Introduction for New Graduate Students

Biology Department,Dalhousie University

BIOL5700

Hal Whitehead

Graduate Information at:

http://biology.dal.ca/facultyWeb/GradInfo/

The Biology Graduate Programme• 101 students (Oct 2008)

– 65 PhD; 36 MSc

• Streams (1 Sept 2006)– A (ecology/evolution): 67– C (molecular/cell): 17– D (physiology/development): 16– E (agricultural): 4

• Supervision (1 Sept 2006)– Biology Faculty: 73– Other Dalhousie Departments (+NSAC): 11– Adjuncts: 20

Biology Graduate Programmes

• PhD (should take four years)– “2-Year PhD” (with MSc)– “3-Year PhD” (without MSc)

• MSc (should take two years)– “1-Year MSc” (with Honours)– “2-Year MSc” (without Honours)

• {Part-time MSc: double time limits}

ATC

Administration of Graduate ProgrammePresident (Tom Traves)

Vice President Academic (Alan Shaver)

Faculty of Graduate Studies Faculty of Science

(Dean: Carolyn Watters) (Dean: Marty Leonard)

Registrar

Biology Department COW (Chair: Tom MacRae)

Graduate Directorate (Graduate Coordinator: Paul Bentzen)

Graduate Admissions Committee (Chair: Bill Pohajdak)

BOGS

BOGS

BOGS

Administration of Graduate Programme

• Graduate Coordinator (Paul Bentzen)• Administrative Secretary (Carolyn Young)• Departmental Administrator (Julie Walker)• Admissions and Scholarships Chair (Bill Pohajdak)• Stream Chairs

– A (ecology/evolution): Marty Leonard, Mark Johnston, Tamara Romanuk

– C (molecular/cell): Jonathan Wright

– D (development/physiology): Sophia Stone

– E (agriculture): Jill Rogers-Langille

Who does what (1)• Graduate Coordinator (Paul Bentzen)

– Special Topics Courses

– Progress Reports

– Appeals/Grievances/Problems

– Conduct Evaluations

– Interview New Students in September

• Administrative Secretary (Carolyn Young)– Organize Interviews, ATC's, Preliminary Exams, MSc and

PhD defences

– Records to FGS as necessary

Who does what (2)

• Departmental Administrator (Julie Walker)– Collates admission applications– Scholarship money– Lett Fund– Space

• Admissions and Scholarships Chair (Bill Pohajdak)– Applications for admissions– Allocates scholarship funds– Ranks students for scholarships

Who does what (3)

• Stream Chairs– Interview continuing graduate students in Sept.– Can sign programme update forms, etc.– Chair ATC exams– Fill in for graduate coordinator

Who to talk to/inform if:

• “I can only take 2 modules (of 3) this year”– Registrar on-line, Module Coordinator (Joe Bielawski)

• “I wish to switch BIOL5yyy for BIOL5xxx”– Registrar on-line, FGS (through programme update

form, Grad. Coordinator or Stream Chair)

• “I need an office/lab. to work in”– Supervisor, Internal Supervisor, Julie Walker

(Departmental Administrator)

Who to talk to/inform if:

• “My scholarship is running out”– Supervisor, Grad. Admissions Chair

• “I am desperately short of money”– Lett Fund–Julie Walker or BOGS reps

• “I need money to go to a conference”– FGS, Supervisor, Lett Fund (?)

• “I want to postpone my ATC exam”– Supervisor, Grad. Coordinator

Who to talk to/inform if:

• “I want a course in amphibian energetics”– Knowledgeable faculty re Special Topics Course, then

Graduate Coordinator

• “The Biology Dept puts too little emphasis on the Graduate Programme”– B.O.G.S., Chair of Department, C.O.W.

• “I hate my supervisor”– Supervisor, Supervisory Committee Members, Graduate

Coordinator (Stream Chair, Chair of Dept.)

Who to talk to/inform if:

• “The Graduate Communications Class should be cancelled”– B.O.G.S., Graduate Directorate

• “I need a beer”– Friday beer (4:30-**:**)

Programme Requirements for MSc Student

• 4 half-credit graduate-level (5***) classes (>B-)– Communications BIOL5700 (compulsory)– Modules BIOL5705 (compulsory)– Can be in any Department– Special topics classes (not with supervisor) Form

• TA 2 half-credit classes– Can be excused if done previously

• Admission to Candidacy Exam• Thesis Defence

– Public– External examiner usually does not attend

Programme Requirements for PhD Student

• 2 half-credit graduate-level classes (“2-year PhD”)– Can be in any Department

– Special topics classes (not with supervisor)

– “3-year PhD” course requirements as for MSc

• TA 2 half-credit classes– Can be excused if done previously

• Admission to Candidacy Exam• Preliminary Exam• Thesis Defence

– Public

– External examiner usually does attend

“Normal” Progress for MSc Student• Year 1:

– Sept: Arrive; Interview with Grad Coordinator

– Sept-March: Courses (4 half-credit)

– Autumn:• Discuss and plan project with supervisor, etc• Consider suitable supervisory committee

– Jan-May: ATC exam (to Phd Program?)

• Year 2:– Sept: Interview with stream chair

– April: Progress report (committee meeting?)

– May: Decide external examiner

– July: Submit thesis

– August: Defence

– October: Graduate

“Normal” Progress for PhD Student (1)• Year 1:

– Sept: Arrive; Interview with Grad Coordinator – Sept-March: Courses (2 half-credit)– Autumn:

• Discuss and plan project with supervisor, etc

• Consider suitable supervisory committee

– Jan-May: ATC exam

• Year 2:– Sept: Interview with stream chair– April: Progress report (committee meeting?)– June - April (Year 3): Prelim exam ("2Yr" students)

“Normal” Progress for PhD Student (2)

• Year 3:– Sept: Interview with stream chair– Dec. - Sept (Year 4): Prelim exam (Transfer students)– April: Progress report (committee meeting?)

• Year 4:– Sept: Interview with stream chair– Dec: Register title of thesis – April: Progress report (committee meeting?)– May: Decide external examiner – July: Submit thesis – August: Defence (>1yr after Prelim Exam) – October: Graduate

Supervisory Committee

• Supervisor

• At least two others– Internal supervisor for adjunct supervisors

• At least 50% must be Dalhousie Faculty (or NSAC)

• Chosen by student before ATC

• Can be changed by student

Admission to Candidacy (ATC) Exam: Purposes

• Student (and supervisor) think clearly about research plan

• Help student do the best research possible• Are student (and project) ready for transfer to PhD?• Is graduate work suitable for student?• Preparation for similar events to follow• Committee, etc. learn about student’s research• Student learns about committee expertise• Keeps supervisors on their toes

Admission to Candidacy Exam• Timing: usually January-May

– shift for January, May starts, part-time MSc’s

• Research proposal: 5-7 page• To Examining Committee 1 week before exam• Examining Committee:

– Chair (Stream Chair)– Supervisor (silent!)– Supervisory Committee– External (to committee) Examiner– [Audience?]

Admission to Candidacy Exam• 15-minute verbal presentation (± visuals)

– Goals of project– Research strategy– Expected contribution to new knowledge

• Questions from examiners (except supervisor):– On proposal– Relevant concepts bearing on proposal

• Candidate (and audience) retire• Consideration of result (including supervisor)• Results:

– Pass– Conditional pass (e.g. course, rewrite proposal)– Repeat– Fail– [Transfer M.Sc. -> Ph.D.]

Preparing ATC exam

• Discussions with supervisor (and others?)

• Outline to supervisor

• Discuss with supervisor

• Drafts of proposal (1-2) to supervisor– Read previous ATC proposals

• Specific information from other committeemembers (or others)

ATC Proposal• Objectives (what you plan to do)

– a list

• Background (why you plan to do it)– Why is this study worth doing?

– a few pages of background--cite references}

– not comprehensive review

• Methods (how you plan to do it)– be fairly specific:

– explain experimental design clearly

– statistical tests

– species, lab techniques, etc.

– time frames

– sample sizes

• [Expected results]

ATC Proposal

• Proposal should describe a well thought-out scenario

• However, you are not bound by what you say you will do

• You may change your research plan as appropriate as your program progresses

Most common problems with ATC proposals:• No clear objectives

• Not clear why this work is worth doing– No theoretical or practical background

• Do not have a good knowledge of theoretical basis or literature in study area

• Do not understand methods proposed (statistical or lab. techniques)

• Pretend to know things you don't

• Insufficient detail in techniques

• Do not know much about the natural history of the study organism (especially the animal/plant in the wild if this is a lab. study)

• Project too large for MSc or too small for PhD

Preliminary Exam (for PhD students)• 2-3 years into program• Student prepares:

– Critical review essay in area of thesis– Report on progress towards thesis

• Examining Committee– Supervisor (chair)– Supervisory Committee– External (to committee) Examiner

• Format– Presentation by student– Questions from examining committee– Consideration of result (Pass/Fail)

Graduate Students and Supervisors

Supervisor should:

• Access for students

• Assistance to students

• Help choose research topic

• Provide opportunities for research (usually)

• Fund research (usually)

• Help fund scholarship (sometimes)

• Read and appraise student's work

• Acknowledge student's work

Responsibilities of Supervisors (FGS)• to provide reasonable access to students and to be available for consultation

at relatively short notice

• to be as helpful as possible in suggesting research topics and in assisting students to define their theses

• to tell students approximately how long it will be before written work... can be returned with comments

• to be thorough in their examination of thesis chapters,…

• to know the departmental and University regulations and standards to which the writer of a thesis is required to conform, and to make sure that the student is aware of them;

• to continue supervision when on leave

• to advise and help the student to approach other faculty members for assistance

Rights of Supervisors (FGS)• to expect students to give serious and considered attention to

their advice• to terminate supervision ... if the student does not heed advice and

ignores recommendations for changes in the thesis, or if the student is not putting forth a reasonable effort

• to have their thesis supervision properly credited by the department as an intrinsic part of their workload

• to have the thesis-writer acknowledge, ..., all portions of the supervisor's own research over which the supervisor wants to retain future rights of authorship

• to have thesis-writers give permission for the results of their research to be used for the benefit of a larger project

Responsibilities of Students (FGS)• to choose a topic ... and to produce a thesis that is essentially their

own work

• to produce a thesis which meets the standards of scholarship required by the University and the department, ...

• to acknowledge direct assistance or borrowed material...

• to realize that the supervisor has...other duties which may at times delay the student's access to the supervisor

• to give serious and considered attention to advice and direction from the supervisor

• to submit their work to the judgment of the department...

• to know the departmental and University regulations and standards…

Rights of Students (FGS)• to have a clear understanding of what is expected in thesis writing• to expect help from their supervisor... • to receive a fair assessment of the completed thesis... • to be allowed to have a new supervisor when they can offer

convincing reasons to the department for the change and the change can be reasonably accommodated by the department

• to be protected from exploitation by their supervisor or other faculty members if the latter should– intrude upon the student's right of authorship

– divert the student's efforts from the timely completion of the thesis

• to submit a thesis even if the supervisor is not satisfied,... in extreme cases

Recent Issues (1)• Supervisors should not change authorships on papers

involving the student without consulting the student• Supervisors should not criticize the work practices or

ability of a student in front of others, for instance at lab. meetings

• Students should not be asked to carry out routine technical work that is not related to their thesis work– Occasional help with other projects is up to the student, and

the student should not be penalized in other ways for refusing to help

Recent Issues (2)• Supervisors should tell students approximately how long it

will take before written work can be returned with comments– Timelines for reviewing written work should not be tied to other

issues

• Students should be informed when the financial or logistical support for their project changes

• It is up to the student to select a supervisory committee, not the supervisor

• Students should be informed if the supervisor is leaving for any length of time

Relationship with supervisor is very important:Asymmetric in power, age (usually), significance

• COMMUNICATE!!• Tell supervisor what you want• Put forth reasonable effort• Meet often (maybe regularly)• Make clear:

– Financial obligations– scholarship, research money, for how long, ...

– Authorship of papers– Rights over data:

• Where does it go after you have finished?• Who has access to what for what?

– When drafts will be read by

You can sometimes change supervisors, but it is usually

difficult