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1. THE GRADUATE ADVISOR:
Each graduate student will be assigned a Graduate Advisor
who will chair the initial interview (section #3), chair
the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination (section #7ii), and deal
with any problems a graduate student may have during their
graduate career in the department. Graduate Advisors will
also normally chair the M.Sc. Defense of Thesis (section
#10a).
2. THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE:
The major Supervisor(s) has the primary responsibility to
guide the graduate student in the areas of research, course
work and thesis preparation. Students should consult with
their Graduate Advisor if they wish to change Supervisor.
Prior to the Initial Interview the student and Supervisor
should have discussed the research, and course work (Section
#5). The Supervisory Committee must have a minimum of 3
faculty members (including the Supervisor). Students being
supervised by an Adjunct Faculty member must also have a
co-supervisor from the Botany Faculty.
3. INITIAL INTERVIEW:
In this meeting the student meets the Supervisory Committee
and discusses the proposed research and course work (Section
#5). The Initial Interview is held as early as possible
(usually within two weeks of enrollment), and is chaired
by a Graduate Advisor. The Head of the Department must approve
the structure of all examining committees.
4. STUDENT FUNDING:
The Faculty of Graduate Studies periodically estimates the
annual costs for a student to live in Vancouver. In the
Department of Botany we will guarantee this level of support
for the first year. In the event that funds are not available
from the Department but the student is self-supporting,
the Department may still approve acceptance. Students may
be funded to this minimum through a combination of NSERC
Scholarships, UGF’s, Teaching Assistantships and Research
Assistantships. For students who are entirely dependent
on Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships, subject
to satisfactory performance and availability of funding,
this will be renewed for one additional year for an M.Sc.
and three additional years for a Ph.D. Under special circumstances,
an additional year of TA support, for both M.Sc. and Ph.D.,
may be negotiated.
5a. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTERS DEGREE:
The requirements are:
| Thesis1 |
18 credits |
Courses numbered 300 or above
2 |
12 credits |
|
| Total |
30 credits |
At least 60% must be obtained in any course
taken in a Master's program for a student to be granted
Pass Standing. However, only six credits of Pass Standing
in course work may be counted towards a Master's program;
for all other courses credited to the program, at least
68% must be obtained.
5b. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR M.Sc. and Ph.D. STUDENTS:
(a)
BOTA 501: (3 credits) A seminar course designed to develop communication
and analytical skills.
(b) BOTA 502: A non-credit course based
upon the presentation of a seminar to the Department of
Botany on the subject of the research project. This must
be scheduled in the last year of graduate study prior to
the Defense of Thesis, preferably between September and
April. M.Sc. students should register for this course in
the second year of their programme, and Ph.D. students in
September of the academic year prior to the anticipated
completion of the thesis.
(c)
BOTA 505B: Field Course in B.C. Plant diversity - This course is recommended
5c. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR Ph.D. STUDENTS:
All incoming Ph.D. students must have taken at least one
core, or upper level course, in each of two general areas
outside their research area. If this criterion has not already
been met, then the student must take, and pass, the necessary
course(s). The general areas are identified as (i) genetics
/ molecular biology, (ii) physiology / cell biology, (iii)
evolution / systematics / ecology.
Ph.D. students who already have an MSc
degree have no further course requirements beyond those
specified in section 5b and 5c (paragraph above) and those
agreed upon by their supervisory committee.
Students entering a Ph.D. directly from
a B.Sc. must complete at least 12 credits of course work
with a first class average (80% or better), of which at
least 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above. Of the
12 credits of course work, a maximum of 6 credits of Directed
Studies (Bota 546, Biol. 548) are permitted.
6. M.Sc. RESEARCH PROPOSAL:
M.Sc. candidates must present a preliminary version of their
proposal to their supervisory committee no later than January
31st of their first year. The committee, chaired by the
supervisor, will provide clear guidance and direction so
that the proposal presented in April/May is of appropriate
dimensions for an M.Sc. project.
The MSc Defense of Thesis Proposal serves
two purposes: It serves as a rigorous review and assessment
of the students understanding of the research proposal.
It also provides guidance to the student on filling in any
deficiencies that the supervisory committee feels will impede
the student’s ability to undertake or complete the
thesis. The meeting takes the form of a special supervisory
committee meeting, which will normally be held in the spring
of the candidate’s first year, following completion
of two terms of study. The meeting will be chaired by the
research supervisor and consist of a 20 minute oral presentation
of the proposal by the candidate followed by thorough questioning
by members of the supervisory committee on all aspects of
the proposal. The committee will then meet in the absence
of the student to discuss any deficiencies either in the
proposal or in the student’s understanding of the
research; as well as proposals to remedy these. If necessary,
the candidate will be asked to revise the proposal and be
re-questioned at a future date.
It is the student’s responsibility
to submit a copy of the written proposal to each member
of the Committee at least one week prior to the meeting.
During the meeting, the student and the supervisor must
convince the committee not only that the proposal is sound
but that it can reasonably be completed in 2 (±0.5
years). If the project is open ended, the committee will
veto the proposal as inappropriate and the proposal will
be revised so that it can be completed within the above
time. The primary onus is on the supervisor to ensure a
“do-able” thesis and provide firm counsel.
7. Ph.D. CANDIDACY EXAM:
i. Nature of the exam
This is an oral examination that assesses the student's
ability to carry out the research stage of the Ph.D. programme.
The exam is based on the Thesis Proposal, a 10-20 page document
which must be circulated to the examining committee at least
two weeks before the exam. Questioning will focus on the
research programme but can include any peripheral areas
that are considered relevant. Hence the student should show:
:
• familiarity with the research literature in the
thesis area
• familiarity with fields related to the research
area
(the depth of knowledge required will be proportional to
closeness to the research area).
• ability to justify the need for the proposed research
• ability to defend the experimental design
• ability to defend the methods of analysis
• ability to interpret preliminary data
• ability to reason and integrate during the questioning.
ii. Exam committee
The examining committee shall be composed of five members,
with up to three members from the supervisory committee.
(Note: The supervisor or co-supervisor may not normally
serve as an examiner, except in extenuating circumstances
with permission of the Department Head.) Within two
months of enrollment, the student’s supervisor, in
consultation with the supervisory committee, shall propose
a slate of examiners to the Chair of the Botany Graduate
Studies Committee. The student is advised of the composition
of this committee as early as possible and must consult
the committee to obtain recommended readings plus other
advice. The exam shall be chaired by a Graduate Advisor,
who shall ensure a proper balance of questions to judge
performance under item number (i) above.
iii. Time of exam
For students enrolling May to September, the Candidacy Examination
is normally scheduled in April or May of the year following
enrollment. Students starting in January are examined in
September of the same year, but this may be delayed until
the following April or May at the discretion of the supervisory
committee. University regulations state that “A
student who is not Admitted to Candidacy within a period
of three years from the initial date of registration will
be required to withdraw.”
iv. Assessment
Since the exam is integrative in nature, it is taken and
passed or failed in its entirety. (It is not possible to
take or pass part of the exam). Furthermore there cannot
be a conditional pass. At the end of the exam, the examining
committee shall discuss the student's performance in camera,
prior to handing a written statement of pass or fail to
the chair. Pass or fail in the exam is decided by a simple
majority vote with no abstentions. If a student fails, the
committee reserves the option to offer the student a re-examination
which must occur within 6 months. A second failure results
in the student’s withdrawal from the graduate program.
8. TRANSFER FROM M.Sc. TO Ph.D.:
Transfer is an option for exceptional M.Sc. students. To be considered
for transfer to the Ph.D., a Masters student must:
• have completed at least 12
3 credits of course work
with a first-class average (80% or better), of which at least 9 credits
must be at the 500-level
• have completed at least 9 credits of coursework with first class
standing
• show clear evidence of research ability or potential
• have completed their Master's Research Proposal Defense
The request to transfer is made by the
student in consultation with the supervisor. The decision
to attempt transfer is made by the supervisory committee.
Transfer is accomplished upon passing the Ph.D. Candidacy
examination (Section #7). The exam is taken between 12 and
18 months after admission. However the Head must be notified
at least 6 months before the exam in order to strike the
examining committee. Students failing the Ph.D. exam will
remain in the M.Sc. program. Students contemplating a transfer
should complete all course work in the first year of study.
9. PROGRESS MEETINGS:
After the first year of graduate studies, an annual progress
meeting is held no later than June 1st. In this meeting
the Supervisory Committee assesses the student's progress
and provides advice regarding the development of the programme.
This meeting is chaired by the Supervisor. The student must
submit a brief (2-4 pages) written report to all members
of the committee one week in advance of the meeting. At
this meeting, the Supervisor and student will sign an agreement
for student financial support for the academic year. At
the beginning of the third year of an M.Sc. program, the
student’s research committee will meet to assure finishing
in a certain period of time (6 months) and that a thesis
defense is imminent. This meeting will be chaired by a Graduate
Advisor. At the end of the 3rd (M.Sc.) and 5th (Ph.D.) years
respectively, students will normally be expected to have
completed their degree requirements and will be asked to
vacate their offices. An extension may be granted under
mitigating circumstances and if there is evidence of good
progress.
10. DEFENSE OF THESIS:
When all Departmental requirements have been satisfied (including
BOTA 501, and 502 4 ) and
the research has been written to the satisfaction of the
Supervisory Committee, a copy of the final draft of thesis
should be presented to the Head of Botany as the departmental
copy, accompanied by a statement from the Supervisor indicating
that the student has completed all requirements. The Head
then schedules a Defense of Thesis Examination for M.Sc.
students or advises the Faculty of Graduate Studies to send
the final copy of the thesis to the external examiner (for
Ph.D. candidates).
(a) M.Sc. Candidates:
The examination is chaired by a graduate advisor or other
faculty member designated by the Head. The Examining Committee
is made up of two members of the Supervisory Committee,
supplemented by one person who was not involved in the advising
of the student (preferably but not necessarily from outside
the department). The student’s Supervisor will be
present but does not take part in the examination. The candidate
presents a brief (20 minute) synopsis of the thesis and
then should be prepared to answer questions from the Examining
Committee.
(b) Ph.D. Candidates:
Three to six months before completion is anticipated, students
should consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies website:
www.grad.ubc.ca
(select "Current Students" then select "Doctoral Exams")
which details the procedures to be followed. The examination
is scheduled by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the
composition of the Examining Committee is determined by
the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The basic form
of the examination (synopsis followed by questions) is similar
to that of the M.Sc. Defense of Thesis.
11. SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS:
1. Initial Interview usually within two weeks of enrollment (Section #3)
2. BOTA 501 (course begins in September of First Year).
3. Preliminary version of M.Sc. thesis proposal (January 31st of First
Year)
4. M.Sc. Research Proposal (Section #6), and Ph.D. Candidacy Examination
(Section #7) (April or September)
5. Annual Progress Meeting (no later than June 1st).
6. BOTA 502 (prior to Defense of Thesis).
7. Defense of Thesis.
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