Plant Biology Doctoral Degree Requirements

Program | Faculty | Master's | Doctoral | Courses

A Ph.D. candidate is required to complete one core course in three of the following areas of study: Molecular and Cell Biology of Plant Development, Plant Ecology, Plant Evolution, Plant Genetics, Plant Development, Plant Microbe Interactions, and Plant Physiology. Specific course listings to fulfill the above core requirements are available from the Plant Biology Program Office. In addition, two elective courses are required, to be selected from the list of upper-level offerings. Formal course requirements should be completed by the end of the fourth semester. However, for each semester throughout the entire training period, the student will be required to participate in a journal club.

Ph.D. students who have not been targeted by a faculty member prior to admission participate in one laboratory rotation during each of the first two semesters of study. Laboratory rotations, based on students' research interests, permit them to become acquainted with members of specific laboratories, the subjects of study in those laboratories, and possible projects for doctoral research. At the conclusion of the second rotation, students select a laboratory in which to complete their dissertation research and obtain approval from the faculty member to work in their laboratory.

Formal testing for the Comprehensive Exam is conducted in two steps: the first part consists of an oral examination based on a student's coursework and topics in general plant biology/botany. The examination occurs at the end of the second semester of study and is conducted by an examining committee composed of three faculty members in Plant Biology. The second step is an oral defense of an original research proposal that may be related to the student's dissertation research. The proposal must be completed by the end of the fifth semester. There is also a final oral defense of the written dissertation. It is expected that students will complete the Ph.D. degree in four to five years. Funding, consisting of a teaching assistantship or a research assistantship, is guaranteed for up to five years, contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. degree.