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First Year - Incoming Students |
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Newly admitted students should receive information from the Dean of Students Office, Division of the Biological Sciences, during the summer. Included in this packet will be information regarding Autumn Quarter orientation and registration dates, housing, etc. Incoming students should contact the Ecology & Evolution office as soon as possible after arrival in Chicago. The Administrative Assistant for Student Programs can provide information about the Department and University and registration for the upcoming term, as well as other information necessary for new students. Student Advisory Committee All incoming students shall be scheduled for an initial discussion with the Student Advisory Committee during the week preceding Autumn Quarter registration. The purpose of this meeting will be to gain an understanding of the student's background and former training, to discuss the student's general and specific research interests, to introduce the student to the program in Ecology & Evolution, and to formulate an academic plan for the student's first year in residence. The advisory committee must sign all registration and drop-add requests. A summary of the discussion between the student and the advisory committee, with the Committee's requirements, will be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Department, with copies to the student and the Student Program Administrator. The Department requires that all students take one graduate-level course or demonstrate proficiency in three of the following areas during the first year: evolution, genetics, ecology, behavior and development. The contents of each student's first-year general knowledge examination will be based upon materials covered in the courses recommended to the student by the student advisory committee. If the student has post-B.S. experience (resulting in an S.M. or other course credit towards Ph.D residency at Chicago), the Advisory Committee shall recommend that the student proceed on a more accelerated schedule through the "scholastic" phase of her/his program. This will continue the individualized program of Ecology & Evolution while recognizing that more advanced students are expected to fulfill the general knowledge and proposal defense segments of candidacy more rapidly than students entering from college or switching fields. The Student Advisory Committee will continue to meet with students individually at the beginning of the Winter and Spring Quarters to discuss their work to date and arrive at a specific course of study for each quarter. During the Spring Quarter meeting, the Advisory Committee and the student will propose an Examination Committee for the student's general knowledge examination, which will be held no later than the 10th week of the Spring Quarter. This committee shall be appointed by the Department Chair in writing, and shall be composed of three Ecology & Evolution faculty members: two in the student's general area of research, and one member of the student advisory committee.
The General Knowledge Examination Each first year student will be expected to pass an oral general knowledge examination during the first year of study, generally no later than the 10th week of the Spring Quarter. The examination session shall be attended by all three members of an examination committee constructed by the process outlined above. The goal of this examination will be to access each student's general knowledge of key concepts, processes and issues in ecology and evolutionary biology as covered in the courses recommended to the student by the Student Advisory Committee during the student's first year in the program. No later than the 8th week of the Spring Quarter, each member of the Examination Committee shall submit written questions to the Chair of the Department for review. The questions will be based upon materials in the areas covered in the coursework recommended to the student by the Student Advisory Committee. A copy of the questions will be distributed to the student to be examined at least 24 hours before the examination, and shall be used to initiate the examination. Two hours shall be allowed for the oral examination, after which the committee will discuss the performance of the student. The faculty committee may make suggestions regarding further coursework, pre-proposal research, and plans for preparation of the dissertation proposal. If a student receives a "conditional pass" or "fail" on the oral examination, the student may request a subsequent written examination, subject to the approval of the Chair of the Department. All such examinations will be held no later than the final week of the Spring Quarter. It will be the responsibility of the General Examination Committee to report, in writing, the results of the General Examination to the Chair of the Department and the examined student in a timely fashion. Possible results of the examination shall be:
Off-quarter matriculation. In the rare case of students matriculating in quarters other than the Autumn Quarter, the Student Advisory Committee shall meet with the incoming student one week before the registration period for the first quarter of residency in the Ph.D. program. This meeting will have the same requirements as the Autumn Quarter advisory meeting with the additional requirement that the Advisory Committee shall recommend, in writing, an individualized schedule for the completion of the General Knowledge Exam.
Research Opportunities. Students should consult with the Student Advisory Committee, the Chair, the Department office and other graduate students about pre-dissertation research opportunities and potential funding sources. Department members have associations with numerous field stations and sites in the United States and around the world. Voluntary laboratory rotations offer students the opportunity to pursue short-term projects and potential dissertation problems. Students are encouraged to participate in coursework, discussion groups and seminar series in related departments at the University and affiliated institutions such as the Field Museum, Brookfield Zoo, and other local universities. Valuable pre-dissertation research can be accomplished during the Summer Quarters between the first and second year of study. Students should begin investigating these potential research opportunities early in their first year of graduate study. Funding for graduate research can be from large or small sources. All qualified first year students are encouraged to apply for NSF and/or Hughes predoctoral fellowships early in the Autumn Quarter. Smaller funding sources, such as the Hinds and Nierman Endowments (administered by the Committee on Evolutionary Biology) can often be used to support pre-dissertation research. Information about these funds and forms for submitting proposals are available from the secretary to the Committee on Evolutionary Biology in Culver 401. Computing facilities are available within Ecology buildings (Zoology basement., CSLC 561), and at sites across the campus. Consultants are available both within and outside the Department. Check Department and Division mailings and bulletin boards for announcements, or consult with the Department Student Programs Administrator in Zoology 14 for more information. Forward to year two . . . |
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