MS, PhD and MINOR PROGRAM GUIDELINES
Table of Contents
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I. Goals of the Graduate ProgramsThe Goals of the Graduate Program in the Department of Entomology are to develop:
The department recognizes that a Ph.D. research program provides unique challenges and opportunities for a student to learn to become an innovative and independent researcher. To achieve this goal, it is often necessary for the student to first conduct a more structured research project. For this reason, if a student does not hold a Masters degree or its equivalent, the student is admitted into the department as a candidate for a Masters degree. However, if in consultation with the major professor, it is decided that the student may benefit from going directly into a Ph.D. program, the student can petition the Academic Affairs Committee for waiver of the Master's degree requirement. This petition can be submitted prior to entry into the Department. The petition must include evidence in support of the waiver. The option for waiver should not be considered routine and should be reserved for students demonstrating exceptional aptitude for independent and innovative research. 
II. Add-Drop PolicyAt some time during your graduate career you may find that a course you signed up for is either too difficult or is not living up to your expectations. To drop the course, first talk with your major professor about the problem. Then, if necessary, talk to the professor in charge of the course in question. If your major professor agrees to your action, you must obtain departmental approval and drop the course via the touchtone registration system. Courses may be routinely dropped prior to and during the first 9 weeks of the semester. If you drop the course after week 9 you must obtain the Graduate School Dean's permission. You will then need to drop the course via touchtone within the deadline established by the Dean's Office to do so. Courses may be routinely added prior to and during the first two weeks of the semester. Week 3 through Week 9, you will need to obtain departmental approval to add a course by paper form. Week 10 through the last day of final exams, you must obtain departmental approval as well as the Grad. School Dean's permission. You will then need to add the course by paper form within the deadline established by the Dean's Office to do so. Be aware that there are deadlines affecting your transcript and tuition assessment. These deadlines can be found in your current timetable.
III. Statement on Criteria Governing Satisfactory Progress for Graduate StudentsThe Department of Entomology has followed the guidelines for M.S. and Ph.D. candidates set by the Graduate School relative to the minimal course requirements and grade-point average. In other words, any student's continuation in the Graduate School is at the discretion of the Graduate School, the student's major department, and the student's major professor. The student must maintain an average record of B or better in all work (excluding research credits) taken as a graduate student. (A grade of P is considered satisfactory for this purpose while I, incomplete, is considered unsatisfactory.) The Department of Entomology also requires that the student is making satisfactory academic progress towards the intended degree. Evaluation of the student's progress is the responsibility of the major professor and the student's certification committee. In special cases, the Graduate School permits a student who does not meet the required GPA to continue on probation for one semester upon recommendation of the major professor. If the student does not successfully overcome the probation restrictions during that semester, the student's major professor must petition both the Graduate School and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Department of Entomology to keep the student enrolled in graduate school. During the second semester, the student must bring the overall grade point average to 3 or better (based on non-research course work) to maintain student status. Failure to do so will result in dismissal. To re-enter, the student must reapply as a new student. Time deadlines for completion of the M.S. or Ph.D. degree or the scheduling of preliminary examinations are flexible and at the discretion of the major professor and Certification Committee; however, deadlines set by the Graduate School will be strictly adhered to (see Expecting Your Master's Degree? or The 3-D's: Deadlines, Defending, Depositing Your Doctoral Dissertation. See the Graduate School web site.) In the event of an unresolved problem, the student may request counsel and arbitration from the Departmental Chair or a committee of tenured professors appointed by the Chair.
IV. UW-Madison Minimum Credit RequirementEffective September 1, 1997, the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC) voted to abolish the Graduate School residence requirement and to replace it with a UW-Madison minimum credit requirement. The new credit requirement reflects the minimum number of UW-Madison graduate level credits (300 or above) that must be taken in order for the degree to be considered a UW-Madison degree.
The GFEC also agreed to the following: The Graduate School no longer requires Ph.D. and MFA students to fulfill a two full-time semester requirement. Departments wanting to maintain this requirement should notify their students and include it in their student handbooks as required criteria for satisfactory progress. The minimum credit requirement for Ph.D. and DMA students must be completed prior to achieving dissertator status. Individual departments requiring higher credit minimums than those listed above should specify this in their handbooks and in their criteria for satisfactory progress. It is no longer necessary for departments to request that the Graduate School accept transfer of graduate work done at another institution to fulfill the residence requirement (note: transfer credits never appeared on the student's transcripts). Departments are free to transfer whatever amount of work they wish to fulfill department course requirements. The Graduate School will not transfer any graduate work done at another institution toward fulfillment of the minimum UW-Madison credit requirement. All graduate level credits, including those taken during summer, will count toward fulfillment of the minimum credit requirement. Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA in their graduate course work in order to graduate. Students who receive Graduate School approval for a credit overload will be able to count all graduate level credits toward fulfillment of the minimum credit requirement. Except during summer sessions, graduate students must register for a minimum of two credits. A graduate level course taken at a distance will count toward the minimum credit requirement only if the course is considered a UW-Madison course.
V. Requirements for M.S. Degree in EntomologyThe UW-Madison minimum credit requirement for an M.S. degree is 16 graduate level credits. All research assistants must carry a full-time load (8 credits of courses, seminars or research). During the summer session, a research assistant must be registered for a minimum of two credits. In addition, the following departmental requirements are to be met:
These courses are included in the 16 credits required by the Graduate School. Within the first year of entering the University of Wisconsin as an M.S. degree candidate, the student should be certified. This involves selecting a Masters Guidance Committee composed of three faculty members from the Department of Entomology. The members of the committee will be decided upon by the major professor and the student. The committee will convene and discuss the student's M.S. program, i.e., course work and proposed research. Each student will submit a written research proposal to the committee. The proposal will consist of an introduction covering previous work in the area, objectives, methods section, and a complete bibliography. The certification form, found on the LAN at (Ento on Pen) I:\department_share\CertForms\certms.doc, is completed and signed at this time. Call the Entomology main office at (608) 262-3227 if you need help accessing this form. (Link to an online Master's form.) Signed copies of this form are to be retained in the student file (Departmental Office), and by the student and Major Professor. The full-time student is generally expected to complete the M.S. within two years. A research thesis is required. The thesis topic and final draft are the responsibility of the student and the major professor. A copy of the thesis will be distributed to all members of the examining committee at least two weeks prior to the examination. Upon completion of the thesis, a masters exam must be taken. This is an oral examination they will have major emphasis on comprehensive knowledge of entomology, related fields, and thesis-related subjects. It will also include a defense of thesis. The Master's Guidance Committee will serve as the Masters Examination Committee. Consult with members of this committee, to set the date of the exam at least one month in advance of the warrant request. Two attempts will be allowed to pass this examination.
V. (1) Responsibilities Before the Examination
The departmental administrator will forward this information to the Graduate School. Courses taken during the last semester will not be taken into account until the semester is over. Be assured that the Graduate School will make one final check of your records before permitting graduation.
V. (2) Responsibilities After the Examination
VI. Requirements for Ph.D. Degree in EntomologyIf the student does not hold an M.S. or its equivalent, the Department recommends that the student obtain an M.S. before entering the Ph.D. program. VI. (1) Basic RequirementsBiologyA minimum of one course is required in any four of the following subjects:
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
VI. (2) Entomology Courses RequiredThe acceptability of equivalent courses taken at other institutions may be determined by the student's certification committee. Waivers of course requirements may be granted by the departmental Academic Affairs Committee, but only under exceptional circumstances.
Credit loadsResearch Assistants must be graduate students and carry a full-time graduate load (8 credits minimum) of courses, seminars, or research, during the fall and spring and 2 credits during the summer. Dissertators (a Ph.D. candidate who has passed the preliminary examination and completed all degree and minor requirements), regardless of funding, must register for at least 3 credits for fall, spring, and summer (see Continuous Registration Requirement). Graduate Students without an assistantship must register
for a minimum of 2 credits during the academic year. These
students do not need to register in the summer. VI. (3) Certification and MinorThe Department recommends a Certification Committee be convened within the first two years of entering the Ph.D. program. The committee will consist of the major professor, the minor professor and two additional professors conducting research in an area related to the student's proposed research project. The committee (four members) must be composed of at least two professors from Entomology. If a distributed minor is chosen, the department chair is recognized by the Graduate School as the nominal minor professor. However, in this case the chair will not be considered one of the four Certification Committee members unless he or she agrees to be a full participating committee member. Also, in the case of a distributed minor, at least one of the Certification Committee members will be from outside the department. It is highly recommended that the complete examining committee required for the final exam (five members) be chosen at this time. All members will then be familiar with the student's research and be able to provide input during the development of the thesis. If the fifth member is chosen at this time, the committee should have a majority of members from the Department of Entomology. The Certification Committee has several functions:
The student may access the major certification form and the minor agreement form from the Entomology LAN at (Ento on Pen) I:\department_share\CertForms\certphd.doc. Call the entomology main office at (608) 262-3227 if you need help accessing this form. (Link to an online PhD form.)A minor certification form may be required from the minor department and can be obtained from the minor department office. These forms should be filled out before the time of the certification. After certification, additional courses required or advised should be added to the major certification form. One copy of the 1) certification form, 2) the minor agreement form and 3) the research proposal is then given to the Department of Entomology Administrator, who forwards it to the chair of the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC). The certificate, as presented to the mentor committee, should be emailed to the Department Administrator who will forward it to the AAC committee for review. The AAC then reviews the forms and may require correction of errors or irregularities and may approve or reject petitions for exemptions. When satisfactorily completed and signed off by the chair of the AAC, one copy of the major certification form showing AAC approval is given to the major professor, one copy stays on file in the Entomology office, and one copy is kept by the student. The completed, signed minor agreement form is to be returned to the student's major department after the minor proposal has been reviewed. The minor must be in a Regent-approved degree program separate from the major. The minor, whether in a single department (option A), or distributed in two or more departments (option B), is designed to represent a coherent body of work and should not be simply an after-the-fact ratification of a number of courses taken outside the major department. On the minor agreement form are listed all the courses being proposed to satisfy the Ph.D. minor requirement. It is not necessary to list optional or prerequisite courses. Only graduate level courses numbered 300-999 taken after the student has earned a bachelor's degree may be used to satisfy the Ph.D. minor requirement. By signing the minor agreement form, faculty members indicate their approval of the proposed minor course sequence. The minor professor signs the preliminary warrant after a student has successfully completed minor requirements and the preliminary examination. To satisfy minor option A, a student must take at least ten graduate credits from a single degree program outside the major. If the minor department requires more than ten graduate credits, then the additional credits must also be completed. One course cross-listed with the major may be used for the minor so long as it is not staffed more than 50 percent by the major department and is not applicable to any requirements of the major. To satisfy minor option B, a student must take at least ten graduate credits from two or more programs and can include course work in the major department. Selection of this option requires the approval of the major department. Option A minors appear on transcripts as the name of the minor (e.g., Folklore), and Option B minors appear on transcripts as "distributed."
VI. (4) Preliminary ExaminationThe preliminary examination is normally taken upon completion of courses required for the major and minor. The preliminary examination is a comprehensive examination of the student's knowledge of the major and minor fields of study. The examining committee (four members) consists of the major professor and three or four other faculty members, two of whom are from the Department of Entomology, with the third representing the minor field of study. If the student has elected to have five committee members, at least three will be chosen from Entomology. The examination will consist of two parts--one written and one oral. The written portion will consist of three (or four if the minor is included) sessions, scheduled within two weeks. Each member of the committee will contribute written questions for a single session, which will normally be completed within a given day. Written questions from the minor professor are highly recommended although not necessary. The major professor will supervise and administer the written examination, the length of which will be left to his/her discretion. The student's written examination papers will be circulated among the committee members for review. The examining committee will confer to evaluate the written examination before scheduling the oral examination. Please leave one week between the last written and the oral exam to allow the committee time to evaluate them. If the student fails to perform adequately on the written portion of the exam, the committee will permit a second attempt. The student must satisfactorily pass the written before taking the oral exam. The oral portion of the preliminary examination will follow the last written session within four weeks. The oral exam will cover areas touched on in the written exam and on any related topics deemed pertinent by the committee. Two attempts will be allowed to pass the preliminary examination. To initiate the process, (1) go to your committee and check into possible dates for the examination. As it is often difficult to get all of the committee together for this event, allow yourself at least two months. (2) Go to the Departmental Administrator and request a warrant. Have with you the date of the examination and the committee members (correct spelling of names and their title). Reserve a room. (3) The Departmental Administrator will send your request to the Graduate School where your request is formally documented. (4) The Graduate School will send you a packet of information along with the warrant. If problems with your transcript arise, a warrant will not be issued. Problems can range from an incomplete or unreported grades on your transcript to a progress mark in any course other than Entomology 990. (5) Ask the members of the committee what they think is important for you to know. (6) After successful passage of the preliminary examination, the preliminary warrant should be signed by the appropriate professors. If the minor has also been completed, the minor section of the warrant should also be signed. Make a copy for yourself and your departmental file. (7) The signed warrant should then be immediately returned to the Graduate School for official recording.
VI. (5) The Continuous Registration Requirement for Ph.D. CandidatesThe continuous registration requirement was instituted by Graduate School faculty to ensure that a graduate degree represents preparation beyond course requirements. The requirement is meant to ensure that, in addition to course work, those who earn graduate degrees have spent a sufficient amount of time in residence in their disciplines--not merely taking classes, but also meeting with professors and peers; participating in research projects and colloquia; using laboratories and libraries; and generally becoming an active contributor to a research discipline. Dissertator status is conferred upon the doctoral candidate only after a student has met the following qualifications: 1) passed the preliminary exams, 2) satisfied the Ph.D. credit requirements, 3) completed all minor requirements, 4) completed all major requirements except dissertation; and, 4) cleared all incomplete or P grades in non-research courses. Students who are engaged in research and writing, whether on campus or not, must register for at least three dissertator-level credits. During academic years and any summers during which students use University facilities or faculty time, they must be enrolled for at least three graduate-level credits (at the current per-credit dissertator rate). State law requires that the University assess tuition and fees in accordance with the actual residency status of the student. Students who fail to maintain continuous registration are assessed a degree completion fee equal to twelve times the current per-credit dissertator rate. This fee will be assessed by the Graduate School upon approval of the dissertation. The fee is based on the residency status of the student at the last term of registration. Students who re-enter and complete the degree in less than four continuous terms of registration will pay the difference between the twelve credit fee and the cost of whatever continuous registration credits for which the student has paid since re-entry and prior to graduation. Enrollment at the dissertator rate is not available to students who are actively engaged in course work or research for a second degree--Master's or Ph.D.--for which dissertator status has not yet been attained. Graduate students are subject to the normal University registration requirements, including penalties for late registration. For the purposes of assessing fees, a student who has fulfilled the continuous registration requirement and who is registered for a given semester or summer session is permitted to complete the Ph.D. degree (including filing the dissertation in the Library) on any date before the first day of classes of the next academic session (semester or summer). However, fee assessment and the dates on which degrees are conferred do not coincide. The Ph.D. degree will be awarded on the first degree granting date following its completion.
VI. (6) Student Responsibilities Before the Final ExaminationGraduate SchoolIt is the student's responsibility to become acquainted with the deadlines for each semester. Doing so early will aid in planning the degree completion. Before arranging for the final oral examination, the candidate should make sure that degree requirements (other than acceptance of the dissertation) have been met. Report to the Graduate School office, 229 Bascom Hall, to have records checked. Students who have achieved official dissertator status have already met requirements 1-4 listed below. The requirements include:
DepartmentSet up a time for Ph.D. finals that is suitable to all five members of the final examination committee. Reserve a room for the examination at this time. The final copy of the thesis must be distributed to all members of the committee at least one week before the final examination. The Ph.D. final examination will consist of a public, oral thesis defense in seminar form with an approximately 45 minute presentation on significant parts of the research, followed by questions from the audience. This will normally be scheduled as part of the department colloquium series and posted 24 hours in advance. There will then be a closed meeting of the student and the committee. Upon completion of the final exam, the warrant should be signed by all five professors and the official title page signed by the three readers.
VI. (7) Student Responsibilities After the Final Oral ExaminationAfter successful completion of the final oral examination, the candidate must submit the committee-approved dissertation and all degree completion forms contained in the final examination packet to the Graduate School in 229 Bascom Hall. The following list gives details regarding submission of all materials. Items marked with an asterisk (*) require the dean's signature, which will be provided at the time the dissertation is approved at the Graduate School.
NOTE: The Bursar's Office closes regularly at 4 p.m. CommencementStudents who plan to participate in the December or May commencement ceremonies should notify their major departments of their intentions. The departments arrange for escorts for the candidates and notify the Committee on Public Functions, Room 134, Bascom Hall (262-3956).
VI. (7)(1) DiplomasDiploma covers are handed out at the commencement ceremony. The diplomas are mailed to the graduates about three months after the ceremony. THE STUDENT'S NAME IS PRINTED ON THE DIPLOMA EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON TRANSCRIPT. Arrangements to have diplomas sent overseas by registered mail or airmail may be made at the Degree Summary and Verification Office, Room 123, A.W. Peterson Building (262-3782). Students who do not attend commencement may pick up the diploma cover at Room 123, A.W. Peterson Building. Requests for official letters certifying that the degree has been completed will be supplied on request, before diplomas are available, by the registrar. A REQUEST FORM SHOULD BE FILED WITH THE PH.D. EXAMINER, Room 229, Bascom Hall, AT THE TIME THE DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED FOR FINAL APPROVAL. Two certificates are provided without charge. Certificates are sent overseas by airmail. Postage for more than two certificates must be provided by the student. Additional requests at a later date may be made in the Degree Summary and Verification Office, Room 123, A.W. Peterson Building.
VI. (7)(2) Degree Deadlines for Dissertation DepositIt is the student's responsibility to check the appropriate degree deadlines for degree completion. Degree deadlines are sent to the departments for each new semester, are included in the University of Wisconsin-Madison timetable for each semester, are available in the Graduate School Ph.D. Office, Room 229, Bascom Hall or on the Internet. IF A POSTED DEADLINE IS NOT MET, WHICH INCLUDES DEPOSITING THE DISSERTATION IN MEMORIAL LIBRARY BY 4 P.M. ON THE DEADLINE DATE, THE DEGREE WILL BE ISSUED AT THE NEXT SEMESTER OR SUMMER SESSION FOR WHICH THE STUDENT QUALIFIES. STUDENTS SHOULD CHECK DEGREE DEADLINES AND REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEW SEMESTER OR SESSION.
VII. Requirements for the Graduate Minor in EntomologyStudents who elect entomology as a minor in their training for the doctorate will take 10 to 14 credits of entomology, including one semester of graduate seminar (Ent. 901, 903, 905). The courses will be determined by the student's interest after consultation with the minor professor and certification committee. |