K-31BIO 384K-32BIO 384K-33BIO 384K-34BIO 384K-35BIO 384K-36BIO 384K-41Advanced Study and Research / Dissertation HoursStudents who have not yet advanced to candidacy should take BIO 182, 282, 382, 682or 982 (Advanced Study and Research) as part of their course load. This providescredit in recognition of ongoing preparation to do research, but does not fulfill the lectureor seminar course requirements listed above. After admission to candidacy, studentsshould register for BIO 399W, 699W, or 999W through the semester they graduate. Inall cases, the first digit 3, 6, or 9 is the number of hours the course is worth, so use theone that brings your registration up to the full-time course load. If you end up withanything other than 9 hours in the long semesters, or 3 in the summer, please contactthe Graduate Coordinator to help you figure out the best way to register to keep you atthe required full-time status.Summary of Curriculum RequirementsRequired CoursesNumber ofSemesters6When to Take
Subjects & Skills in BiologyTwo PB graduate level coursesin your arear of studyOne PB graduate level courseoutside your area of studyResearch credit (BIO 382,682,982)Dissertation credit (BIO 399W,699W, 999W)12Fall of first yearPreferred before candidacy1Preferred before candidacyAt least 1Every semester until admissionto candidacy.Every semester after admissionto candidacy.At least 2This is the minimum required coursework required by Plant Biology. However,depending on your research and previous experience, your committee may decide youneed to take additional courses.For those coming into the graduate program with a master’s degree, you are stillrequired to take the required minimum four courses. Depending on your researchinterests, you committee may still require additional course work.Qualifying ExamIn consultation with the Major Professor and approval by the Graduate Advisor, thestudent will choose a committee that will administer the Qualifying Exam. Thecommittee must be chosen during the fall semester of the second year. The student andMajor Professor(s) propose a list of five faculty to serve on the committee, which will beapproved by the Graduate Advisor. The student’s PI is one of the 5 members of thecommittee. At least three committee members must be PB GSC faculty members. Oneof PB GSC members must be outside the area of the student’s specialization, such as,a student with a molecular or physiological interest would have one organismal facultymember on the committee. At least one member of the Dissertation Committee must befrom outside the PB GSC. The outside committee member can serve on the PB GSC,but the person considered “outside” must be affiliated with another GSC. If the outsidecommittee member is from another university or is not an official GSC member with theGraduate School, they will be required to submit a CV. One Senior Lecturer can serveon the Qualifying committee with the approval of the Graduate Advisor.A student who wishes to schedule a Qualifying Exam must complete the QualifyingExam application and prepare the Program of Work for Doctoral Degree. Contact theGraduate Coordinator for both of these forms. The Program of Work is a list of thecourses completed, ongoing, or proposed that are to be counted toward the Ph.D. Bothforms are available from the Graduate Coordinator. The Program of Work includes anapproximate thesis title (in order to give the GSC an indication of the student’sinterests), but a research abstract is not required at this time. A draft of the program ofwork should be approved by the Graduate Advisor at least two weeks before the7
Qualifying Exam is scheduled to occur. The draft will then be distributed by theGraduate Coordinator to the entire GSC for comments and recommendations.The Qualifying Exam Committee described above will administer the exam. A person onthe exam committee will serve as the chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee, but thatperson cannot be the student’s PI(s).PurposeThe purpose of Qualifying Exam is to assess whether students have the intellectualcapacity, maturity, and background knowledge to conduct research. Specifically, theexam is supposed to: evaluate student ability to identify and justify interesting research questions,including formulating appropriate hypotheses,assess student ability to place research questions into context of currentliterature,assess student ability to plan strategies to answer research questions,evaluate the student’s ability to communicate their questions and knowledge inwritten and oral form,identify gaps in student knowledge and to recommend rectification, andprovide an incentive for student to hone skills and knowledge necessary toproceed with research in their discipline. Assessment of more general subjectmatter knowledge is achieved by grades from courses.PrerequisitesPrior to taking the Qualifying Exam, students should have completed, or at least becurrently enrolled, in the four courses required by the program. If a course isn’t offeredin time to take it before or during the semester of your qualifying exam, and thecommittee and the Graduate Advisor approve, the student may still go ahead and takethe Qualifying Exam.SchedulingIt is the students responsibility to set up a date, place and time for the exam when allthe committee members can meet. You should schedule a three-hour time slot,however, if you would like extra time to set up, be sure to allow additional time whenreserving the room.The oral exam should take place by the end of the student’s second year (fourth longsemester or the subsequent summer). Students seeking to take their exam in their thirdyear must petition the Graduate Advisor to approve the delay. Students who have notcompleted the Qualifying Exam before the end of their fifth long semester risk being rerouted by their committee or the GSC to the Master’s degree track.8
Qualifying Exam ProcedureAt least two weeks before the exam, the dissertation proposal must be sent to the PI forapproval. Once approved and at least one week before the exam, the student mustemail a copy of the proposal to each of their committee members. It is a good idea toremind each committee member the day before or the morning of the exam about thelocation and time of the exam.Students take a single oral exam. The first portion focuses on general knowledgequestions about the student’s dissertation research. The student is assessed forsufficient general knowledge and course preparation to successfully carry out theresearch and interpret the results at the level expected for a PhD. The proposal isjudged on whether the research is novel and feasible.The exam will focus on the students development of questions, hypotheses, andexperiments. The exam is also an opportunity for the student to get feedback from theircommittee. The proposal must include an abstract, introduction, questions and/orhypotheses, explanation of significance, proposed methodology, feasibility and potentialpitfalls, and a brief literature review. Three or more chapters should be planned. It is theresponsibility of the examining committee to ensure that you have a soundunderstanding of plant biology, particularly in the areas central to your proposed work.All voting members of the committee will have the opportunity to ask questions on anytopic they deem relevant to your research until satisfied.At the end of the exam, with the student out of the room, the faculty consult about adecision. With feedback from the mentor, the committee may opt to:General Knowledge1.2.3.4.5.Pass without conditions. Continue to dissertation proposal.Pass with condition(s) listed below. Continue to dissertation proposal.Pass with condition(s) below. Reschedule dissertation proposalRe-examination at a later date.Termination of the PhD program.Dissertation Proposal1. Admit to candidacy.2. Pass with condition(s) listed below. Continue on to candidacy3. Pass with condition(s) below. Rewrite Proposal. Do not admit to candidacy.All committee members must sign the Examination Results form. If a committeemember is attending virtually, then an email may be sent to the Graduate Coordinator inplace of a formal signature. If any additional coursework is required, it should be addedto the student’s Program of Work for the Doctoral Degree. All signed forms must bereturned to the Graduate Coordinator.9
Advance to CandidacyWhen the dissertation proposal has been accepted by the committee and the resultsform has been signed by the student’s committee, you must return the form to theGraduate Coordinator. The GC will send the student the online form to apply forcandidacy with the Graduate School. You are not officially in candidacy until the onlineform has been final approved by the Graduate School.Students should also check with the Graduate Coordinator during this time to be sure allyour degree requirements have been met. Students do not want to get to their defenseto realize something was missed.Dissertation DefenseThe semester the student intends to graduate a Graduate Application must besubmitted online with the Graduate School. This application is due fairly early in thesemester, so if you think you may defend, go ahead and submit the application. If bychance you don’t defend, or you are still making corrections when the deadline passes,you will just need to apply to graduate again the following semester. It is free to apply tograduate, so you can apply multiple times, if necessary.The student will meet with their Dissertation Committee within one year prior to theDissertation Defense to review progress towards completion and get approval of anapproximate date for the exam.When the dissertation is essentially in its final form, it is circulated to the DissertationCommittee. When all members of the committee agree, the final oral exam should bescheduled with the Graduate School by completing the Request for Final Oral form. Atthis point, all deadlines and paperwork are with the Graduate School, not the PBGraduate Program.Following procedures s
Advances in Plant Systematics BIO 386K-3 . Lab in Advanced Plant Anatomy BIO 187L Population Ecology BIO 384E Plant Growth and Development BIO 388E Lab Studies in Cell Biology: Plant Biology B
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