New Student Orientation: Prior to the first week of the semester the department holds an orientation for all new graduate students. This will entail an overview of our graduate program.

Classwork: Students will be expected to take a combination of core and elective coursework to provide adequate background in both general and discipline-specific microbiology. Prior to orientation, students should register for the core curriculum courses offered in their first semester.

Rotations: Students brought in under the rotation umbrella will be expected to complete three 8-week laboratory rotations in potential research laboratories. Rotations are the student’s chance to experience research in the lab of potential mentors and determine if both opportunities and mentorship style will fulfill the student’s needs for a successful dissertation project. Students who are directly admitted into MBI labs are not required to complete rotations. Instead they will enroll in sufficient coursework, as determined by their advisor and Doctoral/Masters committee, to complete the required academic credits.

Research: All students will be expected to develop a rigorous program of laboratory-based research in conjunction with their chosen laboratory. The research will need to produce primary, peer-reviewed research articles that will form the basis of the dissertation.

Teaching Experience: All PhD graduate students are expected to teach, or to assist in teaching, an undergraduate course for two semesters, dependent on availability. The goal is to provide an important professional experience for the student.

Departmental Seminar Presentation: All graduate students are expected to formally present their research annually to the faculty in the Departmental Research in Progress (RIP) Seminar. Exceptions are made for those that are undergoing their Comprehensive exam or defending their Dissertation/Thesis within the next semester. Please consult with the Graduate Program committee at the start of Fall semester with your preferences for when to present.

Annual Committee Meetings: The student's Doctoral/Masters Committee meets with the student annually (at a minimum) to monitor progress towards the degree.

Printed copies of dissertation/thesis: Hardbound copies of Dissertation/thesis, labeled on the spine with the student's name and title of document, as dictated by the Graduate School and the Department. Copies must be supplied to the advisor and to the Department for inclusion in the Cotner-Morris library.

 

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