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Checklist

This Checklist is intended to assist students and faculty advisors by providing an outline of the administrative procedures which must be followed as students progress through the program. The official source of all policies and procedures relating to graduate study are outlined in Graduate Catalog. This checklist should be filled out by the student and kept up to date in the students copy of the handbook. The student should seek council from his/her academic advisor when necessary.

Students that do not possess a masters degree and also have several undergraduate deficiencies may find it difficult to follow the timetables presented below. The students research mentor or academic advisor will assist students in revising the timetable should a student enter the program with many deficiencies. In some cases, a student may need to take as much as one year of undergraduate coursework before initiating the time-table for the Research Plan, Program of Study, Environmental Research Seminar (Chemistry Concentration), Comprehensive Exam, etc. The Director of Environmental Sciences will assist Faculty or students should this need arise, however, this issue should be discussed with your academic advisor first and then he/she should notify the director if exceptions and/or assistance is requested.

1. Admission to the Program Date _________________

Deadline for application: Four weeks prior to date of registration.

Required Forms and Procedures: Contact the Graduate School for complete information.

Standing: _____Full _____Provisional

2. Initial Registration. _______Semester, 20___

Biology: You should contact your major professor to obtain assistance in the registration
process.

Chemistry: You should contact the departmental chairperson who will select an academic
advisor to assist you in the registration process.

Note: You must complete all requirements for the degree within eight years from the beginning of the above semester of initial registration.

3. Selection of Major Professor Date_________________

Deadline: No later than the end of the semester in which you will complete 15 semester credits in the Ph.D. program.

Biology: No Action required. Your major professor was selected as a part of the admission process.

Chemistry: Based on your particular area of interest in chemistry, your academic advisor will assist you in the selection of a major professor. You should interview at least five (5) members of the Chemistry graduate Faculty.

Note: Your major professor will serve as the chairperson of your advisory committee and as your primary resource person for the remainder of your graduate program. Whenever you have questions or problems, consult with your major professor.

4. Selection of Advisory Committee Date_________________

Deadline: No later than the end of the semester in which you will complete 15 semester credits in the Ph.D. program.

Required TTU Form: Request for Appointment of Advisory Committee

Note: The organization and appointment of advisory committees to supervise graduate study for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Sciences shall be the same, generally, as in the master’s program, except that the advisory committee shall consist of at least five members of the Graduate Faculty. Three members shall be from the student's area of concentration either Biology or Chemistry. Two members shall be from separate departments of the environmental science core outside the student's area of concentration. Changes in a Ph.D. advisory committee must adhere to all policies and procedures governing graduate study at the University, as contained in the Graduate Catalog and administered by the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies.

5. Approval of Proposed Program of Study Date _______________

Deadline: No later than the end of the semester in which you will complete 15 semester credits in the Ph.D. program.

Required TTU form: Proposed Program of Graduate Study.

Note: Your Proposed Program of Study is a comprehensive list of all courses you will take as a part of your doctoral program. It must include a minimum of 61 semester credits, consisting of at least 43 credits in course work beyond the bachelor’s degree and at least 18 credits in Research and Dissertation. The course work must include 13 credits in “core courses” and 12 credits in 7000-level courses. It may include up to 18 credits in course work (excluding Research and Thesis) taken as part of a master’s program.

6. Research Plan Date _______________

Deadline: The Research Plan must be completed by the end of the second semester for Biology
Concentration students and the end of the third semester (excluding summers) for full time
students and at a date agreeable with the Advisory Committee for part-time students.

Required TTU Form: Research Plan Cover Sheet

The Research Plan must be approved by the students Graduate Advisory Committee. The Research Plan Cover Sheet must be attached to the cover of the Research Plan and kept on file in the office of the Director of the Ph.D. Program in Environmental Sciences. Oral Presentation and defense of the Research Plan is required. Each member of the Students Graduate Advisory Committee should be given at least one week to review the written portion before defense. If the advisory committee feels it is necessary for the student to undertake additional coursework following the oral presentation, the Substitution form or completed Program of Study should be attached to the Research Plan as well (Both forms are found either in the Forms section of the Handbook on the web, or in the appendix of the handbook.)

7. Reclassification to Full Standing (if applicable) Date _________________

Deadline: No later than the end of the semester in which you will complete 15 semester credits in the Ph.D. program.

Required TTU form: Application for Reclassification to Full Standing.

Note: If you were admitted to the program in Provisional Standing, the conditions which must be satisfied before reclassification to Full Standing were listed on the Certificate of Admission.

8. Environmental Science Seminar

Chemistry Concentration.

EVS 7910 should be completed the semester before the Comprehensive Exam for Chemistry Concentration Students. This seminar will be given to the Faculty and students of the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program and any other Faculty who may wish to attend. The seminar may cover any topic in Environmental Chemistry but may not include research outlined in the students Research Plan. A 50 min. seminar should be prepared. This seminar should be scheduled with the Department of Chemistry Seminar Chairman the semester you plan to take this course. Chemistry Concentration students are required to give a second 50 min seminar, the defense seminar, during the semester they plan to graduate. This seminar should also be scheduled with the Chemistry Department Seminar Chairman and will include representative data from their dissertation.

Biology Concentration.

EVS 7910 should be taken the semester you plan to graduate. The requirement of EVS 7910 is met by formal presentation of your research dissertation and should be scheduled with your mentor and/or the Biology Department Seminar Chairman, whichever is applicable.

9. Comprehensive Exam.

Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination must be achieved in a timely fashion. Divisional requirements of the Comprehensive Examination must be met within a year following the completion of 80% of the course work in the student’s Program of Study, including successful completion of all core courses. It shall be the student’s responsibility, in consultation with his/her research advisor, to schedule this examination at a date agreeable to the whole examining committee. The committee shall be given at least two months advance notice of the Examination date in order to make preparations. Any second attempts to pass portions of the Comprehensive Examination must be scheduled in the subsequent (Fall/Spring) semester. Failure to follow these procedures shall result in the student’s dismissal from the program. Any appeal by the student for exceptions to this policy shall be made in writing and submitted to the Executive Committee of the Ph.D. program.

9. Admission to Candidacy Date _________________

Required TTU form: Memorandum from the chairperson of your advisory committee to the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies.

Admission to candidacy is based on the recommendation of your advisory committee. You must have:

a. Satisfactorily completed eighty percent of the course work in your proposed program of study;

b. Satisfactorily completed your comprehensive examination; and

c. Submitted a proposed doctoral research project (research plan) which has been approved by your advisory committee.

10. Submission of Application for Graduation Date _________________

Deadline: The beginning of the semester in which the degree is expected to be conferred. See the calendar in the Graduate Catalog for the date.

Required TTU form: Application for Graduation.

This application is for a specific Commencement Exercise. If you do not complete all requirements for graduation as anticipated, another Application for Graduate must be submitted.

Deadline: At least three weeks prior to your anticipated date of graduation.

Required TTU form: Memorandum from the chairperson of your advisory committee to the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies.

Note: After all members of your advisory committee have had an opportunity to read the complete final draft of your dissertation, the chairperson of your advisory committee will schedule a meeting of the committee to hear your presentation and defense of the research. The committee may accept the dissertation as presented or may request modifications or further research. It is recommended that the oral defense be scheduled well in advance of the above deadline.

11. Submission of Dissertation to the Graduate School. Date _________________

Deadline: See Important Dates and Deadlines for exact dates

Proposed final copy: At least three weeks prior to your date of graduation.

Official final copies: At least one week prior to your date of graduation.

Note: The dissertation must be completed in a format specified by the Graduate School. The proposed final copy of the dissertation and an abstract of the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School for approval at least three weeks prior to your anticipate date of graduation. After the proposed copy has been approved and, if necessary, revised, three official copies of the dissertation and four official copies of the abstract must be provided to the Graduate School at least one week prior to your anticipated date of graduation.

12. Graduation. Date _________________

Note: You must be enrolled in school during the semester in which the degree is granted. You are expected to be present at the Commencement Exercise for the conferral of the degree unless written authorization to graduate in absentia has been granted by the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies.