Biology Graduate Handbook

Welcome to the Department of Biology Graduate Program! While you may not realize it now, you are about to embark on one of the most exciting phases of your academic careers. No longer are you undergraduates locked only into taking classes, you now can actively shape your future careers. No matter your subsequent aspirations, this is where it all begins! Graduate school is an exciting time because everything is up to you and your success is completely entwined with the level of effort you input. So, from now on, the sky truly is the limit.

Graduate school is also a very challenging endeavor, sure to be filled with myriad questions. Thus, if you need any advice, feel a desire to rant or just need to ask a question, the following people are great resources:

Besides these individuals, the best resources you will probably have are your fellow colleagues and major advisor, so never be afraid to seek advice from the more established graduate students, your advisor, other faculty or staff. The department is here to help you.

Remember that while this is an exciting time, it is also a very trying one. Gone are the days of laissez-faire schedules and summer/winter vacations. Graduate students, especially those pursuing the M.S., are expected to put a lot of hours into their work, and, as such, disciplined dedication is paramount. However rigorous this may sound, it is also exciting, for now you can make your own mark as you begin crafting your contribution to the scientific body of knowledge. So, let us know how we can help you realize your ambitions, and, remember, you should feel empowered, as your success is entirely up to you!

In addition to this guide, you are advised to visit the UNF Graduate School as it provides general information applicable to ALL graduate students regardless of their programs of study. While the Biology Graduate Student Handbook contains valuable information specifically related to graduate studies in Biology at UNF, the UNF Graduate School Policies and Regulations addresses policies, procedures and resources related to graduate studies in general at UNF. It is your responsibility to review the information both in this handbook and in the Graduate School Student Handbook as you will be held responsible for abiding by its content. 

General Access Information

Student Orientation

An annual orientation will be held for all incoming graduate students prior to the beginning of each fall term. This orientation will give all new students a chance to meet the graduate coordinator and to go over all of the policies and requirements of the program, get teaching assignments, and obtain information on getting IDs, keys, parking passes, etc. For those who are appointed as Graduate Assistants (GAs), a portion of the fall orientation will involve professional development with respect to teaching pedagogy. Attendance is required.

Department Office Hours

The main office and office staff are available from 8am-4:30pm. The main office will generally be locked by 5pm.

Activating e-mail accounts

All UNF students will have an email account automatically generated for them. The department will use this primary address for communication purposes, and thus it is up to you to have any previous email addresses converted to the UNF address. More information can be found at: https://www.unf.edu/its/knowledgebase/email/Active-Student-Email.html

Obtaining ID Cards

All students need to obtain an ID Card (the Osprey Card), which can be obtained in 08/1100. More information can be found here:

https://www.unf.edu/business-services/osprey-1card/index.html

Parking Permits

Parking is not free. There are several options for purchasing permits for parking on campus, which can be found here: https://www.unf.edu/parking/student-parking.html

Obtaining Keys

Once you have obtained your teaching assignment, consult with your major professor and the Office Manager to obtain a list of rooms to which access is needed. The administrative secretary can then assist you in obtaining a key request form. Keys are available at the UNF Lock shop (Bldg. 6) open between the hours 8am -3pm. Additionally, if you are a GA you will need a UNF ID that provides access to keyless locks on teaching lab doors. This requires an additional form that can be obtained from the administrative secretary.

Office and Services

The  M ain  O ffice  for Biology  is on the first floor of Building 59, Suite 1300.  The Chair, Assistant Chair, Office Manager, Administrative  Secretary , Teaching & Research Lab Managers each have offices in this suite.  Faculty offices are found on all three floors of the Biology Building. A directory is available online and is also posted on the first floor, across from the entrance to the Main Office suite. Faculty generally conduct office hours in their offices or via Zoom. Email individual faculty  in order to  set up a meeting.

Mail and Postage

The departmental office has mailboxes for everyone, and a photocopier for class use. Items that directly relate to class needs (e.g., quizzes, tests, etc.) or research (articles for advisors, manuscript or grant submissions, etc.) are provided gratis. A copy code (last 4 digits of your student n-number) is required to make copies.  

Non-departmental correspondence may also be mailed but must be accompanied by the necessary postage. Larger packages and such can be mailed from the campus UPS Store (Building 8, near Chick Fil-A).

The address format for receiving mail is:

Your Name

Department of Biology

University of North Florida

1 U N F Drive

Jacksonville, FL 32224

Office Supplies

The department will provide various supplies (e.g., pens, pencils, paper, etc.), for Graduate Assistants (GAs) within reason. For other necessary items, please visit the Campus Bookstore. AIf you are a Graduate Assistant (GA) or paid Research Assistant (RA) you are a University employee, and you are eligible for a 20% discount, provided you show your campus ID.

Fax Machine

The department has a fax machine available for school-related endeavors (904-620-3885). Items can be faxed via the fax option on the copy machine. 

Academic Advising

Graduate students should seek advice on coursework, research, and career goals from their faculty mentor, their committee, or the graduate coordinator.  

In very broad terms, M.S. degrees are more tailored to those who will be continuing to a Ph.D. program or to a potential employer who requires the completion and/or publication of a thesis as prerequisite.  M.A. degrees have historically been more geared to those who are already employed in an applied science field (e.g., practicing biologists at parks, herbaria, museums, educators, consultants, etc.), are seeking more advanced knowledge, or will not go on to be scientists actively engaged in primary research (e.g., Principle Investigators).  Does this mean you cannot pursue a Ph.D. with an M.A.?  No; if you decide to pursue a Doctoral degree subsequent to completing a M.A., you can do so; however, some Ph.D. programs may require an M.S. degree exclusively. 

If you begin the program as an M.S. candidate, you may discover that research and thesis work is not your desire, and thus may be interested in switching programs.  This would involve a discussion with both your committee and major advisor, and entails taking additional courses.  If you begin as an M.A. student, the transition to the M.S. program will necessitate the same discussion, with the added necessity of finding a major professor to help you define and pursue a research question.  M.A. students take more courses since they are not writing a thesis, but the same high standards of academic excellence are applied to each program (please see section on maintaining “good standing” for further explanation). 

Just remember, a Master’s Program is a great place to explore the biological world.  You may discover that you love ecology, are enthralled by molecular genetics, have a passion for physiology or just hate biology altogether.  You shouldn’t travel down a path merely because it’s the one you started on; you may not yet know what you find fulfilling, so if you become uninspired with a course of action, explore another.  After all, this is your opportunity to embark on what will hopefully lead to a successful career in science.

Choosing a Mentor

Perhaps the most important task that one will undertake is to decide on a faculty mentor, sometimes called a major professor.  It is a requirement for admission to the M.S. in biology program at UNF that a major professor is selected prior to acceptance.  In the event that you select a different trajectory for your science career from your original plan, you can discuss the need for a different major professor with the Graduate Coordinator. 

Once you have decided on a major professor, you should begin formulating your research agenda so that a graduate committee can be convened.  Your graduate committee will help you formulate your hypothesis, provide valuable advice and possibly equipment, and generally assist you in your progress toward your degree.  You and your major professor will be the best judges as to who is on your committee, but the committee must consist of at least three members (a major professor and two other members).  Two of those members must be faculty in the UNF Biology Department, but members outside the department are allowed.  However, the Graduate School must vet all potential members, and thus committee members new to UNF must be approved prior to their instatement.

Graduate Faculty in Biology 

A list of the faculty in the Biology Department is posted online in the Biology Faculty Directory https://www.unf.edu/coas/biology/contact.html

Those who are designated as Graduate Faculty, approved by the Graduate School, are listed on the Graduate School’s webpages: https://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/staff-resources/grad-faculty.html. 

Additionally, off-campus affiliate faculty, involved in the Biomedical Sciences program, are listed on the Biomedical Sciences website: https://www.unf.edu/coas/biomed/contact.html

Program Director Responsibilities 

The program director is responsible for ensuring that all of the graduate students are making satisfactory progress toward their degree, handling their responsibilities and enforcing departmental and university policies.  The program director will administer the written exam that each graduate student must pass and will maintain a file on each student in the program containing all documentation regarding their degree.  Laboratory coordinators report on each of the GAs that teach lab sections in their classes and the program director will compile this information and meet with each GA every semester to discuss their performance.  The program director is also the point of contact for any situations that may arise regarding conflicts between a graduate student and their mentor.    

Financial Support

Summer Support

At the current time there is no department summer support available. However, several awards (see below) are available for graduate students at different phases of their academic careers. Also, periodic grants from the Coastal Biology may be available, but nothing is guaranteed. Thus, applying for external grants, often through scientific societies (e.g., Sigma Xi Grants-In-Aid-Of-Research) is strongly encouraged.

Awards

The Department has several awards to assist students, typically given during the summer months. The Graduate Committee will periodically send out emails with this information and eligibility requirements, but include:

Thomas Dobson Fellowship In Conservation Biology: this $2000/year fellowship will fund a full-time graduate student of Biology in Conservation Biology.

Biology Graduate Student Awards: this $2000 award is typically awarded in the summer to an outstanding graduate student who has completed their proposal and begun research. This award is sometimes split between two candidates.

Travel funds

One of the most important activities in which a scientist may engage is in the active dissemination of data. Thus, the department strongly encourages graduate student travel and presentations at meetings. Whether local, state, national or international, meeting presentations are of paramount importance to developing one's scientific repartee. Many larger meetings have funds set aside to assist in graduate student travel, so check ahead.

The department also has limited funds in which to assist with graduate student travel. To apply, send an email to the Graduate Coordinator stating the time, place and nature of the meeting, an approximate budget, and whether you are planning on giving a talk or poster. It is best to forward the acceptance email from the organization hosting the meeting so that the Graduate Coordinator can verify that your abstract has been accepted for presentation. Consideration for requests will include stage of student research development, the type of meeting, presentation type, major professor input, etc.

The Coastal Biology Program may have additional funds for Coastal themed presentations.

In-state vs. out-of-state designations

Tuition for out-of-state students is significantly more expensive than for in-state students. Thus, it is a great idea for students entering the program to apply for in-state residency as soon as possible. Graduate Assistants receive a tuition waiver to help reduce costs; however, you must be a full time student taking 9 credit hours to receive the full benefit. Speak to the Office Manager if you have questions regarding this process.

Program Descriptions

The UNF Biology Department offers two graduate level degrees:

• Master of Arts in Biology (non-thesis)
• Master of Science in Biology (Four concentrations or tracks)
  • Master of Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Master of Science, Molecular and Microbiology
  • Master of Science, Coastal Biology
  • Master of Science, Biomedical Sciences (non-thesis)

M.A. vs. M.S. Degrees

In very broad terms, M.S. degrees are more tailored to those who will be continuing to a Ph.D. program or to a potential employer who requires the completion and/or publication of a thesis as prerequisite.  M.A. degrees have historically been more geared to those who are already employed in an applied science field (e.g., practicing biologists at parks, herbaria, museums, educators, consultants, etc.), are seeking more advanced knowledge, or will not go on to be scientists actively engaged in primary research (e.g., Principle Investigators).  Does this mean you cannot pursue a Ph.D. with an M.A.?  No; if you decide to pursue a Doctoral degree subsequent to completing a M.A., you can do so; however, some Ph.D. programs may require an M.S. degree exclusively. 

If you begin the program as an M.S. candidate, you may discover that research and thesis work is not your desire, and thus may be interested in switching programs.  This would involve a discussion with both your committee and major advisor, and entails taking additional courses.  If you begin as an M.A. student, the transition to the M.S. program will necessitate the same discussion, with the added necessity of finding a major professor to help you define and pursue a research question.  M.A. students take more courses since they are not writing a thesis, but the same high standards of academic excellence are applied to each program (please see section on maintaining “good standing” for further explanation). 

Just remember, a Master’s Program is a great place to explore the biological world.  You may discover that you love ecology, are enthralled by molecular genetics, have a passion for physiology or just hate biology altogether.  You shouldn’t travel down a path merely because it’s the one you started on; you may not yet know what you find fulfilling, so if you become uninspired with a course of action, explore another.  After all, this is your opportunity to embark on what will hopefully lead to a successful career in science.

Master of Arts in Biology Program Description

Degree Requirements

• Core requirements: 36 credits of graduate Biology coursework.
• PCB 5675 Advanced Evolution (all students)

MA Degree Evaluation

Major: Biology

Degree: Master of Arts

Core Requirements (36 hrs)

Students must have a cumulative graduate GPA > 3.0 to qualify to graduate.

Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.

SELECT 36 HRS FROM THE LIST BELOW:

• BCH 6876C Membrane Biology
• BOT 5186C Advanced Marine Botany
• BSC 5075C Advanced Physiology
• BSC 5487C Advanced Biology of Marine Mammals
• BSC 5905 Directed Independent Study: Biology
• BSC 5936 Special Topics: Biology
• BSC 5872 Advanced Biological Pharmacology
• BSC 5930 Biology Seminar
• BSC 6931 Advanced Readings in Biology
• MCB 5024C Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques
• MCB 6175C Integrative Microscopy
• PCB 5235 Cellular Immunology
• PCB 6314C Marine Ecology
• PCB 5525 Molecular Genetics
• PCB 5675 Advanced Evolution
• PCB 5845 Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
• PCB 6480 Quantitative Ecology
• PCB 6236 Advanced Cancer Biology
• PCB 6335C Estuarine Ecology
• PCB 6446 Ecology of Wetlands
• PCB 6447 Community Ecology
• PCB 6685 Population Genetics
• PCB 6307C Freshwater Ecology
• ZOO 5235C Advanced Parasitology
• ZOO 5455C Advanced Ichthyology
• ZOO 5463C Advanced Herpetology
• ZOO 5717C Canine Anatomy
• ZOO 5754C Advanced Histology
• ZOO 5209C Advanced Coastal Invertebrate Biology

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of potential courses. The department is continuously adding new courses and our field changes. In addition, 5000 and 6000 level courses in other departments (e.g., offered through Engineering) may be acceptable pending the approval by the Program Director.

Master of Science in Biology Program Description

Students in the MS program can choose from three tracks depending on their interest: 1) Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2) Molecular and Microbiology, 3) Coastal Biology. Some students may find that their interests overlap two, or even all three of these tracks and that is fine since all courses are open to all students in the program. So each student can personalize their program to their specific interests.

Degree Requirements

• Core requirements: 36 credits of graduate Biology coursework
• Written Qualifying Exam
• Oral exam
• Successfully submit and defend a thesis
• PCB 5675 Advanced Evolution (all students)
• BSC 6840 Critical Skills in Science (all students)
• PCB 6480 Quantitative Ecology (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Coastal Biology tracks)
• BSC 6971 Graduate Thesis Defense (all students)

Degree Evaluation

Major: Biology

Degree: Master of Science

Core Requirements (36 credits)

Students must have a cumulative graduate GPA > 3.0 to qualify to graduate.

Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.

SELECT 36 HRS FROM THE LIST BELOW

(A minimum of 18 credit hours of graded coursework (i.e.: Biology Seminar, Thesis Research, Critical Skills in Science and Thesis Defense credits do not count toward the 18 hour total) is necessary in order to graduate):

• BOT 5186C Advanced Marine Botany
• BCH 6876C Membrane Biology
• BSC 5099C Advanced Physiology
• BSC 5487C Advanced Biology of Marine Mammals
• BSC 5905 Directed Independent Study: Biology
• BSC 5936 ST: Biology
• BSC 5872 Advanced Biological Pharmacology
• BSC 5930 Biology Seminar
• BSC 6098C Environmental Physiology
• BSC 6931 Advanced Readings in Biology
• BSC 6971 Graduate Thesis Defense
• BSC 6972 Graduate Thesis Research
• MCB 5024C Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques
• MCB 6175C Integrative Microscopy
• PCB 5235 Cellular Immunology
• PCB 6314C Marine Ecology
• PCB 5525 Molecular Genetics
• PCB 5675 Advanced Evolution
• PCB 5845 Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience
• PCB 6236 Advanced Cancer Biology
• PCB 6335C Estuarine Ecology
• PCB 6446 Ecology of Wetlands
• PCB 6447 Community Ecology
• PCB 6685 Population Genetics
• PCB 6480 Quantitative Ecology
• PCB 6307C Freshwater Ecology
• ZOO 5235C Advanced Parasitology
• ZOO 5455C Advanced Ichthyology
• ZOO 5463C Advanced Herpetology
• ZOO 5717C Canine Anatomy
• ZOO 5754C Advanced Histology
• ZOO 5209C Advanced Coastal Invertebrate Biology

Please note that this is by no means an exhaustive list of potential courses. The department is continuously adding new courses and our field changes. In addition, 5000 and 6000 level courses in other departments (e.g., offered through Engineering) may be acceptable pending the approval by the Program Director.

Master of Science in Biology, Biomedical Sciences Non-Thesis Program Description

This program is open to all baccalaureates with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in biology or a related field in addition to 12 credit hours of upper level undergraduate biology courses. For detailed acceptance criteria see the Graduate School guidelines and the university catalog. Students take electives and conduct independent research in a faculty’s laboratory. Fourteen credits core courses in biomedical area and biotechnology are required. Additionally, students must select eight credits electives in consultation with the faculty mentor. Fourteen credits of “experiential learning” may be completed in the laboratory of any Biomedical Sciences faculty from Biology or from other laboratories from the UNF-wide Biomedical Sciences Program faculty. See the Biomedical Sciences Faculty page for research expertise. If the research is done outside the Biology Department, the student must identify a Biology faculty member as a co-advisor. A written report of the research (format decided by the advisory committee) and defense to the advisory committee in the form of a presentation is required for graduation. This degree can be completed in two academic years (Fall and Spring).

Prerequisites

An undergraduate degree in Biology or an undergraduate degree in a related field and 12 credit hours of upper level undergraduate biology courses.

Core Requirements (14 credits)

Grades of "B" or better are required in all graduate courses.

MCB5505 Advanced Virology (3 Credits)

PCB6236 Advanced Cancer Biology (3 Credits)

PCB5235 Cellular Immunology (3 Credits)

PCB5845 Cellular and Molec Neurosci (3 Credits)

BSC5930 Biology Seminar (1 Credit)

Major Electives (8 credits)

Grades of "B" or better are required in all graduate courses.

SELECT 8 CREDITS FROM THE FOLLOWING

• BCH 5418 Advanced Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (3 credits)
• BCH 5418L Advanced Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Laboratory (1 credit)
• MCB5024C Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques (4 credits)
• MCB 6175C Integrative Microscopy (3 credits)
• ZOO 5754 Advanced Histology (3 credits)
• ZOO 5754L Advanced Histology Laboratory (2 credits)
• PHT 6161C Clinical Neuroanatomy and Physiology (4 credits)
• BSC 5028 Advanced Biology of Aging (3 credits)
• BSC 5872 Advanced Biological Pharmacology (3 credits)
• MCB 5205 Pathogenic Bacteriology (3 credits)
• PCB 5106 Cellular Biology (3 credits)
• PCB 5525 Molecular Genetics (3 credits)
• PCB 6675 Advanced Evolution (3 credits)
• PCB 6685 Population Genetics (3 credits)
• APK 5332 Pharmacology for Chronic Disease (3 credits)
• CAP 6768 Data Analytics (3 credits)
• MAP 6385 Scientific Computing (3 credits)
• HUN 7788 Nutritional Genomics (3 credits)
• PSB 6930 Special Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience (3 credits)

Experiential Learning (14 credits)

SELECT 14 CREDITS FROM THE FOLLOWING

• BSC 6917 Advanced Graduate Research (1-4 credits)
• BSC 6948 Graduate Internship in Biomedical Sciences (1-4 credits)
  Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.

Written Qualifying Exam

Biology is one of the largest, most expansive sciences, and to be functioning biologists it is incumbent on us all to understand the basics of our field.  All M.S. students must pass a written Qualifying Exam and an Oral Exam prior to graduation.  The written Qualifying Exam must be taken in the third semester (including summers) that a student is in the program.  The written Qualifying Exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions in the areas of: 1) cell and molecular biology, 2) genetics, 3) evolution, 4) ecology, 5) physiology and 6) biodiversity.  Questions for the written exam come from General Biology test banks. To pass, a student must earn a score of at least a 70%. Any student that does not pass the written Qualifying Exam will get a second chance to take it within the same semester. If a student does not pass the exam within two attempts, they will be dismissed from the program.

Oral Exam

The format of the oral exam is up to the individual committees but will typically include questions from three main sources: 1) general biology (e.g., from GA assignments), 2) general field knowledge (depending on the track) and 3) knowledge related to individual theses. Exams typically last at least 1.5 hours. Students should complete their oral exam by the end of their 4^th semester (including summers) in the program. If the exam is not passed, the committee has wide ranging discretionary powers on how to proceed. The committee may suggest that the student take additional courses, prepare lectures on areas which were not well done, teach a lab section (for those not on GA lines), retake the exam later, etc. However, if a second exam or additional requirement is not passed successfully, the student may be dismissed from the program. 

Thesis Requirements

Research Proposal Defense

Prior to actually embarking on their research projects, all students are required to pass a proposal defense. The exact format is left up to the individual committee members, but typically includes a 15 minute presentation followed by a question and answer period in order to clearly refine and articulate the research goals. This presentation is also an excellent candidate for the required yearly talk by all graduate students. This is required to be undertaken by the end of the third semester at UNF and must happen at least two semesters prior to the thesis defense.

Thesis Defense

All graduate students are required to present a public defense of their theses prior to graduation. The student must provide a copy of their works to their committee at least two weeks prior to the defense. In addition, they must provide the time of the public defense to the Graduate Coordinator and Departmental Chair at least one week before the defense.  See the Office Manager for information on how to reserve a room and appropriately advertise your public defense. After the presentation, the committee will meet with the candidate for a closed meeting in which they will discuss, and either approve or deny conference of the M.S. degree.  

Hazardous Waste Training

All graduate students are required to complete an online Hazardous Waste Training course, available via Canvas. This course needs to be completed once a year.

Biology Seminar Series

The Department hosts the Biology Seminar Series in the fall and spring semesters with invited guest speakers spanning the diversity of Biological Sciences. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to see a range of talk topics and interact with the scientists themselves. Thus, attendance at these seminars is mandatory for GAs and is expected of all graduate students.

The faculty will at times have scheduled lunches or visits with the seminar speakers, during which time graduate student attendance is strongly encouraged. This is not an arbitrary task but undertaken to allow the students a one-on-one opportunity to interact with other researchers. Plus, guest speakers typically enjoy talking to graduate students.

Departmental Service

Being valuable members of the department is also essential to your graduate education. One of the most important aspects of this is participation in the interview process of new faculty members.  Perspective candidates like an unbiased view of the department and enjoy hearing the concerns of current graduate students.  The department provides each candidate with a lunch with graduate students during their interview to have such interactions.  While it is not required that each graduate student attend each lunch in these situations, you should make every effort to attend some of these events.  Aside from providing job candidates the opportunity to learn more about the department, they also provide graduate students with the opportunity to practice talking about their work and to learn more about life as a Ph.D. student from the candidates.

Teaching Assignments

The department will make every effort to couple admission to the M.S. program with the awarding of a Graduate Assistantship (GA). These GAs are awarded for a one year term in the summer preceding every academic year.  Students wishing to be considered for a GA for the upcoming academic year are required to submit an application to the Graduate Coordinator by the deadline provided. GAs are awarded based on previous teaching experience and success, performance in the classroom and in research, and being up to date with program requirements. 

As a GA, you will be leading laboratory sections in one of our introductory courses (typically General Biology I, II and Principles of Biology, but sometimes other classes). This is a great chance for you to begin learning how to present information, administer quizzes, and manage students and a host of other issues which will undoubtedly help you in your future careers. Prior to the start of the semester there will be a graduate student orientation in which more details will be presented. In addition, the Lead Professor for the course will observe all GAs at least once per semester and evaluate them via the departmental rubric (available on-line for your perusal). The Professor will give you advanced warning prior to the event.  While this will undoubtedly cause some level of consternation and trepidation, fear not about such endeavors. While no one ever likes to be actively observed, this is one of the best tools available to understand those things that we are doing well, and try to improve on the rest. 

Further, all GAs will also distribute in-class evaluations for the students to complete. GAs should arrange for one of their peers to assist in this endeavor, as the class instructor should not be in the room during the actual administration.

At the end of the semester, the Graduate Coordinator (GC) will meet with all GAs in order to evaluate their progress. The GC will have access to the end of semester and in-class evaluations, but this merely provides information on the teaching component. Thus, all GAs will also be asked to bring a copy of their CVs (to be addressed at the orientations) and activities that semester. These activities include, but are not limited to, publications, meetings (both attended and presented), grants (successful or not), research productivity (mayhap augmented by a letter from their major professor), awards, etc. This body of information will be compiled for a brief semester evaluation, with a more in-depth report on a yearly basis.

GA Commitments

Per everyone's contract, GAs are committed to 20 hours of departmental service per week, in exchange for the vast fortunes heaped upon them. The weekly commitment is generally broken down as the following:

* This is an estimate. Most weeks there will be no proctoring duties, while others may have 1-4 tests, so please sign up early for times and plan accordingly.

GA Attendance

Class meetings and laboratory prep meetings are mandatory for all GAs.On rare occasions, however, a student may have a conflict due to a conference, medical emergencies or extreme situations involving their research. Under these situations a GA can potentially get an “excused absence” from class or laboratory prep. If faced with an emergency situation, the student should contact both lab coordinator and grad coordinator as far in advance as possible. It is up to the lab coordinator and the graduate program director to determine if the conflict can be considered an excused absence. If a student is potentially missing a meeting of the laboratory class they have been assigned, they are responsible for finding another GA that is willing to cover their class on the proposed date. Missing any mandatory meetings that have not been excused can be grounds for losing a GA.

Office Hours

GAs are expected to conduct regular office hours during the semester. Typically, this entails one hour per lab, and thus two hours per week are typical. Your locations during these times should be clearly stated on your laboratory syllabus. Your office will be assigned at the Graduate Student Orientation.

Proctoring

Many of the courses necessitating GAs are rather large. Thus, all GAs are responsible for helping to proctor exams (handing out tests, watching for any potential cheating, collecting and alphabetizing tests, etc.). The office manager will collect the times and dates of large lecture classes, and post a list in the office. All GAs will select exam times from the list and are responsible for attending the exam times for which they signed-up.

GA Prep work

To run the labs in the department takes a tremendous amount of coordination and effort on everyone's part. Thus, a crucial component of GA responsibilities comes in the form of prep work for the upcoming week's labs. All GAs will be responsible for 3-4 hours of work, as designated by the respective lab coordinator.

GA Progress towards Degree

All GAs will meet with the graduate coordinator at the end of the semester to discuss academic standing and progress toward degree; examinations of course work (completed and remaining), thesis development and any general issues regarding progress toward degree.

GA Support

A full-time (9 credit hours per semester) graduate student who is making satisfactory progress and maintaining acceptable student evaluations will be guaranteed support for four consecutive (fall and spring) semesters. Maximum support as a Graduate Teachings Assistant (GA) is for six consecutive (fall and spring) semesters.

5th and 6th semester support requires:

1. Letter of justification by student seeking continued support.
2. Progress and recommendation from student’s graduate committee.

GA Semester End Assessments and Evaluations for Continued Funding

At the semester’s end, every student awarded a GA will have a meeting with the graduate coordinator to ensure excellence in graduate student scholarship, teaching and service and provide a mechanism for determining suitable progress for continued GA support. This meeting will draw upon the following forms to clearly delineate GA progress. The forms follow:

GA Progress Evaluation

This form will be completed by the graduate coordinator. It will draw upon the previous two documents, but also include a section on departmental citizenship, progress towards degree and academic performance. The following queries will be addressed:

• Is the student making satisfactory progress towards the completion of their degree, as outlined in the graduate student handbook?
• Is the student making satisfactory progress scholastically?
• Is the student an active, participating departmental member? This question relates to the following activities:
  • Appearance at departmental functions (e.g., Thursday seminars)
  • Availability for scheduled visiting scholars (e.g., lunches with invited speakers, job candidates, etc.)
  • Assistance in departmental activities (e.g., helping faculty members with meetings, biology club, general participation in departmental functions
  • Proctoring tests
  • Prompt responses to departmental requests/concerns
   

This file will be integral in deciding whether a graduate student is fulfilling their contract and whether GA funding is appropriate after the typical 2 years. Further it will provide a mechanism for ensuring student compliance with rules and regulations requisite for continued funding. The graduate coordinator will construct a comprehensive document compiling all observations and assessments relating to these issues; this and all documents will be organized into a file and forwarded to the student, their mentor and the departmental chair. A typical file will have the following components:

• Summary of teaching letter
• Summary of service letter
• Scholastic, progress toward degree and citizenship aspect
• Recommendation to continue funding or not

GA Service Evaluation

This form will be completed by the laboratory coordinator to which the GA has been assigned (e.g. GBIO I, A&P I, Principles of Biology, etc.); the following queries will be addressed:

• Did the GA make all scheduled lab prep meetings?
• Did the GA carry out all prep duties?
• Was the GA available for office hours?
• Did the GA clean up after their labs?
• Did the GA fulfill all teaching responsibilities?
• Any additional comments or observations?

GA Teaching Evaluation

This will be a previously generated form that the lecture professor will utilize when they observe the graduate students at least once per semester. In addition, remarks pertaining to the promptness of grade submission will be included as comments.

Maintaining Good Standing

All graduate students are expected to maintain “good standing”.  This rather nebulous phrase means that you are making satisfactory progress towards your degree, are fulfilling teaching responsibilities (if appropriate), are making course progress (see grades below) and are a productive member of the departmental community.  In order to assess these various components, each GA will have a semester meeting with the Graduate Coordinator.  If a student is not performing in a satisfactory manner, then the Graduate Coordinator and/or major professor will draft a letter and discuss the situation with the student.  The outcome may be placement on probation, during which time additional problems occurring in subsequent semesters (e.g., poor class grades, failure to attend meetings, etc.) may result in dismissal from the department.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

As developing scientists, it is imperative that certain academic standards be maintained.  Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in all classes (please note, this is a B and not a B-).  Any grade below a B will place the student on academic probation, during which time a subsequent unsatisfactory grade may lead to the removal of the student from the program.

Probation/Suspension/Removal

Graduate students in biology are held to high and consistent academic standards. Grades of C+ or below are considered failing. Any student that earns a grade of less than a B- in a course, or who’s cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. A student on academic probation may be in danger of losing their GA (if applicable) and may be dismissed from the program if significant improvement is not shown. Students that earn grades of C+ or below in two courses in the same semester, or in two consecutive semesters will be in danger of being dismissed from the program. A vote will be taken by the graduate committee to decide if the student may continue in the program.  Students that earn a grade of C+ or below in a total of three courses will be dismissed from the program, regardless of when they occurred.  Since students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in order to graduate, any student that has below a 3.0 after 30 hours of graded coursework in the M.S. program, or 36 hours of graded coursework in the M.A. program will be dismissed from the program unless it is deemed likely by the graduate coordinator that they will be able to increase their GPA sufficiently to graduate by taking an additional course. Students that have shown a consistent lack of progress in their research and thesis completion and have been previously warned during meetings with their committee and the graduate coordinator can also be removed from the program. Any students that have behaved in an illegal or unethical manner may similarly be removed.

Graduate Chair Meetings

All students must meet with the Graduate Coordinator at the end of each semester to assess progress.  During these meetings, the Graduate Coordinator will review in-class evaluations from Lead Lecture Professors and students (if on a GA), class work completed that semester and progress towards degree.  Thus, it is recommended that students keep careful track of their accomplishments and begin construction of a CV as soon as possible.

Annual Committee Meetings

All M.S. students are required to have at least one committee meeting per year.  These meetings can be coupled with Proposal Defenses, Qualifying Exams and Theses Defenses, but the disposition of these meetings must be clearly articulated using the Graduate Student Committee Meeting Report form sent to the Graduate Coordinator.

Research Proposal Defense

Prior to embarking on their research projects, all students are required to pass a proposal defense.  The exact format is left up to the individual committee members, but typically includes a 15-minute presentation followed by a question and answer period to clearly refine and articulate the research goals.  This is required to be completed by the end of the first full year (third semester including summers) at UNF.

Qualifying Exam

Biology is one of the largest, most expansive sciences, and to be functioning biologists it is incumbent on us all to understand the basics of our field.  Thus, all M.S. students must pass a written Qualifying Exam and an oral Qualifying Exam prior to graduation.  The written Qualifying Exam must be taken in the third semester (including summers) that a student is in the program.  The written Qualifying Exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions in the areas of: 1) cell and molecular biology, 2) genetics, 3) evolution, 4) ecology, 5) physiology and 6) biodiversity.  Questions for the written exam come from General Biology test banks.  To pass, a student must earn a score of at least a 70%.  Any student that does not pass the written Qualifying Exam will get a second chance to take it within the same semester.  If a student does not pass the exam within two attempts, they will be dismissed from the program. 

The format of the oral exam is up to the individual committees but will typically include questions from three main sources: 1) general biology (e.g., from GA assignments), 2) general field knowledge (depending on the track) and 3) knowledge related to individual theses.  Exams typically last at least 1.5 hours.  Students should complete their oral exam by the end of their 4^th semester (including summers) in the program.  If the exam is not passed, the committee has wide ranging discretionary powers on how to proceed.  The committee may suggest that the student take additional courses, prepare lectures on areas which were not well done, teach a lab section (for those not on GA lines), retake the exam later, etc.  However, if a second exam or additional requirement is not passed successfully, the student may be dismissed from the program.

Thesis Defense

All graduate students are required to present a public defense of their theses prior to graduation.  The student must provide a copy of their works to their committee at least two weeks prior to the defense.  In addition, they must provide the time of the public defense to the Graduate Coordinator and Departmental Chair at least one week before the defense.   See the Office Manager for information on how to reserve a room and appropriately advertise your public defense.  After the presentation, the committee will meet with the candidate for a closed meeting in which they will discuss, and either approve or deny conference of the M.S. degree.

Switching Between Graduate Degree Programs

In the fullness of time, students sometimes find it necessary to switch between M.S. and M.A. degrees, and vice versa. While the two degrees are similar in many regards, there are several differences, such as the number and types of classes, an M.S. research component and general expectations that must be addressed before switching programs.

M.A. to M.S.

The switch from the M.A. to M.S. degree is relatively straightforward. The following steps will be necessary:

1. Sponsorship of a faculty mentor. A faculty member needs to be willing to sponsor a student in his/her lab.
2. Application for a GA (if desired). A student switching to the M.S. degree is eligible for a GA if one is available. The student will be considered with all other applicants for the given semester, based on the same criteria (see below).
3. Approval of the graduate faculty committee. This step is necessary for the student to be eligible for a GA and departmental funds.

M.S. to M.A.

There are times when it is necessary for a student to switch from the M.S. to M.A. degree. However, care must be taken as M.A. students have a greater credit hour requirement and often do not have research hours. Further, M.S. students are often supported by one of the limited departmental GAs and represent a significant input of resources. Thus, the department has a vested interest in assuring that switching between programs is not an arbitrary decision, but rather reflects some sort of focused need. Therefore, the following conditions need to be addressed:

1. Valid reason for wanting to switch. It is pointless to attempt a comprehensive list of reasons that a student may desire to switch between the two programs, and thus the department feels it is best to leave this open. However, the Graduate Coordinator needs to meet with the student to assess the reason for the switch. If the Graduate Coordinator approves the change, the appropriate degree change will be prepared and implemented.. If it is the Graduate Coordinator's student who wishes to switch programs, then the Department Chair will appoint an independent faculty member to help assess the situation.
2. Satisfactory progress toward degree. A thorough examination of the student's productivity during their time as an M.S. student will be conducted. For students with a GA this is essential as the department has invested significant resources in the student (see above), and thus seeks to make sure that this is undertaken only in rare instances. If the student is deemed to have not made sufficient progress (e.g., several semesters as a GA but no clear research generated) then it is up to the Graduate Coordinator to deny such a request if warranted.

Since pass/fail courses such as graduate thesis research and critical skills in science are not available to students in the M.A. program, students that switch from the M.S. to M.A. programs may not be able to transfer all of their credit hours. A maximum of 6 credit hours of P/F coursework taken as an M.S. student can be used toward completion of the M.A. degree requirements.

Graduate Student Deadlines and Requirements

To ensure students are making appropriate progress toward completion of their degree, the department of biology has set up a series of benchmarks that all M.S. students should attain. 

While the completion of the research for a thesis can sometimes take longer than two academic years, it is important to note that the first four benchmarks are completely under the student’s control. Therefore, these benchmarks are expected to be met by all students, and failure to meet will result in the student being placed on academic probation and potential dismissal from the program. Special consideration can be given to students that have changed mentors or thesis projects.   

Note that summer semesters are included in the deadlines for all events. E.g.: a student entering the program in a Fall semester will be required to form a committee by the end of that semester and will be required to defend their research proposal and pass their written Qualifying Exam by the end of the following summer.

A student who fails may be allowed to retake the exam once during the same semester with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator (written exam) or student's graduate committee (oral exam).

Graduate Assistantship Support

Graduate students in the M.S. program are allowed to apply for a Graduate Assistantship every summer they are in the program, and GAs will be awarded for one academic year (fall and spring semesters). To be supported on a GA a graduate student must be a full time (9 credit hours per semester) student.  GAs are awarded based on criteria such as previous teaching experience for the department, teaching evaluations, academic performance, research performance, and being in good overall standing. 

Graduate Student Checklist

Your final semester in the MS program can be hectic, so a little planning ahead is in order. Aside from writing and revising your thesis with your mentor and committee there are several other assignments and deadlines that must be met. Below is a checklist of items and a timeline to keep in mind to ensure you do not encounter any issues along the way.

1. Register for Graduate Thesis Defense credit for the semester you are planning to graduate. If you already registered for this course in a previous semester and have received a grade of “Incomplete,” you will not need to register for the course again. Successfully defending will complete the course for you.
2. Register for graduation. Information and deadlines for this can be found on MyWings but normally must be done within the first ~6 weeks of a semester.
3. A minimum of three weeks prior to your defense provide the office manager with the date and time of the defense so that they can find and reserve a room for the event.
4. A minimum of two weeks prior to your defense, provide the office manager and the graduate coordinator with the location and date of the defense, the title of your thesis and the name of your advisor so that a formal announcement can be made to the department and to Osprey Update.
5. Defend your thesis. Normally the graduate school requires that this be done a minimum of two weeks prior to the graduation date, but you can check the UNF Graduate School’s website to verify.
6. Revise your thesis according to the desires of your committee and once a final document has been approved and signed by your committee, upload it to the UNF Graduate School’s digital commons. Normally the final document must be uploaded by two weeks after the date of graduation, but more information and precise deadlines on this can be found on the UNF Graduate School’s website.
7. Bask in the glory of being finished.