Ph.D. and M.S. in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior and PhD Minor

Ph.D. and M.S. in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior and PhD Minor in EEB

Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington

(Last updated by RPP in July, 2022 and SRH, June 2023)

CONTENTS PAGE

I. PhD Program in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior ........................................................................................ 2

(1) Coursework (typically first and second years of study) ............................................................................... 3

(A) Formal course credits ........................................................................................................................... 3

(B) Grade requirements for courses ........................................................................................................... 4

(C) Research credits ................................................................................................................................... 4

(i) L800 credits, (ii) G901 credits, (iii) Grading of research credits .................................................. 4

(D) Transfer of graduate credit ................................................................................................................... 5

(2) First year expectations, beyond coursework ................................................................................................ 5

(A) Mentoring of first-year students ........................................................................................................... 5

(B) Research area, research advisor, committee meeting ........................................................................... 5

(C) Your research advisor .......................................................................................................................... 5

(D) Advisory committee ............................................................................................................................. 5

(E) Individual Development Plan .............................................................................................................. 5

(F) First committee meeting: goals ............................................................................................................ 5

(3 and 4) Years 2 and 3: Qualifying examinations ............................................................................................ 7

(A) Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 7

(B) Retake option ....................................................................................................................................... 8

(3) Year 2: Qualifying examination part 1, 'Breadth of Knowledge' ................................................................ 8

(A) Format .................................................................................................................................................. 8

(B) Breadth ................................................................................................................................................. 9

(C) Role of major advisor ...........................................................................................................................9

(D) Report of decision ................................................................................................................................ 9

(4) Year 3: Qualifying examination part 2, 'Research Skills' ............................................................................ 10

(A) Format .................................................................................................................................................. 10

(5) Post Qualifying Exams: What is Next? Years 3 and beyond ....................................................................... 10

(A) Admissions to candidacy ..................................................................................................................... 10

(B) Official nomination of the research committee .................................................................................... 10

(C) Citizenship in EEB ...............................................................................................................................11

(D) Requirement for continuous enrollment............................................................................................... 11

(E) Requirement for service as an Associate Instructor (at least one semester) ........................................ 11

(6) Dissertation defense ..................................................................................................................................... 11

(A) 'Penultimate' committee meeting ......................................................................................................... 11

(B) Submitting and defending the dissertation ........................................................................................... 12

(C) Time limits, extensions, and revalidation ............................................................................................ 13

(7) A minor in EEB (for students outside EEB) ................................................................................................ 13

Table 1: Summary of key deadlines and key tasks for the EEB PhD Program ........................................................ 15

II. MS In Evolution, Ecology and Behavior ......................................................................................................... 16

(

1) Description of the MS program in EEB ....................................................................................................... 16

(A) Advisor and Advisory Committee ....................................................................................................... 16

(B) Course requirements ............................................................................................................................. 16

(C) Grade average and time limits ..............................................................................................................16

(D) Thesis or alternative project ................................................................................................................. 17

(E) Certification .......................................................................................................................................... 17

(2) Departmental transfer policy: MS to PhD or PhD to MS ............................................................................ 18

(A) Master's to PhD .................................................................................................................................... 18

(B) PhD to Master's: Overview and specific procedures ............................................................................18

III. Miscellany ..........................................................................................................................................................18

(1) Flexibility in degree requirements ............................................................................................................... 18

(2) Alternative career objectives ........................................................................................................................ 18

IV. Appendices..........................................................................................................................................................18

(1) What happens when your advisor moves ..................................................................................................... 19

BOXES Box 1: Concentration area courses............................................................................................................ 3

Box 2: Description of the minor ................................................................................................................. 4

Box 3: More about advisory and research committees .............................................................................. 7

Box 4: Procedure for transfer from Ph.D. to Master’s degree in the Department of Biology ................... 19

I. PhD PROGRAM IN EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY, AND BEHAVIOR

Introduction:

The Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in the graduate program in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior (EEB) may be

obtained in a variety of concentration areas or in an individually tailored program. In addition to the specific

requirements of the EEB Program described below, students must meet the general requirements of the

Department of Biology and those of the University Graduate School (UGS), as described in the Graduate

Bulletin. All new students and students approaching critical milestones (First Committee Meeting,

Qualifying Examination, Finishing Thesis or Dissertation) should consult the Bulletin to be sure they are in

compliance with relevant rules. It is the student's responsibility to make certain that their program meets

their personal objectives and conforms to the regulations and requirements of the Graduate School, of the

Department of Biology, and of the EEB Program.

Program Overview:

Students in the PhD program follow a typical timeline (Figure 1). This timeline

governs the structure of the material in this handbook. See also the summary Table

1 (page 14, below) and the EEB Checklist form.

EEB Faculty:

EEB Graduate Faculty are composed of 21 scientists, listed on the Biology website.

(1) Coursework (major and

minor), preliminary

experiments, rotations

(3) Breadth of

knowledge exam

(Qualifying Exam, Part 1)

(4) “Research Skills”

exam (Qualifying

Exam, Part 2)

(5) Dissertation research, publishing along the way

going to conferences, Brown bag talk(s)

(6) ‘Penultimate committee

meeting, dissertation defense,

post-doc applications

0 1 2 3 4 5

Year

(2) Committee

meeting, choose

minor

Figure 1. General time course of a PhD in EEB at Indiana.

Key forms:

1. EEB: Checklist

2. EEB: Committee

meetings (faq | form

IDP)

3. EEB: L500/L501

credits (faq | form

)

4. College Grad Office

forms (link

)

5. UGS forms

(Candidacy, NOR,

CORC, Announcement:

UGS task center

EEB Grad Program Contact:

Biology Advisor for Graduate Affairs: Katie LaPadula, Myers 150,

[email protected], 6-5522

EEB Graduate Program Director (GPD): from July 1, 2021 Rich Phillips,

[email protected], [email protected], 6-0593, BB 247

Director of Grad. Studies (DGS), Biology: Heather Reynolds, BB 155A,

[email protected], 5-0792

Key Abbreviations: GPD: Grad Program Director; DGS: Director of

Graduate Studies of Biology; UGS: University Graduate School; CGO:

College Graduate Office; NORC: Nomination of Research Committee

(1) Coursework

(typically 1

& 2

years of study, 3

sometimes)

(A) Formal Course Credits:

A total of 90 credit hours comprised of 29+ formal class course credits is

required by the EEB Grad Program. Course credits include:

(1) a 20 credit ‘major’ (composed mostly of EEB courses, with

exceptions approved by the EEB Graduate Program Director [GPD]),

including two courses from one concentration area listed in Box 1 and

one course from a second area (the ‘2 and 1 rule’), and 2 credits of

Brown Bag;

(2) a 6+ credit ‘minor’ (taken within Biology or through another

department: credits vary from 6 to 12; see Box 2); and

(3) a 3 credit statistics class (S681 Biometry or equivalent agreed

upon by Advisor Committee).

Up to six credits in the ‘major’ may come from three sources:

(A) Z620 “journal clubs” (some Z620s are courses, not journal clubs)

(B) L500 Independent Study/Readings (graded), and/or

(see also faq for these topics and form for L500/L501 use)

L500/L501 credits require written summaries approved by the students’

graduate advisor(s) and Advisory committee using the form at the ‘EEB

Grad Docs’ folder on IU Sharepoint/One Drive. Not more than four

credits may come from any of sources (A, B & C); i.e., the ‘4 & 6 rule’.

Progress towards fulfilling these course requirements can be tracked on

the EEB checklist.

Box 1: Concentration area courses

Ecology/Population Biology

E455/556 (SPEA) Limnology

L575 Biodiversity and Eco.

Functioning

L577 Theoretical Ecology

L578 Advanced Population Biology

L579 Community Ecology

L591 Plant Population Biology—An

Experimental Approach

Z620 Advances in Ecosystem Science

Z620 Ecological Niches

Z620 Ecological Stoichiometry

Z620 Ecosystems and Global Change

Z620 Foundations of Pop and Comm

Z620 Quantitative Biodiversity

Z620 Ecological Plant Physiology

Z620 Disease Ecology and Evolution

Evolutionary Biology

L505 Molecular Biology of Evolution

L567 Evolution

L568 Evolutionary Genetics

L533 Evolution of Genes and Genomes

L534 Evolution of Cells and Proteins

Z540 Genetics of Structured

Populations

Z620 Ethics, Race, and Population

Genetics

Z620 Evolution of Development

Z620 Phylogenetics

Z620 Speciation

Z620 Systematics

Z620 Evolutionary Genetics and

Genomics

Z620 Evolution of Populations

Z620 Disease Ecology and Evolution

I590 (INFO) SNP Discovery and

Population Genetics

G562 (Geo Sci) Geometric

Morphometrics

Behavior/Physiology

A501 Techniques in Repr. Diversity

L553 Sensory Ecology

L560 Physiological Ecology

L581 Behavioral Ecology

Z460 Animal Behavior

Z466 Endocrinology

Z563 Comparative Neurobiology of

Animal Behavior

Z566 Laboratory in Endocrinology

P548 Neuroethology

Note 1: Other courses may be approved

by Advisory Committee, and then GPD

Note 2: Only a subset of these classes

are offered every year

Brown Bag requirement: Additionally, two credits in the major should come from L570 'Brown Bag'

(formally: 'Seminar in Ecology and Environmental Biology'; 1 credit per semester, so enroll 2+ times,

typically done in the first year, but perhaps taken one semester each in the first two years).

(B) Grade Requirements for Courses:

Only grades of 'B-' or higher fulfill EEB major or minors (but all courses count in the overall GPA). Students

must maintain a 3.2 GPA or higher to receive support from Biology (as Associate Instructors or from Internal

Fellowships). The University Graduate School requires a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students not

meeting this UGS requirement are placed on Academic Probation. (If placed on probation, students must

raise the cumulative GPA above 3.0 during the next semester or face dismissal from the Graduate School).

(i) L800 Credits: Remaining credit hours come from dissertation research (L800). Most 1st-3rd year

students should have a total of 12 credits per semester - so L800 credits typically are added to formal

course credits to reach 12. Fourth year students must have at least 6 credits (L800).

(ii) G901 Credits: After 90 credits have been taken and students become PhD Candidates (i.e., formal

coursework is completed, Qualifying Exams Part 1 and 2 are passed), students may enroll in G901

Advanced Research to maintain 'active status'. This 6 credit course has very low fees (c. $150/semester),

providing an inexpensive way for some students, typically funded on fellowships or research

assistantships, to maintain a full load.

(iii) Grading of Research Credits: Passing grades in research courses for work done toward Ph.D.

dissertation will be graded R (= evaluation deferred) until the research project is complete (i.e., the

dissertation is defended and all requirements are met). A total of 90 graduate credit hours or the

equivalent is required. Because the Ph.D. is a research degree, a substantial number of these credit hours

will be in L800 Research.

Box 2: Description of the minor

Each EEB student must complete coursework for a minor (see also this faq). The minor may be obtained from:

- within Biology (Genetics or Microbiology, which also has Bacteriology and Virology)

- a separate department (e.g., Informatics, Statistics, Environmental Science from SPEA, Geology, Geography,

Education, typically best described in the UGS Bulletin),

- an interdepartmental program (e.g., Animal Behavior), or

- an ‘Individualized minor’.

EEB will waive the 3 credit requirement in statistics for students minoring in Statistics (12 credit).

Please note: Requirements are set by the unit administering the minor but consist of a minimum of 6 credits up to

a maximum of 12 credits. Each student must have a minor advisor, who ensures requirements for the minor are

completed successfully.

Advisors for the Genetics minor include Core (top) and Affiliated (bottom) members of GCDB Grad program

but also these EEB Faculty: Bracewell, Delph, Hahn, Knox, Lively, Moczek, Moyle, Ragsdale, Wade (per

5/12/2016 policy). Advisors for the Micro minor include

Core (top) and Affiliated (bottom) members from the

Micro Grad program.

(D) Transfer of Graduate Credit:

Graduate work taken elsewhere may qualify for transfer credit toward the Ph.D. and may be substituted for

required or elective courses. The appropriateness of proposed substitutions will be determined by the

student's Advisory Committee. No more than 30 credits by transfer can be accepted for the Ph.D. Any

courses which become 7 years or older by date of candidacy must be revalidated by UGS.

Any changes described here to course requirements can (but do not have to) apply retroactively.

(2) First year expectations, beyond coursework (see also faq)

(A) Mentoring of First-Year Students: During the first semester of the PhD, each new student must meet at

least once with his/her/their faculty mentor (typically the advisor). This meeting should happen at six to eight

weeks into the semester, then again at the end of the semester. At this meeting, student and mentor to discuss

progress in courses and rotations and, where relevant, the Associate Instructor experience. In addition to

these required meetings, the student is encouraged to meet with his/her/their mentor as useful.

(B) Research Area, Research Advisor, Committee Meeting: In their first year, Ph.D. students make a

preliminary choice of a thesis research area, select a faculty research sponsor (advisor), and form an

Advisory Committee. Before the end of their second semester (early May), students should meet with their

Advisory Committee at least once to determine course work requirements, review plans for summer research,

and discuss plans for Qualifying Examination Part 1: Breadth of Knowledge. Students must have joined a

lab before the end of May in order to remain in good standing in the program.

of Biology to serve as the Ph.D. Research Advisor. (Students do not 'choose' an advisor; they form an

agreement for a student-advisor relationship). Until the student forms that agreement with an Advisor, the

EEB Graduate Program Director will serve in that role. The Advisor will help the student plan a coherent

program of courses and research commensurate with the student's interests and the requirements of the

program, and will oversee the formation of an Advisory Committee. A Research Scientist can serve as an

advisor, but the University Graduate School requires a tenured co-advisor unless the RS is "endorsed to

direct dissertation committees" (as explained on the UGS website here).

(D) Advisory Committee: The Advisory Committee must consist of four or more members, at least two of

which must be full members of the Graduate Faculty. The Advisory Committee must also include at least

two faculty from EEB and one from the minor area. In practice the Advisory Committee is usually chosen by

mutual agreement between the Advisor and the student. The student then contacts the potential Committee

members to obtain their agreement to serve on the Advisory Committee. Box 3 describes both the Advisory

Committee (pre-Candidacy) and Research Committee (post-Candidacy) in more detail.

(E) Annual Individual Development Plan (IDP): Each student must complete an Individual Development

Plan (IDP) annually, in consultation with their advisor(s). The completed IDP should be submitted to: (1)

your graduate advisory committee at least 1 week before your annual meeting, and (2) your IU online folder,

along with a copy of your most current C.V.

(F) First Committee Meeting: Goals The first meeting of the student's Advisory Committee must be

convened before the end of the second semester of study in the Ph.D. Program. At this meeting, students:

* discuss goals and intended area of concentration,

* review her/his/their past graduate course work and plan additional course work,

* review her/his/their Individual Development Plan (IDP), and

* review research plans for summer and beyond in prep. for Qualifying Exam Part 2 "Research Skills".

At this time the Advisory Committee will identify any deficiencies in course work. At the Advisory

Committee's judgement, deficiencies may include any basic requirements not already satisfied, as well as

additional courses in biology, chemistry, or other academic areas, or the learning of ancillary skills such as

statistics or computer science. The Advisory Committee will also decide the time for, and schedule of, the

student's Qualifying Examination part 1 'Breadth of Knowledge'. As of Spring 2020, for the final portion of

the annual Advisory Committee meeting, the chair (advisor or co-advisors) will be invited to leave the

meeting, giving the student an opportunity to seek input from their non-chair committee members (see faq)

Form for Advisory Committee: The College's Appointment of Advisory Committee eDoc is typically

submitted to the College Grad Office after this meeting. (They provide a change of committee form, too: get

these form here).

Committee meeting report: After the committee meeting (and each one subsequent), advisors should fill out

the committee meeting form, and email it to the Graduate Advisor and EEB GPD, to be saved in the

student’s online sharepoint folder. It is the advisor's and student's joint responsibility to ensure that this form

is completed. (see also faq | report form | form for IDP | link to sharepoint folders)

(3 and 4) Years 2 and 3: Qualifying Examinations

(A) Overview:

The Ph.D. qualifying examination aims to determine preparation for independent research. It is difficult to

assess the ability to do creative, rigorous research. The Committee will thus look for:

* a solid background in relevant basic biology and the physical sciences;

* familiarity with and ability to manipulate important concepts in EEB, especially the ability to derive

from them a significant question for research;

Box 3: More about Advisory and Research Committees (see faq | report form | form for IDP | link to sharepoint folders)

1. The pre-Candidacy 'Advisory Committee' rules (set by UGS) require that each student select four committee

members, one member who can be from outside IU. The Advisory Committee is generally more flexible than the

‘Research Committee’, which is formally established with UGS after the student has advanced to candidacy. The

rules for the Research Committee (also set by UGS) require that each student formally select four committee members.

Each member must be on IU’s are Graduate Faculty

list (i.e., Research Scientists can serve if they’re on the list) and at

least two members must be "endorsed to direct dissertations' (defined here). Two or more members of the Research

Committee must be from EEB.

2. For the Research Committee, students can still have a 5

outside member. Typically, this member provides

particular expertise to the committee not available at IUB.

3. Committee meetings, held annually (once per academic year) require a quorum (three for a committee of four or

five), present either in person or electronically. A quorum is required for preliminary exams parts 1 and 2. All

members must be present for dissertation defenses (as required by UGS – exception noted in the Appendix).

4. During the final portion of each annual Committee meeting, the chair (advisor or co-advisors) will be asked to leave

the meeting (with the exception of the year 2 meeting, which is typically when part 1 of the Qualifying Exam takes

place). This time gives each student an opportunity to seek input from their non-chair committee members. This

procedure is detailed in the Committee meeting faq

5. Before becoming a candidate (1

and 2

year), students must recruit a ‘Minor Advisor'. The Minor Advisor must

have authorization to approve the minor coursework through the minor’s home department or graduate program. This

Minor Advisor must remain on your committee at least through written prelims (Qualifying Exam, part 1). This Minor

Advisor provides one of the four written questions in that exam (since the minor is represented on the exam).

6. After Qualifying Exam part 1, committee membership can be changed, if desired. For instance, it may be

preferable to replace the Minor Advisor with an EEB faculty for Qualifying Exam part 2 proposal defense or beyond.

The key point: Advisory Committee membership is flexible. If you make changes, please update the Advisor for

Graduate Affairs and resubmit your Advisory Committee form to the College Grad Office. (Get forms here

7. Usually after Candidacy but no later than Spring of the fourth year of study, students solidify membership of the

Research Committee with UGS, using the ‘Nomination of Research Committee’ form, aka, the NOR form. Changes

to committee makeup afterwards require submission, via the 'Change of Research Committee'. (Get forms here

8. IMPORTANT: Requirement for Annual Meeting and 'Good Standing': Each student must hold a committee

meeting at least once per academic year - defined here as Aug 1

to July 31

- to remain in 'good standing' with the

EEB Graduate Program. The results of this meeting must be reported on the committee report form

, saved to the

student's IU folder on OneDrive (link), and sent to the Grad Advisor and EEB GPD. At the annual meeting, students

must maintain 'satisfactory' academic progress toward the degree, a standard set by the Research Committee and the

EEB Graduate Program. Students not meeting this standard are not in 'good standing' and placed on academic

probation for one semester by UGS. If the student does not demonstrate progress during that probation, UGS will

dismiss the student.

* the ability to structure experiments or observations in such a way as to answer questions

unambiguously;

* the ability to analyze correctly and to interpret creatively the results of experiments or observations;

* the ability to derive the next step in the process of investigation; and

* the ability to communicate effectively with other scientists orally and in writing.

The exam is structured in two parts, typically taken in years 2 and 3 separately.

(B) Retake Option

In the event of failure of the exam prior to the deadline, a student may retake each component only once.

This retake must be completed before the deadline specified for that component. Failure to pass either part

satisfactorily within the allotted time during the retake will result in dismissal from graduate study. Students

who fail the examination must be reexamined by the same committee unless the student has changed

advisors. In that event, a majority of the new committee must have been members of the original committee.

(3) Year 2: Qualifying Examination Part 1, 'Breadth of Knowledge'

Please also see the faq for this exam and faq for year second years.

(A) Format

1. Number of questions: Students will research and prepare written answers on 4 questions chosen by their

advisory committee during a 6-week period of study.

2. Length of answers: The written answers to each of the 4 questions are to contain full text citations and to

be 4-6 double-spaced pages in length (not to exceed 2000 words).

3. References cited: A References Cited section must accompany each written answer and shall not count

toward the page/word limit.

Structure of the Qualifying Examination, Parts 1 and 2

Part 1. Breadth of Knowledge: A written examination with an oral defense | See faq

– Students demonstrate mastery of the major ideas and research strategies appropriate to the

concentration area, as well as mastery of effective written and oral communication.

– Questions are formulated by the Committee members and given to the student on the first day of

a six week written examination period.

– This part must be passed prior to the 13th week of the student's fourth semester in the EEB

program.

Part 2. Research Skills: A preliminary research project report, a proposal for dissertation

research, and an oral defense of both | See faq

– Student demonstrate ability to engage in active research and to appropriately analyze and

interpret the data that she/he derives. In addition, it is the point at which the committee must

approve the dissertation proposal.

–This part must be passed prior to end of the student's sixth semester in the EEB program.

See below for details on each exam. The outcome of each exam must be reported using the committee

meeting form. The IDP and advisor-free period is not used during part 1.

4. Nature of the answers: Answers should exhibit the student’s proficiency at synthesizing the literature and

at staking out their own intellectual positions, rather than being a simple summary of all literature and ideas

relevant to the question.

5. Timing:

A. Submission of answers: The 4 written answers will be turned in to the major advisor on the day

following the 6-week period.

B. Timing of oral exam: An oral exam will be scheduled within 1 week of the end of the 6-week study

period. After a question and discussion period during the oral exam, the major advisor will facilitate

discussion among the faculty examiners about the student's performance and the committee will decide

the exam outcome.

C. Structure of oral exam/2

year committee meeting: During the final portion of each annual Advisory

Committee meeting, the chair (advisor or co-advisors) will be invited to leave the meeting with the

exception of the 2

year committee meeting (that is, Part I of the Qualifying Exam). This procedure

is detailed in the committee meeting faq.

(B) Breadth:

The 4 exam questions shall encompass at least three different areas relevant to the student’s research

scholarship, including the student’s core area (e.g. Evolution, Ecology or Behavior) and the minor.

Appropriate areas include but are not limited to ecology, evolution, behavior, physiology, neuroscience, and

development. Any given question may bridge more than one area.

Although the questions are designed to assess breadth of knowledge, they can be related to the student's

specific research project(s). As one example, an evolution question for a plant ecology graduate student

working on plant-microbe interactions might focus on coevolution between plants and microbes. Likewise, a

behavior question for the same student might address some aspect of plant 'behavior', such as mechanisms of

information exchange between or within plants or between plants and other organisms. Such questions can

be tailored so that the student also needs to explore and articulate general concepts in the area (e.g. Wright's

adaptive landscapes, levels of selection, Tinbergen’s ‘Four Questions’). This approach will foster well-

rounded graduate students who are able to think outside the box of their own specialty, understand the

relevance of other major disciplines to their own research interests, and synthesize knowledge across fields.

The major advisor will be responsible for writing no more than 1 question and soliciting 2 exam questions

from each of the 3 other committee members, for a total of 7 questions. Questions should be solicited

sufficiently in advance of the exam period. The major advisor will lead the decision-making about which

areas each committee member provides questions on and should review the questions and suggest or request

modifications as necessary, including the possibility of merging questions to create more synthetic ones. The

major advisor will have the responsibility of arriving at 4 exam questions from the original 7 questions that

encompass at least 3 different areas and the committee as a whole will have final approval of the 4 questions.

The major advisor shall provide a written copy of the questions to the graduate examinee on the first day of

the 6-week exam period.

(D) Report of Decision:

Following the oral exam, the major advisor will provide a detailed summary of the committee's

decision, including an assessment of strengths as well as any areas for continuing progress. A written

communication of this summary (using the committee meeting form) should be recorded on the sent to the

Grad Advisor (biogrdav), the EEB GPD (eebgpd), and directly to the student. The major advisor is also

expected to have a more in depth one-on-one with the graduate examinee to discuss the student's

performance on the written and/or oral portion of the exam when needed or if requested by the student. IDPs

are typically not discussed at this meeting.

(4) Year 3: Qualifying Examination Part 2, 'Research Skills'

Please also see the faq for this exam and faq for third years

(A) Format:

(i). Written format: The student submits to the Advisor and Committee a written report on preliminary

research and a written proposal for their dissertation research. There are no set formats for the write up of

preliminary research and proposal. Students should consult their Advisor and Committee and look at

previous proposals.

2. Oral Examination: An oral examination covering both the report on the preliminary research and the

proposal is held before the end of the sixth week of the sixth semester. This chronology allows time for a

retake before the departmental deadline (end of the student’s sixth semester) if the first attempt is

unsatisfactory.

3. A (rarely used) option for students with a MS degree: Students who previously have completed a

Master's thesis (or other substantial graduate individual research project with a written report) may

propose that this previous research and the thesis or report be accepted in lieu of the preliminary research

project component of the qualifying examination. The appropriateness of such a substitution will be

determined by the student's Advisory Committee. If the substitution is accepted, both parts of the

qualifying examination must be completed prior to the 13th week of the student's fourth semester.

(B) Reporting:

Please follow the guidance for the Qualifying Exam part 1. However, students should complete and distribute

the IDP before this exam, and it should be discussed at the end, before the advisor-free period. (Committee

meeting faq | form)

(5) Post Qualifying Exams: What is next? Years 3 and beyond

(A) Admission to Candidacy:

Once the student has:

1. passed both parts of the qualifying examination and

2. completed all required major coursework (including 2 credits of Brown Bag), minor course work, and

a three+ credit statistics course,

the student can be nominated to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. In order to advance to candidacy the

student must submit via Nomination of Candidacy Form (get it here). A list of courses used for the degree

must also be submitted (including semester and year taken, credit value, and grades) that indicates which are

major and minor courses and which fulfill Areas of Specialization. (Use of the EEB Checklist will make that

task easier.)

(B) Official Nomination of the Research Committee:

Typically, most students submit the Nomination of Research Committee (NOR) form when they submit the

Nomination of Candidacy from (get it here). It must be submitted no later than by spring semester of 4th

year. When submitting the NOR form, the candidate must include a one- or two-page prospectus of the

dissertation research to the Graduate School, after consultation with and approval by the student's Advisor

and by the proposed Research Committee. After completing the NOR form, any subsequent changes to the

composition of the Research Committee should be completed via the PhD Research Committee Change form

(get it here).

Even after completing coursework and Qualifying Exams, it remains important to contribute to our EEB

community. (faq on tips for grad school | faq on mentoring guidelines | faq on how to get help)

1. Brown Bag requirement: Students are required to deliver at least one seminar in the L570 'EEB Brown

Bag' (formally 'Seminar in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology'). (EEB encourages that students deliver

more than one during their grad career).

2. Expectation of attendance: Students are expected to attend EEB Brown Bag (typically Tuesdays) and

EEB Seminar (typically Fridays), from first year through end of graduate school. (Tips for grad school)

3. Encouragement of participation: Students are encouraged to attend more informal forums for

interactions. In the past these have included: Ecolunch, EDG (Evolution Discussion Group), Behavior

and Physiology Journal Club (SMURLAS), Disease Ecology and Evolution Discussion group (DEED),

etc. These forums provide opportunities for interactions, presentation of research, discussion of primary

literature and books, etc. Many other opportunities exist to participate in other departmental functions:

the Holland SSRP and Rise Programs, Groups Scholars program, STEM and Science Olympiad, etc.

Schedules for EEB Friday seminar, Brown Bag, journal clubs, etc., can be found online and in TWIB (This

Week in Biology) mailings.

(D) Requirement for continuous enrollment:

After admission to candidacy the student must enroll each semester, excluding summer sessions, for any

remaining required course work, dissertation, or research credit. If 90 hours have been completed, the

student has been admitted to candidacy, and if the student is supported by the University (i.e., they have not

graduated), they will register for 6 credits of G901 for up to six semesters, as needed. After that, the student

must enroll for at least one hour of research or dissertation credit in each semester until the degree is

completed (even if the student lives outside of Bloomington). A candidate who will graduate in June, July, or

August must enroll for at least one hour of credit in either of the two summer sessions (see also finishing

FAQ document in the ‘EEB Grad Docs’ folder).

(E) Requirement for service as an Associate Instructor (at least one semester):

If the student has not served as an Associate Instructor (AI) at least once pre-candidacy, he/she must serve at

least once during the Candidacy period. (Every student must serve at least once at IUB; service as the

'instructor of record' for a class would certainly fulfill this requirement).

(F) Requirement for written evaluation following Annual Committee meetings: faq

As described above and in the committee meetings faq, each student must hold at least one meeting annually

with their Advisory/Research Committee. IDPs (form) and CVs should be distributed beforehand; advisor-

free time should conclude the meeting. Advisors should fill out the Committee meeting form after the

meeting, sending it to the Grad Advisor and EEB GPD, and archiving it in the student’s individual folder (link),.

The committee meeting report should establish that the student continues to make ‘satisfactory’ progress, as

determined by the Committee. Holding the meeting annually and demonstrating ‘satisfactory’ progress

enable the student to remain in ‘good standing’ with the program. (See the committee meeting faq for more

information and detail).

(6) Dissertation Defense

EEB students should consult the faq for finishing. Several items below are discussed there, too.

(A) 'Penultimate' committee meeting:

Students should hold a 'penultimate' committee meeting with their committee approximately 6 months

(typically 4-8 months) before the intended date to defend the dissertation. At this meeting, the students

present the core elements of their dissertation chapters, already completed and in final prep. The committee

then provides feedback on the material presented. They will indicate whether they can forecast a successful

defense or if instead they recommend a delay in defense timing. No decisions made at this meeting are

binding, however. This penultimate meeting may fulfill the requirement for an annual meeting, or it may be

an additional meeting during an academic year (depending on the timing of meetings).

(B) Submitting and defending the dissertation:

To obtain the Ph.D., a candidate must submit a dissertation that is acceptable to the members of her/his/their

Research Committee and to the University Graduate School. Research for the dissertation usually occupies

substantially more than half the student's graduate training. It is essential that the student obtain the

Committee's advice and consent in formulating, pursuing, and writing the dissertation.

If the dissertation topic is subsequently changed significantly following submission of the Nomination of

Research Committee (NOR) form, approval must be obtained from the Research Committee and, if the

nomination to candidacy has been submitted, from the Dean of the Graduate School.

The specific deadlines are / process is:

(1) Announcement with the UGS:

A final and approved the same time, the student must submit to the Graduate School a one-page

announcement of the final public examination via one.iu.edu, called 'Ph.D. Defense Announcement' (get

it here). The final approved form must be submitted to UGS 30 days prior to the defense. Therefore, it

should be submitted electronically to committee members 40 days in advance. (Deadlines from UGS).

(2) Submission of to the committee:

At least two weeks

before the final examination, an electronic version of the dissertation must be

submitted to each member of the candidate's Committee. (Some committee members may request a paper

copy). Your committee may or may not require formatting by the guidelines set by the Graduate School

for this submission to them.

(3) Defense:

The student must defend her/his/their Ph.D. dissertation. First, the dissertation is presented in a public

seminar followed by open discussion (question-answer session). A meeting with the Research Committee

will follow. The committee will determine the outcome: pass, conditional pass, deferred decision, fail.

The UGS typically requires 30 days. However, within EEB, two weeks is a realistic norm acceptable to most Research Committees.

The specifics of this timing should be negotiated between students, Advisors, and Research Committees.

(4) Filing the dissertation:

Specific guidelines for the preparation (formatting) and submission of dissertation are expected by UGS.

A pdf copy of your final dissertation must also be submitted to the Graduate Office of the Department of

Biology. At the time of the defense “R” or deferred graded research credits are turned to letter grades.

(5) Signature of committee members:

Per UGS Policy, all members of a PhD student’s research committee are expected to participate in the

student’s defense, either in person or via zoom (link to defense format). Signatures are collected on this

form.

(1) Time limit and Termination: The student must submit and have received acceptance of her/his/their

dissertation within seven years after the date on which the qualifying examination part 2 is passed.

Failure of a candidate to meet this requirement will result in the dismissal both of candidacy and of

enrollment in the degree program.

(2) Reinstatement: To be reinstated in the Graduate School after dismissal in (1), the student must first

take and pass a then-current Ph.D. qualifying examination and then petition for a reinstatement of

candidacy which, if granted, will be valid for a period of three years. If at the end of the period of

reinstatement the student has a dissertation accepted for defense by the Research Committee, but needs

additional time for the defense, etc., the Graduate School may grant an extension of up to six weeks.

However, no other extensions will be approved. (Please see the UGS Bulletin for more details).

(3) Revalidation: In addition, all course work that is to be counted toward the Ph.D. must have been

completed or revalidated within seven years prior to the completion of the degree. Courses that were

taken more than seven years prior to completion may be revalidated (ask the Biology Grad Office for

help with routing the eDoc, if necessary). The purpose of revalidation is to demonstrate that courses

counted toward a degree (and the body of knowledge contained in them) are acceptable as current and

adequate at the time of revalidation. For each course falling outside the seven-year period allowed for

the Ph.D., students must demonstrate that they have remained current in the knowledge required by the

course. This can normally be done by:

–passing an examination specifically on the material covered by the course;

–passing a more advanced course in the same subject area;

–passing a comprehensive examination (either an M.S. exam or a Ph.D. qualifying exam) in which

the student demonstrates substantial knowledge of the content of the course;

–teaching a comparable course; or

–publishing scholarly research demonstrating substantial knowledge of the content and fundamental

principles of the course.

Please consult the latest version of the UGS Graduate Bulletin for more details on each of these, (1)-(3).

(7) A Minor in EEB (for Students Outside EEB)

Students from outside of EEB are welcome to pursue a PhD minor in EEB. EEB's minor requires (as

summarized in the latest entry in the UGS Graduate Bulletin):

(1) Minor advisor: Students must select an EEB Minor Advisor from a list of Core or Affiliate EEB

Faculty (see them here).

(2) Number of credits required: 6 credits.

(3) Course offerings: Select 2+ courses from one of the three areas of concentration in Box 1 (above).

Please note:

* Courses may not satisfy major and minor requirements simultaneously.

* Courses from more than one area of concentration may be approved by the minor advisor.

* Substitutions may be approved by the EEB Minor Advisor and the EEB GPD.

(4) Grades: An overall average of a B (3.0) is required in EEB minor coursework.

(5) Transferring Credit: A student may transfer grad courses to meet requirements of the EEB Minor.

This transfer must be approved by the students' Advisory Committee and the Minor Advisor.

Students wishing to receive an EEB minor should complete the EEB Minor Application form.

Table 1. Summary of key deadlines and tasks for the EEB PhD Program (with key links). Students should

use the EEB Checklist (form) to track their progress on these tasks.

Task

Year

Done by / Other notes

1. Meeting with Advisor

1st

By 6-8 weeks into first semester

2. Formation of advisor-mentor relationship, joining a lab

1st

First or Second Semester - by May at the latest

3. Annual Individual Development Plan (IDP)

All

At least two weeks before annual Advisory

Committee meeting (each year)

4. Advisory Committee Meeting, First year

1st

By end of Spring Semester (faq | form | IDP)

5. Formation of Advisory Committee, submission of

Advisory Form to Graduate Office

1st

File form with the College Grad Office (here)

6. Qualifying Exam, Part 1: 'Breadth of Knowledge'

2nd

By 13th week, spring semester (faq); advisor fills

out committee report form

7. Qualifying Exam, Part 2: 'Research skills'

3rd

By end of spring semester (faq); advisor fills out

committee report form

8. Completion of coursework for EEB major etc.,

including 2 semester of EEB Brown Bag, 2 courses in

one area of concentration, 1 course in another (Box 2),

and fulfillment of a minor (Box 3)

3rd

Fill out Nomination of Candidacy Form (get

here). | submission of form for use of L500/L501

with committee approval, if applicable (see also

faq)

9. Nomination of Research Committee

4th

Spring at the latest, but preferably after

candidacy in third year; fill out NOR form (get

here)

10. Change of Research Committee

Done only if NOR form completed; via PhD

Research Committee Change form (get here)

11. Annual Committee meetings

This is a requirement to remain in good standing

with EEB. Advisors fill out a committee report

form. (faq | form | IDP)

12. Attendance at EEB Seminar, Brown Bag, etc.

All

This is expected each week (grad tips faq)

13. Continuous enrollment after candidacy

Required 12 credits years 1-3; 6-9 credits OK

years 4+; G901 credits available (6 cr/sem) after

90 credits reached; at least one credit required for

off-campus, post-candidacy students.

14. Delivery of EEB Brown Bag talk

1-5+

Each student must deliver at least one talk at

EEB Brown Bag (L570) during their time as an

EEB student. EEB encourages more than one

talk.

15. Service as an Associate Instructor

1-5+

Each student must serve as an Associate

Instructor (or primary instructor) of a course at

IU at least once.

16. Penultimate Committee meeting

4-6

Held c. 6 months before intended defense. May

serve as annual committee meeting, or may be an

additional meeting. Advisor must fill out

committee report for it. (faq | form | IDP)

17. Defense: announcement with UGS

4-6

Due in final approval 30 days before defense via

Ph.D. Defense Announcement' form (get here).

Submit it to committee members 40 days before

defense. See also faq.

18. Defense: submission of dissertation

4-6

At least two weeks before the defense, in PDF

and/or printed format; must be defended no later

than 7 years post completion of Qualifying Exam

Part 2. See also faq.

19. Defense: filing of dissertation

4-6

Please note deadlines to graduate within certain

semesters (e.g., 15 July for summer graduation);

heed formatting guidelines set by UGS

II. M.S. IN EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

Many elements of the EEB MS program resemble those of the PhD program. Below, the key similarities and

differences are highlighted. Additionally, instructions for transferring from the PhD to the MS, and from the

MS to the PhD, are provided.

(1) Description of MS program in EEB

(A) Advisor and Advisory Committee:

Advisor: The student must obtain the agreement of a faculty member in the Department of Biology to serve

as the student's Research Advisor.

Advisory Committee (UGS policy): The M.S. Advisory Committee must include three faculty (TT or RS)

members at IUB (but more, including from non-IUB institutions, are acceptable). The chair should be

graduate faculty and Core/Affiliate with EEB, but it may include one or more additional faculty members

from any department at Indiana University. An Advisory Committee for the Ph.D. in EEB can also function

as the Advisory Committee for an M.S. in EEB.

In practice, the Advisory Committee usually is chosen by mutual agreement between the Advisor and the

student, who then contact potential committee members and obtains their agreement to serve on the

Committee. A nominating form (from the Biology Graduate Office) designating the proposed membership

of the Committee is submitted to the EEB Program Director, the Director of Graduate Studies of the Biology

Department, and the Graduate School for approval.

(B) Course requirements:

The Advisory Committee must meet before the end of the student's second semester of M.S. work and

approve a proposed plan of course work and a proposed topic and scope for the thesis or alternative project.

The nature of these two components is determined by the student's Advisory Committee subject to the

following constraints:

(i) Graduate Credits. A total of 30 credit hours, of which at least 20 credit hours must be taken in

approved evolution, ecology, and behavior (or related) courses. The courses must have a coherent focus

within the general field of ecology, evolutionary biology, and behavior. Examples of appropriate foci are

the Ph.D. areas of specialization (Box 1 above). These courses must be approved by the student’s advisory

committee. The remaining credits (up to 30) should be L800 Research (or equivalent).

(i) Grade averages: A cumulative "B" average (3.0) is required by UGS for the degree, but any support

from Biology (if offered and available) requires a cumulative 3.2 GPA. If a student's average falls below

3.0 GPA, the student will be placed on academic probation by UGS. Failure to raise the overall average to

at least 3.0 during the next semester will result in dismissal from Graduate School.

(ii) Time Limits:

Students entering the MS program directly: M.S students are guaranteed only five semesters of support of

full-time study assuming continuous enrollment. Enrollment is not required during the thesis-only phase of

study. If enrollment is part-time or episodic, students must complete the degree in five calendar years More

specifically, all coursework submitted with the thesis for degree completion must have been completed

within 5 calendar years, or those courses must become revalidated following UGS policy – see section

6(C)(3) above).

PhD to MS transfers: Students in Ph.D. Programs in the Department of Biology who decide to leave IU

during or after the fifth semester may petition the EEB Program Director and the Director of Graduate

Studies for a single additional semester of support to complete the M.S. Such petitions will be considered

on their individual merits. See Box 4 for more details. Please note: All coursework submitted with the MS

thesis for degree completion must have been completed within five calendar years, or those courses must

become revalidated with UGS. (Lab/ program transfer: faq | form)

(D) Thesis or Alternative Project:

The M.S. in EEB must include a research project following the guidelines below:

(i) Proposal:

Before the research is begun, the student must obtain the approval by her/his/this Advisory Committee of a

written proposal for the M.S. research project. The brief proposal should include a statement of the

research problem, a brief analysis of the most relevant literature, a tentative experimental design, and a plan

for the data analysis. The scope of the project should be such that the project could reasonably be

completed in no more than nine credit hours of effort.

(ii) Conducting the research:

Once the design is agreed upon by the student and the Committee, the student proceeds with the research,

making necessary design modifications in consultation with her/his/their Committee. Continuous

enrollment is not required while conducting MS thesis research (in contrast to the PhD).

(iii) Thesis and Oral Defense:

After the research is completed, a written report is prepared that usually includes revised material from the

original proposal as well as properly analyzed results and discussion. The research project must be orally

defended before the Advisory Committee. The initial part of this defense may be a public seminar. It is

not necessary that the results of the research adequately support or refute the initial hypothesis.

(iv) Evaluation:

Rather, the examination and written report will be evaluated on the student's mastery of the skills of

problem delineation, research design, research techniques, data analysis, elucidation of the significance of

results, and written and oral presentation.

(v) Use of Thesis Project for PhD Transfer:

Students who plan to pursue the Ph.D. in EEB may request permission to use the preliminary research

project component of their qualifying examinations as the M.S. project and examination.

(vi) Scope of the Project:

The scope (6 – 9 credit hours) and the relative success of the research will vary among projects. More

extensive projects producing positive, publishable results will usually be designated 'theses'. Briefer

projects and those producing primarily negative results will be designated 'alternative projects'. Students

completing a thesis should consult the Graduate School Bulletin for information on format, number of

copies, etc. (Current directions from UGS – deadlines, submission, formatting).

(E) Certification:

Satisfactory completion of the program of coursework, the thesis or alternative project, and the M.S. degree

as a whole must be certified by the Advisory Committee on the appropriate form. Subsequent approvals by

the Director of the Graduate Program in EEB, the Director of Graduate Studies of the Department, and the

Graduate School are also required.

2. Departmental Transfer Policy: MS to PhD or PhD to MS

(A) Master’s to Ph.D.: Overview:

Admission directly to the Master’s program is rare for EEB. The Master’s degree program is not meant as a

probationary period for evaluating borderline Ph.D. students before admitting them to the Ph.D. program.

Students are eligible for five semesters of AI support.

Master’s students sometimes change from the Master’s program to the Ph.D. These students must formally

apply to the relevant Ph.D. program through the normal application process no later than their third semester

of MS study. The applications will be reviewed in winter along with all other applications to the Ph.D.

program using the same criteria used when considering applicants who have been in Master’s programs

elsewhere.

(B) Ph.D to Master’s: Overview and specific procedures:

For various reasons, student may change from the Ph.D. to the Master’s program. For example, students may

come to realize that they would prefer to follow a different career path. Some students may be confronted

with issues in their personal lives that may make it difficult to continue studies. Faculty may also recommend

that a student transfer to the Master’s program if they are not making sufficient progress to complete the

Ph.D. in a timely fashion.

To change from the Ph.D. to the Master’s program, a student must be on track to complete the necessary

course requirements (20+ course credits) and to complete sufficient research (credits of L800 up to 30) for a

Master’s Thesis.

The procedures and form for changing from the Ph.D. to Master’s degree are found in Box 4. Note that since

the students have already been admitted to graduate program, the decision to change the degree program is

approved by the EEB GPD in consultation with the DGS.

III. MISCELLANY

(1) Flexibility in degree requirements:

The requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees outlined above may be modified in several ways to take

account of the student's background and career objectives. Any required course may be waived upon

presentation of adequate evidence showing that the student already has acquired substantially the same

knowledge either from previous courses or independently. Students may petition for a modification or

waiver of requirements that seem inappropriate in their particular case (there is a guide from UGS to submit

the eDoc). Such petitions must have the approval of the student's Faculty Advisor and Committee. Petitions

must be approved by the Director of the EEB graduate program and by the higher unit, if any, responsible for

the particular requirement (often, the DGS or the UGS).

(2) Alternative career objectives:

Students are encouraged to consider courses or training beyond the formal requirements of the programs

described here as possible preparation for careers in areas outside traditional academia. Students may wish

to elect courses in such areas as computer science or information technology, technical writing, applied

ecology, etc. It is possible in some instances for a student to complete the M.S. in Environmental Science

(MSES) degree in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (see above) while satisfying the

requirements for the Ph.D. in EEB. Research in applied areas of biology may be proposed for the Ph.D. or

M.A. degree. Other alternatives may be available to students who have interests in mathematics,

programming and data analysis, or geology. Student may also wish to pursue external internships (faq |

form).

Box 4: Procedure for transfer from Ph.D. to Master’s degree in the Department of Biology

Since Ph.D. students were admitted to the program with the understanding that they will complete Ph.D. research,

changing to the Master’s degree requires appropriate approval. To request admission to the Master’s degree from the

Ph.D., please complete the following steps (faq | form).

(1) Eligibility and Lab: To be eligible to transfer to the Master’s, it is imperative that you have completed the

necessary course work and have identified an advisor and two faculty members who will serve on your advisory

committee.

(A) Switching labs? If you plan to change to a different lab than the one in which you conducted your Ph.D.

research, you need to submit a detailed proposal and justification for the change. (See faq)

(B) Committee membership: Biology requires three committee members to serve on a Master’s committee.

Membership, however, is not regulated or monitored by UGS or CGO. Rather, it is internally tracked. Hence,

committee membership can change without filling out administrative forms with UGS or GGO. Three

members, including the committee chair, just sign the ‘acceptance page’ for UGS upon filing the thesis

(directions).

submitted for completion of the MS degree with the thesis must have been completed within five calendar

years.

(2) Form: Complete a “Request to Transfer from Ph.D. to Master’s degree Form” that is signed by you, your

thesis advisor, and members of your thesis committee. Once complete, submit the form to the Advisor for

Graduate Affairs, the EEB GPD, and the DGS. (Work with the EEB GPD on it first).

(3) Request Letter: Submit a letter (electronic is acceptable) to the Director of Graduate Studies copying the

Advisor for Graduate Affairs and the EEB GPD.

Details:

- The letter should describe the reasons for requesting the change from PhD to MS.

- If you plan to change labs and/or your advisor, include a justification.

- Include a brief project proposal including expected date of completion.

- Before submitting this letter, you should discuss the proposed research plan and its timing with your

committee, at the very least with your advisor.

(4) Letter from Advisor: Your future Master’s thesis advisor must also submit a letter (electronic is acceptable) to

the Director of Graduate Studies, the Director of the EEB Graduate Program, and the Graduate Advisor. In that

letter, he/she indicates that (A) they will serve as the Master’s advisor, (B) the student will stay in his/her/their

lab until completion the degree, and (C) current progress is consistent with the expected date of completion. The

letter should be cc’d to the Advisor for Graduate Affairs.

Next steps:

Approval: The DGS and the EEB GPD will review the request. If the request is granted, the student will meet with

the EEB GPD to verify progress towards fulfillment of credit requirements. If the request to transfer is approved, the

Grad Advisor will inform the College of Arts and Science that the degree goal has changed. If the request is not

approved, the student will not be allowed to continue in the graduate program.

Support: The DGS will lay out the specifics of future support in the department as a MS student. Support will be

granted solely on the availability of AIships unless the advisor will offer support on a grant (as an RA). Support is

not guaranteed. The student must consult the Advisor for Graduate Affairs regarding the availability of AI positions

by Oct 1 for Spring classes or by Feb 15 for Summer and Fall classes.

APPENDICES – MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES

(1) QUESTION: What happens to your research committee when your advisor (research chair) or

committee member moves to a new University or changes their IU status?

According to University Graduate School (UGS):

Former IU Graduate Faculty members are allowed to continue to serve in their prior roles (committee

members, chairs) for one year after their appointment has been terminated. After that time they may

continue to serve as outside (non-IU) members, but cannot be counted in the requisite minimum 4 IU

Graduate Faculty (2 of whom must be endorsed) to comprise a PhD dissertation committee. In addition,

beyond one year, a former committee chair may serve in this role as a co-chair with a currently endorsed

member of the IU Graduate Faculty.

If your advisor (research chair) moves:

(A) If you will defend within one year of your advisor leaving:

1. Your advisor can remain your advisor, without a co-advisor, for one year.

2. You do not need to add a fifth committee member.

3. Your advisor does not need an appointment at IU. Very often in Biology, your

advisor’s affiliation with section does not change until their last student has graduated.

4. The off-campus advisor must be present on-campus for the defense. If you have moved with your

advisor, you must also be present on-campus for the defense. This is consistent with the IU rule

that all candidates for the PhD must be present in person for the defense.

5. You should have already filled out the ‘Nomination of Research Committee’ (NORC) form. If

you have not done that, fill it out before your advisor leaves.

Note: previously there was some talk about the advisor having a “courtesy appointment” but that is not

needed.

(B) If you will defend after your advisor has been/will be gone for one year:

1. Your advisor will officially become your outside committee member (a non-IU graduate faculty

on the committee) who is also acting as a co-Chair. Anyone can have external members be co-

Chairs or committee members at any time. Because you need an IU faculty member to be Chair or

co-Chair of your thesis committee, you now must find a local co-Chair. This is usually a current

committee member.

2. You must add a local member, as your off-campus advisor becomes a fifth rather than a fourth

member, to maintain the requirement of having 4 IU graduate faculty on your committee.

3. Your off-campus (co-) advisor can attend the defense remotely provided that the on-campus co-

advisor is present. However, prior permission must be secured from UGS.

4. You must fill out the ‘Change of Research Committee’ (CORC) form, routed through your

advisor, naming your co-advisor.

If a committee member moves

A departed committee member can remain a fourth member for one year. After that time, the departed

committee member becomes a fifth member if retained. A fourth, local member must be recruited, and a

CORC form must be completed if the NORC has been submitted.

If your advisor/committee member becomes Emeritus

According to the UGS, the faculty member Emeritus can still remain as your Chair or on the committee. In

Biology, we have traditionally let Emeritus professors remain as Chair of the research committee. It is up to

each Department to decide what an Emeritus professor can do in this situation.

(2) QUESTION: How can I transfer graduate credits (earned in a MS degree, etc.)? See here also

Refer students to University Graduate School transfer credit policy in the Graduate Bulletin, as follows:

Upon recommendation of the department and with the approval of the dean, work taken for graduate

credit at other institutions may be transferred in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. No course

may be transferred from another institution unless the grade is B or higher and unless the course was

completed within the time limit prescribed.

The following restrictions apply:

1. Candidates for the M.A., M.S., LL.M., or M.A.T. degree may offer up to 8 hours of graduate

credit from other institutions.

2. Candidates for the M.A.T. degree who are graduates of Indiana University may offer up to 12

hours of graduate credit from other institutions.

3. Candidates for the M.F.A. degree may offer up to 20 hours of graduate credit from other

institutions.

4. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree may offer up to 30 hours of graduate credit from other

institutions. It must be emphasized that the transfer of credit is not an automatic occurrence.

Students must obtain the written consent of both their departmental advisor and the dean before

credit earned at other institutions will be added to their records.

5. Credits that were used to satisfy the requirements of a bachelor equivalent degree (including

the first year of graduate credit for students from countries offering three-year bachelor

degrees) cannot be transferred for graduate credit.

Procedure to transfer credits in Biology:

1. Download and fill out the biology transfer credits form (here) with your course descriptions and

provide it to your advisory committee (where transfer credits are sought for courses at multiple

institutions, fill out a separate form for each institution).

2. Receive signatures for approved courses from your committee chair and at least one other

committee member.

3. Send the form and copy of your final transcript (only if the IU Biology graduate advising office

does not already have a copy of your final transcript) to Myers Hall 150 or

[email protected].

(3) QUESTION: How do I register for classes and research credits?

(A) Where:

Please refer to the Registrar’s website for detailed instructions on how to register. OneStart is IU’s

web-based system for managing your registration, payments, and other tasks. You can register for

classes on OneStart starting from your registration appointment through the first week of classes.

(B) Late registration:

If you do not enroll before the Open Registration deadline, you may register during the first week

of classes (Late Registration) using OneStart. You will incur a late fee unless it can be clearly

demonstrated that the University made an error. After the first week of classes and after Late

Registration closes, all classes requested must have prior department authorization.

Once you have registered, you can adjust your schedule using add/drop. Consult the “Drop or Add

a Class” section of the Registrar’s website regarding add/drop policies and fees.

(D) Registration holds:

If there are holds on your registration, OneStart will provide information about the reason, the

department who issued the hold, and the steps to follow to release the hold.

(E) Minimal enrollments – for SAAs, fellowships, and for PhD students in general:

- Student Academic Appointees are expected to be enrolled each semester on appointment. All

appointees at or above 37.5% FTE must enroll in six credit hours each semester.

- All appointees at less than 37.5% FTE must enroll in at least one credit hour each semester

(summers excluded).

- Students receiving fellowships must enroll in at least six credit hours each semester.

- Students scheduled to receive fellowships during the summer term must register in at least one

credit hour to receive the fellowship.

(F) G901:

All doctoral candidates who have accumulated 90 graduate credit hours and who have completed

all course requirements for the degree except the dissertation or final project, if applicable, may

enroll in G901, Dissertation Research, which carries a value of six credit hours. A student may

enroll in G901 no more than six times.

(4) QUESTION: What are expectations for SAAs? See here also

• An outline of the expectations of student academic appointees (SAA’s) and of their faculty supervisors.

• Establish clear expectations regarding student responsibilities at the beginning of the semester. For

example, in working with an instructional GA, it is helpful to discuss and clarify who will write the

exams, essay prompts, and assignment instructions; who proctors exams; how often the teaching team

meets in person; who grades which assignments/exams, how grades will be determined, and when grades

are due; and how multiple GAs on the same course team will work together.

• In the case of RAs and other collaborative relationships, faculty should provide and discuss criteria for

determining authorship at the start of a project; it is likewise useful to clarify the relationship between

research conducted through the RA-ship and the research conducted in a student’s MA paper, dissertation,

or other research.

• Assign duties and tasks that fall clearly within the scope of the position. For example, instructional GAs’

responsibilities should be related to the courses their faculty supervisors are teaching.

• Recognize the relevance of students’ disability status in the performance of assigned duties and work

towards a suitable accommodation.

• Respect student employees’ need to allocate their time among competing demands while maintaining

timely progress toward their degree. To this end, faculty supervisors should seek to establish reasonable

deadlines for completing grading and other tasks during the semester.

• Discuss policies and expectations for work hours and health contingencies. Most department SAAs

specify 20 hours of work per week. Indiana University does not provide paid sick leave to SAAs.

Supervisors should have a plan in place to make reasonable accommodations for illness and/or injury.

• Try to distribute workloads evenly (where possible) throughout the semester, and seek out solutions when

a workload leads to more hours being required than the student’s formal SAA contract allows. If high

levels of student enrollment in a course negatively influence the workload, it is appropriate for the

instructor to request additional GA assistance and/or to modify course requirements.

• Insofar as possible, faculty supervisors should strive to make students’ employment a learning experience.

For example, RAs might learn and practice new research skills; instructors might provide experienced

GAs the opportunity for further professional development by allowing them to design projects or give

guest lectures, or perhaps share pedagogical practices as regards a given topic.

APPENDIX – Mentoring Graduate Students in EEB, a College PhD Program

Created by: Spencer Hall, EEB Graduate Program Director, [email protected]; Oct 2022

Purpose: Starting in AY 2022-23, the College Graduate Office has requested that each

program’s handbook address nine questions about mentoring graduate students. The following

document addresses those questions, sometimes referring to the EEB Graduate Guide, other

EEB documents, College and UGS webpages, and other resources.

1. A timeline showing a typical path through the degree, milestones, and how

advising/mentoring fit in

- This timeline is described throughout the EEB Graduate Guide.

- Table 1 (pg 15) summarizes the key deadlines.

- The EEB Checklist form

provides a convenient way of organizing these.

2. A distinction between discipline-specific advising and more holistic mentoring,

acknowledging the need for multiple mentors for different needs

- Faculty advisors and mentors play crucial roles in the operation and integrity of graduate

education. (See also faq on being a student | faq on mentoring | faq

on getting help)

- We distinguish formal advisors—who provide institutionally-required guidance on

academic progress—from mentors—who tend to take a broader interest in a student’s

professional goals, and who may also have an interpersonal as well as a professional

relationship with the student.

- Advisors often serve as mentors, particularly at such later stages of a graduate career as

the dissertation, but students may (and often should) seek out mentors who do not serve

in a formal advising capacity.

- Advisor-advisee relationships are required by the institution (the UGS, the College

Graduate Office, Biology, EEB); mentor-mentee relationships are not required, but are no

less beneficial to students’ professional development.

- Faculty in EEB assume a collective obligation for promoting an intellectually stimulating

environment that is free of harassment, and in which all students receive adequate

advising and mentoring.

- Most incoming EEB graduate students enter into their advisor/mentor’s lab right away or

rotate among labs (see section 2A of the EEB Graduate Guide). Advisors and advisees

must meet at least twice during the first semester.

- The Graduate Mentoring Center

at the University Graduate School also offers a variety of

programs to assist students in developing effective mentoring relationships.

- Students may find it useful to think about and complete the NCFDD multiple mentor map.

- Students should seek out career mentoring through various pathways (including career

coaching at the Walter Center

3. An outline of the roles and responsibilities of students, advisors, and departments,

such as that provided by the College.

EEB is following the mentoring guidelines provided by the College with some modifications

(faq). Please find those and some prompts for Advisor-Advisee dialogue in an faq

about

being a graduate student.

4. An outline of the expectations of student academic appointees (SAA’s) and of their

faculty supervisors

- Supervision plan: The College has provided guidance for supervision of SAAs

. Please find

it located in this portal.

- Evaluation form: AIs with instructing capacities (beyond just grading) will be evaluated

following this form.

- Grievance policy for SAAs: Biology has established grievance policies for SAAs. Please

note that this grievance pathway is separate from issues of academic standing (and

described by and managed by the College Graduate Office

here).

Additional guidance for AI positions (teaching) and RA positions (research, grant-funded):

- AI - expectations: Instructors of record should establish clear expectations regarding

student responsibilities at the beginning of the semester. For example,

* discuss and clarify who will write the exams, essay prompts, and assignment

instructions;

* who proctors exams;

* how often the teaching team meets in person;

* who grades which assignments/exams, how grades will be determined, and

when grades are due;

* and how multiple AIs on the same course team will work together (when

applicable).

- AI - scope: Instructors of record should assign duties and tasks that fall clearly within the

scope of the position. For example, instructional AIs’ responsibilities should be related to

the courses their faculty supervisors are teaching.

- RA: In the case of RAs and other collaborative relationships, faculty should provide and

discuss criteria for determining authorship at the start of a project; it is likewise useful to

clarify the relationship between research conducted through the RA-ship and the

research conducted in a student’s paper, thesis, dissertation, or other research.

- Supervisors of SAAs should also:

* Disability status: Recognize the relevance of students’ disability status in the

performance of assigned duties and work towards a suitable accommodation.

* Consideration of time constraints: Respect student employees’ need to allocate their

time among competing demands while maintaining timely progress toward their

degree. To this end, faculty supervisors should seek to establish reasonable

deadlines for completing grading and other tasks during the semester.

* Discuss policies and expectations for work hours and health contingencies. Most

department SAAs specify 20 hours of work per week. Indiana University does not

provide paid sick leave to SAAs. Supervisors should have a plan in place to make

reasonable accommodations for illness and/or injury.

* Workload distribution: Try to distribute workloads evenly (where possible) throughout

the semester, and seek out solutions when a workload leads to more hours being

required than the student’s formal SAA contract allows. If high levels of student

enrollment in a course negatively influence the workload, it is appropriate for the

instructor to request additional AI assistance and/or to modify course requirements.

* Learning experience: Insofar as possible, faculty supervisors should strive to make

students’ employment a learning experience. For example, RAs might learn and

practice new research skills; instructors might provide experienced AIs the

opportunity for further professional development by allowing them to design projects

or give guest lectures, or perhaps share pedagogical practices as regards a given

topic.

5. Indication of how students can report their experience, for example through a climate

survey

EEB students can describe their experience and voice their concerns in numerous ways:

- talk to / write your support structure (lab mates, advisor)

- talk to / write broader support structures (committee, GPD, DGS, Chair, Biology Ombuds

etc. describe extensively in our ‘who can help’ faq.

- actively participate (writing, vocally) in the semester Town Hall meetings held by the

EEB GPD (including opportunities for feedback on Google Docs forms beforehand).

- provide anonymous feedback collected by EEB ORG via the EEB ORG comment box

- contact their GPSG rep.

- provide anonymous feedback about GRW itself here and about prospective students

here.

- submit a Care Referral for themselves or others here; submit a Bias Report here; submit

a Title IX concern and read Biology’s policy (start here); indicate to the GPD a need for

emergency financial assistance here

- participate in periodic surveys of well-being (from the College, UGS, etc.)

6. Discussion of the role of the unit’s graduate student association in student well-being

EEB ORG

plays a role in peer mentoring and in articulating concerns of EEB students. Each

year class is represented (via elections) in its membership.

EEB ORG meets regularly with the EEB GPD. When merited and appropriate, EEB ORG

can address EEB faculty at meetings or via written documents.

EEB ORG can provide important information to students about section, department,

College, UGS, and University/Campus matters.

EEB ORG maintains an extensive resource document

full of excellent help and tips about

the program and life in Bloomington. They also maintain a suggestion inbox.

7. Information on conflict resolution and grievance procedures within the department

and beyond

EEB graduate students are often supported by SAAships (AIs or RAs on grants). That

means their lives as students (following academic procedures as described in the EEB Grad

Guide) and their roles as employees of the University intertwine. The EEB GPD can help

delineate which pathway is best to take when conflicts arise or when grievance procedures

are needed.

SAA/Employment: Biology has established these grievance policies for SAAs

Academic standing: Please note that this grievance pathway is separate from issues of

academic standing. Those policies are described by and managed by the College

graduate office

here. Most academic standing issues would start with a finding of

‘unsatisfactory progress’ in a committee meeting report, triggering a Probation process

with CGO and the Associate Dean for Graduate Education in the College.

A number of other issues arise from time to time, and EEB students may wish to seek out

help. An FAQ describing who can resolve these problems is updated often.

8. Attention to professionalization that stretches beyond any required course

(A) Presentations: EEB encourages development of presentation skills in multiple ways.

- Students are urged to present at national conferences and smaller, regional ones (such

as MEEC).

- EEB requires attendance of a “brown bag” course. There, students receive instruction on

presentation technique.

- All students are required to present their research formally at least once at Brown Bag as

well.

- Students can present at more informal forums, such as Ecolunch and various journal

clubs.

- Lab meeting provides yet another common route (although the style and nature of

expectations of lab meetings is left to lab groups to decide).

- Finally, students are routinely kept updates on opportunities to talk elsewhere (on

campus [e.g., three minute thesis talks]) and off.

(B) Writing: EEB encourages writing in various formats.

- EEB periodically offers courses in writing techniques, as formal courses or workshops.

- EEB informs students of opportunities to apply for competitive fellowships offered by

funding agencies, foundations and at IU (UGS, College, and department). We also

summarize key opportunities to apply for small grants to fund research (e.g., IAS, Sigma

Xi, etc., as summarized by the Grad Grants Center). Most students are expected to apply

for competitive fellowships and small grants.

including current positions and contacts. Various groups within EEB occasionally invite

alumni to speak about non-academic career options.

(D) Internships: EEB has developed an faq

on attaining and finding support for outside

internships. It describes the various aspects involved (eligibility, exams, timing, stipend,

insurance, enrollment, etc.). (

faq | form)

9. Annual Evaluation - Academic

Students hold annual committee meetings (both Advisory and Research). Details of these

meetings are described in the EEB Graduate Guide (and procedures for committee meeting

are also described in more depth in this faq

The key elements are sketched here:

Year Step Guide location

First An Advisory Committee is set up Section 2B,2D

and edoc is competed [start here

]) Box 3

An IDP is completed (using EEB’s template

) Section 2E

Committee meeting is held (see faq)

Progress is documented (on a meeting form) Section 2F

Form is stored in student folder (link)

Second The annual meeting is Qualifying Exam part 1 Section 3

No IDP is required. (See also faq

for this exam)

Third The annual meeting is Qualifying Exam part 2 Section 4

An IDP is required again. (See also faq

for this exam)

Candidacy forms are completed (with UGS) Section 5

& Nomination of Research Committee form

(get them here

)

Fourth An annual committee meeting with IDP is required Section 5

Degree Students must hold a ‘penultimate’ meeting Section 6

Completion (see also faq

for finishing students )

Students defend their dissertation (see also faq

) Section 6