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Degree Requirements
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: UNIVERSITY There are some general requirements that both M.S. and Ph.D. students must meet. Students may be prevented from registering, lose financial support and be dismissed from the program for failure to meet these requirements. Some of these are University requirements over which SoMAS does not have authority. Additional information about these SBU degree requirements can be found in the Graduate Bulletin at http://www.grad.sunysb.edu/academics/bulletin/BULLETIN_HTM.htm (Academic Regulations and Procedures and Degree Requirements). 1. Registration Except for an approved Leave of Absence, all students must be registered continuously from the time they start the program until they complete the degree requirements and hand in their thesis or withdraw from the program. Part-time students must register for at least one credit each semester. You must be registered for at least one credit in the semester you complete your degree requirements, even in the summer. You must be registered full-time if you are going to receive a stipend or, if you are a foreign student, to maintain the proper status for your visa. Students must register for zero credits of Research (MAR 590, OCN 650, or OCN 699) over the summer. Full-time enrollment status: M.S. Students:
Ph.D. Students:
2. Leave of Absence and Withdrawal If conditions require a student to leave the Graduate Program for any length of time, they must either request a Leave of Absence or formally withdraw from the University. Unauthorized withdrawal may prevent a student from being able to return. If you expect to return the next semester or next year, request a Leave. If you do not know when (or whether) you will return, formally withdraw. A Leave of Absence Request Form may be obtained from the SoMAS Educational Programs Office. Endorsement of the Graduate Program Director is required. Upon completion, the form is sent to the Graduate School for approval by the Dean. The conditions governing leaves of absence and reinstatement are described in the Graduate Bulletin. When you intend to return to the University, you must inform the Graduate Program Director in writing before the expiration of the leave period granted you. This notification should give a detailed account of any academic or professional activity you pursued during your leave. The Director will endorse your request for reinstatement and forward it to the Graduate School. Upon receipt of your request and the Director's endorsement, the Graduate School will reinstate you. If you do not request reinstatement before the expiration of your leave, the Graduate School will make your withdrawal permanent. Formal withdrawal is initiated by submitting a letter explaining your intention to withdraw to the Graduate Program Director and the Graduate School. 3. Grading System and Academic Probation The grading system is explained in detail in the Graduate Bulletin. The Graduate School requires that graduate students maintain a cumulative GPA greater than 3.0 for courses numbered 500 or greater. Students with a GPA below 3.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who have not raised their GPA above 3.0 after two semesters on probation will not be permitted to re-enroll. 4. Credit Requirements, Residency, and Time Limits The Graduate School requires at least 30 graduate credits with an overall B average. The M.S. degree must be completed within 3 years. The Ph.D. degree must be completed within 7 years if you already had a related graduate degree, or otherwise within 7 years of completing 24 graduate credits at Stony Brook. For the Ph.D degree, at least two consecutive semesters of full-time study must be spent at Stony Brook. 5. Ph.D. Teaching Requirement For the Ph.D. degree, the University requires at least one semester of teaching experience, above and beyond a typical TA assignment. Details of the SoMAS teaching practicum are described below. 6. Ph.D. Preliminary Examination – Proposal Defense The University requires that each Department perform a Preliminary Examination of each student who wishes to earn a Ph.D. degree. The Departments have a great deal of freedom in deciding how to do this; SoMAS requires that each student give an oral defense of their written dissertation proposal to their Ph.D. Dissertation Examining Committee (described in greater detail below). 7. Ph.D. Advancement to Candidacy To advance to candidacy (become a G5), a student must complete all degree requirements except the dissertation and its defense. Students must advance to candidacy at least one year before the beginning of the semester in which their dissertation is defended. 8. Ph.D. Dissertation Examining Committee and Oral Defense The Dissertation Examining Committee, which must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School 4 weeks prior to the defense, must include several SoMAS Faculty plus one person from outside SoMAS. SoMAS’s specific guidelines for the structure of Dissertation Examining Committees can be found below. The Dissertation Examining Committee must approve both the oral defense and the written dissertation. The Oral Defense must be announced, through the Graduate School, at least 3 weeks in advance. 9. Thesis/Dissertation The M.S. thesis and Ph.D. dissertation must be prepared according to the Graduate School’s guidelines, as described in the Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations (http://www.grad.sunysb.edu/academics/GUIDE.T&D/Guidet&d.htm). The deadline for submission of theses and dissertations each semester is set by the University. 10. Other administrative requirements for graduation Students expecting to graduate in a given semester must be registered, apply for graduation (online with the Graduate School or by filing a degree card available in the Educational Programs Office) before the University deadline (which is early in the semester), and complete all University and SoMAS program requirements on time so that the Graduate Program Director can recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School that the degree be granted. Candidates who do not complete degree requirements must reapply for a subsequent degree awarding period. There are also many requirements specific to the SoMAS graduate program that both M.S. and Ph.D. students must meet. Students may be prevented from registering, lose financial support and be dismissed from the program for failure to meet these requirements. Satisfying these requirements generally requires that students petition the GPC by filling out and submitting appropriate forms. The forms can be obtained from the Educational Programs Office or from Appendix II of this Handbook and should be submitted to the Graduate Program Committee via Carol Dovi at least one month before the activity they describe will be conducted or the approval they seek will be required. The GPC will also consider petitions for situations not covered here; these should be submitted as letters from both the student and his/her advisor describing the situation and the remedy sought. 1. General Comments on Coursework Although both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are research-based, regular educational courses are a vital part of the SoMAS graduate program. They provide an efficient way for students from diverse backgrounds to arrive at a similar level of knowledge about marine systems, an efficient way for Faculty to evaluate students (particularly new students), and a mechanism for intellectual interaction within SoMAS. It is therefore expected that students enrolled in our courses, especially the required courses, will take them seriously. Your Counselor or Advisor is there to help you, and your course schedule for each semester should be approved by your Counselor or Advisor. Students must sometimes miss classes to undertake fieldwork or study at other research facilities. Instructors will try to make arrangements to accommodate opportunities that are essential to the student's research and cannot be scheduled so as not to interfere with classes. Special arrangements for readings, make-up exams and papers, however, are an additional burden on the instructors, and have rarely been an adequate substitute for the missed course work. Opportunities to participate in other research should be taken advantage of whenever possible, but when it is not essential for the student's research, the course requirements take precedence. 2. Core Course Requirements SoMAS requires all graduate students to take and pass the core courses with at least a B average and with no grade falling below a C. Please remember: a B- is lower than a B and a C- is lower than a C. For students in the Marine Sciences track, the core courses are Physical Oceanography (MAR 501), Biological Oceanography (MAR 502), Chemical Oceanography (MAR 503), and Geological Oceanography (MAR 506). The core courses for the Atmospheric Sciences track are Atmospheric Radiation (MAR 544), Theoretical Meteorology I (MAR 593), Theoretical Meteorology II (MAR 594), and any one of the four oceanography core courses. On an individual basis, core course requirements may be substituted by a combination of equivalent Marine and Atmospheric Sciences courses for a tailored interdisciplinary curriculum. Such substitutions must be recommended by a faculty member in writing, and approved by the Graduate Programs Committee. During their second semester, all Marine Sciences track students are required to take the 2-credit Scientific Communication course (MAR 568). This course is intended to help students develop a variety of skills essential to success in graduate school and beyond. M.S. students in the Atmospheric Sciences track must take OCN 694, Graduate Seminar in Atmospheric Sciences, for 3 semesters. Atmospheric Sciences track Ph.D. students must take OCN694 for four semesters. The required MAR 568 and OCN 694 can be counted only once toward the Graduate School's 30-credit requirement for the M.S. degree. 3. Core Course B Average and Remedy Students who do not achieve a B average in the core courses or who receive any grade below C during their first year MUST, before the beginning of their third semester, have a plan to remedy their academic standing in the program approved by the Graduate Program Committee. This petition (see Appendix II for the form) should be submitted immediately after the student’s grades for the first year are available, and definitely no later that one month prior to the beginning of the third semester. This plan should be developed with the help of the Counselor or Advisor and relevant Core Course instructors. The usual remedy will be either the retaking of all or part of whichever course(s) are required to bring the student into compliance with the core course grade requirement, or the completion of a specialized course (not a seminar-style course) in the same field as the core course(s) in which the student did not do well. Students without an approved plan will not be allowed to register for their third semester. The student must complete the approved remedy by the end of their second year. Petitions for other remedies will only be considered under unusual circumstances. Ph.D. students who do not achieve a B average in the core courses may be required to either delay taking the Comprehensive Exam until their fourth semester to allow time for the remedy of the core course grade average, or switch to the M.S. program before being considered for readmission to the Ph.D. program. Either of these outcomes will significantly delay progress in the program; therefore students should make every effort possible to achieve a B average in the core courses. 4. Core Course Waiver The requirement to take any or all of the core courses may be waived if proficiency in the course material can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the instructor(s) as follows (see Appendix II for the form):
5. Advanced Courses At least 6 credits are required in advanced specialty courses (excluding MAR 501, 502, 503, 506, 552, 568, 580, 590 and OCN 650, 655, 694) selected by the student and his or her Advisor and approved by the Advisor. MAR 519 (and similar seminar-style courses) may be counted for only 1 credit toward this requirement. See Appendix II for the form to be submitted to GPC. 6. SoMAS Seminars All first year students are required to attend the weekly SoMAS or TAOS seminars during both the fall and spring semesters. Marine Sciences track students should register for MAR 580 (Seminar) for zero credits and sign the attendance roster each week they attend. Atmospheric Sciences track students should register for MAR 580.2 for zero credits and sign the attendance roster. Part-time students who cannot attend the seminar regularly can arrange with the seminar coordinator to attend 20 approved seminars at any academic institution or national meeting of a scientific society. 7. Research Credit All first year students must register for one to three credits of Research (MAR 590 or OCN 650) or Directed Study (MAR 552 or OCN 655) as an exploration of possible research topics and potential advisors. This can be done in either the first or second semester but must be done under the supervision of a Faculty member during one of the first two semesters. 8. Advisor All first year students should select an Advisor by the end of their second semester. Students not having an Advisor by the end of their first year of study may not be allowed to register for their third semester. Once an Advisor is selected, student must submit an Advisor Selection form. In choosing an Advisor, the first question to answer is: in what specific area do you want to do research? The more precise the answer, the easier it will be to choose an Advisor. The area chosen should be an area of active research at SoMAS; it will be quite difficult to carry out research in an area outside the expertise of the Faculty. The second question to answer is: which SoMAS Faculty member(s) research and interests are closest to yours? These will be the Faculty most qualified to guide and evaluate research in this area. The third step is to familiarize yourself with the work, research styles, and personalities of the potential advisor(s). Read their published papers. Talk with them about their current work and interests. Take opportunities to listen to their lectures and seminars. Finally, talk over the possible choices with your Counselor and other students. Consider scientific, financial, and personal factors. The relationship between student and Advisor will become very close. If you can already tell that your personalities clash, in the long term the association is likely to become very uncomfortable. To avoid misunderstandings, it is important that students and Advisors frankly discuss the student's goals, financial aid, and the Advisor's expectations. Both must make the effort to communicate. Students can change Advisors. This most often occurs when students’ growing knowledge and interests lead them into a research area different from the one they initially considered. Such a change is not to be undertaken lightly. It almost always adds to the time it will take to complete the degree. The conditions for a change are the same as those for your initial selection: mutual consent of the new Advisor and the student. Students changing Advisors must submit an Advisor Change form as soon as possible after the change is agreed upon. 9. Field Experience All students in the Marine Sciences track must have seagoing or appropriate field experience approved one month in advance by the Graduate Programs Committee (GPC; see Appendix II for the form). An ideal Field Experience should include a few hours of preparation for the field work, one or more days of participation in sample/data collections in the field, and a few hours of involvement in post-trip sample/data processing when possible. For students doing thesis research that lacks a field component, this field experience should be as directly related as possible to the thesis research. For example, students performing analyses of data collected by others could participate in the collection of similar data or maintenance/deployment of related equipment. Alternative arrangements will be considered when a thesis-related field experience cannot be arranged. See Appendix II for the form to be completed and submitted to GPC well before your planned field work. Be sure that you are familiar with the SoMAS safety policy before beginning field work on our research vessels (see Appendix I). M.S. PROGRAMIn addition to the general requirements, the SoMAS M.S. degree requires the following. 1. Research Proposal The Master's research proposal is due by the end of the first year, signed by the Advisor and 2 Readers. The proposal should include at minimum a statement of the project’s Objectives (1 or 2 sentences), Background to the research problem (3 or 4 paragraphs), a description of the Approach that will be taken (3 or 4 paragraphs), and a list of References cited. The M.S. Thesis Research Proposal form (see Appendix II) should be completed and attached as a cover sheet to the copy of the proposal handed into the Educational Programs Office. Students who fail to complete their proposal by the end of the third semester cannot register for a fourth. Readers who are not SoMAS Faculty must be approved by the GPC before the proposal is submitted (see Appendix II for the form). Once this committee is established, any changes in the committee must be approved by the GPC. 2. Oral Presentation of Thesis Oral presentation of the Master's thesis, as a seminar open to the public, must be made before the approved thesis is submitted to the Graduate School. Any formal presentation at the Center may be acceptable in fulfillment of this requirement as long as it is properly advertised one week in advance that it is being presented to satisfy the M.S. seminar degree requirement. Faculty, particularly the thesis committee, should meet with the student after the presentation to discuss questions raised during the presentation, how the student's research may relate to larger issues in marine sciences and possible future research topics stemming from the student's thesis project. The presentation could be given during a specially scheduled time, or during a class or seminar course subject to the approval of the instructors of that course and the above constraints. Students must notify the Educational Programs Office of the date and time of their presentation at least two weeks in advance so that it can be properly advertised. 3. Thesis Approval Together with the Advisor, who must be an SoMAS Faculty member, the Readers form a committee that will supervise and evaluate the student’s research and must approve the thesis before the student can graduate. The thesis must be approved by having the members of the thesis committee sign the title page. A signed title page may be held by the advisor until any necessary revisions are satisfactorily completed. To avoid any unpleasant surprises when you try to submit your thesis, it is important to keep your Advisor and Readers apprised of your progress, problems and changes in the direction of your work, and to seek their advice. The approved thesis is then submitted to the Graduate School. The M.S. thesis must be prepared according to the Graduate School’s guidelines, as described in the Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations (http://www.grad.sunysb.edu/academics/GUIDE.T&D/Guidet&d.htm). The deadline for submission of theses and dissertations each semester is set by the University. The Graduate School has ruled that a paper that has been accepted for publication in a refereed journal may be provided in lieu of a thesis provided it is in the thesis format required by The Graduate School and approved by the Advisor and two Readers; this paper may have multiple authors as long as the student's work is clearly distinguished from the other elements of the paper either by a separate letter from the other authors or within the paper itself. 4. Admission to the Ph.D. Students who have completed or will complete the M.S. degree and wish to continue for a Ph.D. may apply to the Graduate Admissions Committee for admission to the Ph.D. program. Normally students admitted to the M.S. program will complete the M.S. degree before entering the Ph.D. program. Occasionally, students admitted to the M.S. program demonstrate such exceptional capability in scholarship, motivation, and diligence in the discharge of their duties and a clear sense of direction during their first year that they may be encouraged to consider switching to the Ph.D. program. Such students may apply to the Graduate Admissions Committee for admission to the Ph.D. program. If accepted, these students would bypass the earning of the M.S. degree and instead continue directly for the Ph.D. degree. The application must include a letter from the student and at least 2 letters of support from SoMAS Faculty, one of whom must be willing to serve as Advisor. If a student has less than a B average in the core courses or difficulty with other requirements, she/he is extremely unlikely to be permitted to bypass the M.S. thesis. In addition to the general requirements, the SoMAS Ph.D. degree requires the following. 1. Regular Committee Meetings and Oral Presentations In addition to the General Requirements noted above, all graduate students in the Ph.D. program are expected to meet with at least the SBU members of their dissertation committee at least once every year. All graduate students in the Ph.D. program are also encouraged to give at least one presentation related to their thesis area every year. This would ideally be done in a class, journal club, discussion group, formal University seminar or a special seminar that is publicized and open to the entire Faculty. 2. Teaching Practicum The goal of the teaching practicum is to help Ph.D. students develop the skills necessary to be effective instructors at the university level. There are three components to this training:
The teaching practicum must be completed in a University-level (undergraduate or graduate) course under the supervision of one of the Faculty members instructing that course. Any Faculty member can accept students in OCN 670. There are many opportunities among our present courses to fulfill the practicum requirement. Our large undergraduate courses, MAR 101 and 104, offer several slots for students to do a practicum. There also are opportunities in the core courses. Routine TA assignments such as photocopying, helping to set up for class, or grading tests are not sufficient to satisfy the practicum requirement. It may be possible for students with TA assignments to complete the practicum at the same time. These arrangements must be made IN ADVANCE. The following is a list of the requirements each student must fulfill to complete the teaching practicum:
The supervising Faculty member may ask the student (or the student may want) to perform extra duties (e.g., attend more classes, give extra lectures) in addition to those mentioned above. If so, the student should register for additional credits (2-3) of OCN 670 in accordance with the extra workload required. The extra duties should be decided in advance and described in the form (along with an estimation of associated time commitments) submitted to the GPC. However, Faculty members should not take advantage of the teaching practicum by asking students to perform routine TA activities, such as grading all class assignments or making photocopies; any additional duties should be clearly for the student’s benefit. At the completion of the teaching practicum, the supervising Faculty member should award a pass/fail grade to the student for OCN 670. Many of our Ph.D. students, particularly those who have received Master’s degrees elsewhere, have prior teaching experience which fulfills the practicum requirement. Any student with this experience may apply to the GPC for a waiver of the requirement. The request should include as much detail about the teaching duties as possible, explaining how the student has already met each requirement listed in the bulleted outline above. The student should also ask the person who supervised him/her in these duties to send a letter to the Chairperson of the GPC evaluating his/her performance. 3. Departmental Comprehensive Examination The primary purposes of the Comprehensive Examination are to assess (l) the student's knowledge of general oceanographic facts and concepts, (2) the student's ability to explain isolated oceanographic facts and concepts, and (3) the student’s ability to identify and describe relationships among facts and concepts derived from the different subdisciplines of oceanography. The core courses are expected to provide enough general knowledge of oceanography for students to participate in the Exam, but the goal of the exam is not simply to retest the knowledge that was already tested in the core courses. Instead, success in the Comprehensive Exam requires using this information to demonstrate the ability to address questions of a multidisciplinary nature. The Exam is as much about the ability of students to think and to express themselves clearly, both in writing and in speaking, as it is about knowledge of oceanography.
4. The Dissertation Committee The Dissertation Committee is expected to serve as advisors to the student, as examiners for the student’s Oral Qualifying (Preliminary) Exam and Oral Dissertation Defense, and must approve the final written Dissertation. The Student and Advisor select an examining committee and submit it to the Graduate Program Committee for approval before the Oral Qualifying Exam (See Appendix II). After the Dissertation Committee is approved by the Graduate Program Director, it is submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School through the SoMAS Educational Programs Office. This must occur before any examination may take place. SoMAS requires that the Dissertation Committee be composed of 5 specialists in the field in which the student will do research or in closely related fields, including:
Except under exceptional circumstances, any changes in the Dissertation Committee must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee within 6 months after the date of the Oral Qualifying Examination. 5. Oral Qualifying (Preliminary) Examination (Proposal Defense) The student must prepare a Ph.D. dissertation proposal, and present and defend it to the Dissertation Committee in order to pass the Oral Qualifying Examination. The Oral Qualifying Examination is focused on the student’s research proposal and on the ability of the student to initiate independent research. This means that the examination will/should include both questions centered on the thesis proposal and more general questions designed to determine whether the student has acquired sufficient knowledge in fields specifically relevant to the thesis area.
6. Advancement to Candidacy The University stipulates that a student may be advanced to candidacy when all requirements for the degree except the dissertation have been met. An "Advancement to Candidacy" form must be filed with the Graduate School through the SoMAS Educational Programs Office before the oral dissertation defense can be scheduled. At this stage candidates can petition the Graduate School to be awarded the degree of a Master of Philosophy. You must advance to candidacy at least one year (minimum two semesters) before the beginning of the semester in which you defend your dissertation. You must advance to Candidacy as quickly as reasonably possible, and it is expected that you will do so before the beginning of your fourth year. 7. Oral Dissertation Defense Several rules apply to the Oral Defense of the dissertation:
Annual Review Each year, usually during the summer or early September, the SoMAS Faculty (regular and adjunct) will review the progress of each graduate student. Advisors who cannot attend are expected to submit written comments on each of their advisees. Students will be informed of the outcome of this review by letter. Each student is responsible for checking the accuracy of the information contained in their yearly review and for correcting any errors they find (the bureaucracy is far from perfect, and it can be a problem getting things fixed at the last minute pre-graduation; be proactive!). For details of specific tasks and forms that need to be submitted see list below STEPS TOWARDS GRADUATION FOR All Ph.D. STUDENTS All SoMAS forms that need to be submitted are in Blue. These can be found at the end of the Graduate Program Handbook or can be obtained from the Education Office. All Graduate School forms that need to be submitted are in Red. These can be found on the Graduate School website. Note, responsibility for completing these steps and the forms associated with verifying progress is the responsibility of the student. Your Counselor/Advisor will help, but need to ensure all steps are completed in a timely manner. Step 1 – Choose an Advisor All students should choose an advisor by the end of their second semester. Once you and your advisor have found each other, submit ADVISOR SELECTION FORM. Step 2 - Comprehensive Exam Exam taken after core courses have been completed, usually in the Fall semester of the second year. Students who need to defer to the following spring should request permission from Graduate Program Director. Students entering the Ph.D. program after completing a M.S. at SoMAS should take the Comprehensive Exam during their first year as a Ph.D. student. Exam taken before end of fourth semester in order to stay in program. Outcome is Pass/Fail. Exam may be taken twice. Step 3 - Form Dissertation Committee The Dissertation Committee should be formed after a student passes their Comprehensive Exam but before the Thesis Proposal Defense, usually during the 5th semester. Approval of Dissertation Committee must be obtained from the GPC and the Graduate School by filling out REQUEST FOR Ph.D. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE APPROVAL . Note, CV or bio of outside committee member must be provided. Step 4 – Preliminary Exam (Proposal Defense) This is an oral defense of the student’s thesis proposal before their Dissertation Committee. Should be completed before the end of the sixth semester (3rd year). Upon completion, submit internal form OUTCOME OF PRELIMINARY EXAM (PROPOAL DEFENSE). Pass/Fail Step 5 - Teaching Practicum Teaching Practicum must receive prior approval by filling out TEACHING PRACTICUM form. Once completed, the TEACHING PRACTICUM EVALUATION form must also be submitted. The teaching practicum can be completed anytime after the comprehensive exam, but no later than the end of the sixth semester (3rd year). Step 6 - Advancement to Candidacy All requirements for degree except thesis defense need to be met before this step happens. In addition to fulfilling steps 1-4, students must also complete the FIELD EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT (Marine Sciences students only – note this requires pre-approval ) and COMPLETION OF SPECIALTY (ADVANCED) COURSES forms. Students must advance to candidacy at least 1 year (2 semesters minimum) before the semester in which they graduate. Students may apply for Master of Philosophy degree after they have Advanced to Candidacy. Step 7 – Apply to Graduate Apply on-line for graduation in the semester you plan to graduate (i.e. in January apply online for Spring graduation). Student must be registered for at least 1 credit for the semester in which they graduate. Step 8 – Submit required dissertation defense forms Two forms need to be submitted 3-4 weeks before the scheduled defense. DOCTORAL DEFENSE ANNOUNCEMENT FORM. Must include title, defense date, location, and time, and < 350 word thesis abstract. Students also need to resubmit dissertation committee form REQUEST FOR Ph.D. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE APPROVAL. Note, current CV of outside committee member should also be attached. This form can be submitted as soon as the defense date is set, but should be submitted no later than 4 weeks before the defense date. Step 9 - Dissertation Defense At least one week prior to defense date, Ph.D. defense announcement information should be forwarded to Christina Fink for electronic posting. Additional posting of announcement on SoMAS doors is responsibility of the student. Upon completion of defense OUTCOME OF Ph.D. DISSERTATION DEFENSE form must be signed by all members of the dissertation committee and submitted. Pass/Fail. Step 10 - Submit Thesis Print revised thesis following Graduate School guidelines. Cover page of revised thesis is signed by dissertation committee. Signatures MUST be in black ink. Submit Thesis Dissertation directly to Graduate School. Suggested Timeline - Marine Sciences Track Ph.D. First semester: Core Courses (6 credits) Second semester Core courses (6 credits) Third semester Comprehensive Exam Fourth semester Field Experience (Note proposed plan for Field Experience needs
pre-approval from GPC) Fifth semester Get Dissertation Committee Approved Sixth through tenth semesters Dissertation Research and Specialty courses as appropriate (9 credits total if full time in residence) ~Tenth semester Apply to graduate Time Limits All requirements must be completed normally within 4 years after advancing to candidacy. The candidate must satisfy all requirements for the PhD degree within 7 years after completing 24 credits hours of graduate courses at SoMAS. In rare instances, if a student needs more time they can petition to extend this time limit. Suggested Timeline - Marine Sciences Track M.S. First semester: Core Courses (6 credits) Second semester Core courses (6 credits) Third semester Specialty courses and Dissertation Research (9 credits total) Fourth semester Field Experience (Note proposed plan for Field Experience needs
pre-approval from GPC) Fifth and Sixth semesters as needed Specialty courses and Dissertation Research (9 credits total) Time limits MS students must graduate within three years. If they fail to do so, an extension must be requested from the Graduate School. Suggested Timeline - Atmospheric Sciences Track Ph.D. and MS. Many aspects of the typical Timeline are the same as for the Marine Sciences track. However, some core and elective courses may not be offered every year, so students should consult with their Counselors or Advisors to decide a specific appropriate timeline.
Page last modified on Sunday, Seotember 30, 2007 by George E. Carroll |