Master's Timeline
Year 1:
- Fall 1: Optional Rotation & Select Advisor
- Spring 1: Form Committee & Write PoS (Program of Study)
- Summer 1: Program of Study Approved by Committee; Research begins
Year 2:
- Fall 2: Research (continues)
- Spring 2: Research (continues)
- Summer 2: Research (continues)
Year 3:
- Fall 3: Research (continues); Write Thesis
- Spring 3: Thesis Defense
PhD Timeline
Year 1:
- Fall 1: Optional Rotation & Select Advisor
- Spring 1: Form Committee & Write PoS (Program of Study)
- Summer 1: Program of Study Approved by Committee; Research begins
Year 2:
- Fall 2: Research (continues)
- Spring 2: Written & Oral Prelim Exam; Write Research Proposal begins
- Summer 2: Write Research Proposal (continues)
Year 3:
- Fall 3: Proposal Exam; Research (continues)
- Spring 3: Research (continues)
Final Semester:
- Write Thesis
- Dissertation Defense
Time Limits and Residence
The expected time to complete an MS degree is 3-4 years and a Ph.D. is 5-6 years. Full-time students in our department are expected to complete all course and benchmark requirements for the program within four years, after which teaching assistantship support may be withdrawn. Appendix B provides a checklist for degree progression.
For University guidance on time limits see the Time Limits in the Academic Catalog
For regulations governing leaves of absence while in an MS or Ph.D. program, see Enrollment in the Academic Catalog
Degree Pursuant Credits
Students can check credit earned on DegreeWorks and should contact the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies if they have concerns of credits being listed as degree pursuant.
A graduate student who is not in residence on campus during the year must send an annual letter of intent electronically to remain in the graduate program to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies. Two semesters of full-time association with the Biology Department Graduate Program in Morgantown are necessary to fulfill the departmental residency requirements. Exceptions to this would need to be reviewed, and approved, by the Graduate Committee.
Graduate Teaching, Research and Service Assistantships
Graduate students may be supported by a teaching, research or service assistantship (GTA, GRA or GSA respectively). Before the start of each semester, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies will ask that students and their research advisors discuss whether the student will be on a research assistantship or a teaching/service assistantship. After this discussion in the Fall and Spring semesters, both the student and the advisor will fill out a survey stating how the student will be supported, and the student will be asked which of the available courses they would prefer to TA. The graduate committee will assign students to courses based on need but try to accommodate student preferences. There are fewer summer TAs available and these must be requested from the Chair of the Department of Biology.
Adherence to Timeline and Consequences for Delay
Missing required deadlines is costly for the student, faculty advisor, and graduate program. The timelines have been designed to move students through their graduate careers in a timely manner and to ensure that exams are rigorous and meaningful.
The Associate Chair for Graduate Studies will assess the progress of each student once per year, immediately following the beginning of the Fall semester. If this assessment reveals that a student is more than a year behind on completing a benchmark, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies will inform the student and Advisor of this fact and provide the student with specific goals that must be completed within a specified time frame. If this goal cannot be met, the student and Advisor will each write a letter of explanation to the Graduate Committee at least two weeks before the end of the specified time frame which: a) outlines the reasons they believe this goal is unattainable, and b) proposes an alternative timeline. Upon receipt of these letters, the Graduate Committee will call for a meeting with the student and their advisor to discuss steps toward restoring the student’s degree progress. The outcome of this meeting will be a one-semester plan for meeting the missed deadline. The second time a deadline is missed the same procedure will be followed as described above. The third time a student misses a required deadline, the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies will inform both the student and the Advisor of this fact and call a meeting for both with the Graduate Committee. At this meeting, the student’s future in the graduate program will be discussed. Unless extenuating circumstances can be demonstrated, one of the following outcomes will be chosen: a) the student will be notified of their termination from the graduate program after one semester, or; b) the student will be given a hard deadline for graduation commensurate with their progress to date in their thesis work. Secondary appeals of Graduate Committee decisions may be made to the Departmental Chair. This process applies to full-time, 'part-time', and non-resident students in our Program.
Probation:
There are several reasons why a student may need to be placed on probation. These may include:
- A documented violation of the student code of conduct. Depending on the nature of the violation, either probation or dismissal without a probationary period may be appropriate.
- Receiving an “Unsatisfactory” in Biology 797 due to the failure to meet expectations established in the semester student workload plan (see “Biology 797; Independent Research”).
If a student enters a probationary period, the student and their faculty advisor will work to ensure that the student has a reasonable opportunity for remediation. To accomplish this the student and faculty advisor must create a remediation plan for the probationary semester that describes benchmarks to be met by the student and the resources/support the faculty member will provide to ensure student success. The written remediation plan must be approved by the Biology Department’s Graduate Committee prior to the beginning of the probationary semester. If the Graduate Committee does not approve the plan, it will be returned with an explanation of deficiencies and a revised version must be resubmitted for approval. In devising a remediation plan, the student and faculty member should consider the issues leading to the probationary period and the research/teaching/coursework responsibilities of the student. If either the faculty member no longer wishes to advise the student or the student no longer wishes to remain with their advisor, the student will need to find a new advisor (see below “Changing Advisors”).
If the student does not meet the benchmarks contained in the remediation plan, and they have been provided with the resources and support promised in the remediation plan, then they may be given one semester to find a new faculty research advisor. During this semester the Department of Biology may be able to support the student financially as a teaching assistant so long as teaching assistantships are available. Therefore, a student in a probationary semester must request a teaching assistantship in the subsequent semester. If a student is unable to identify a faculty member who is willing to serve as their research advisor during the semester after their probationary semester, they will need to be dismissed from the Department of Biology Graduate Program. For University guidance on probation including the appeal process please go to the Academic and Professional Standards page in the Academic Catalog.
Changing Degree Programs from a MS to a Ph.D. Student.
Proposals to change from the MS program to the Ph.D. program will only be considered after completion of two semesters of coursework. Graduate students wishing to make this change must: 1) reach a mutual agreement with their faculty Advisor that this is appropriate and in the student's best interest; and 2) re-apply to the Biology Graduate Program as a new applicant.
Changing Degree Programs from a Ph.D. to a MS Student.
In general, the graduate program to which a student is admitted is committed to the training of that student through to the completion of their program, as long as the student performs satisfactorily. For numerous possible reasons, a student and their advisor may, by mutual consent, agree that it would be best for the student to change from the Ph.D. program to the MS program. To assure that such changes are implemented in a consistent and fair fashion, such changes are to be reviewed by the Graduate Committee and require:
- a letter from the student, explaining why this change is being requested, and
- a separate letter from the advisor, doing likewise.
The Graduate Committee will review these letters, along with the student's file, before acting on such requests. If this decision is being considered by an international student, they should first consult with International Student and Scholar Services.
Note: Changing from the Ph.D. to the MS program carries with it a decrease in pay grade which will be effective in the semester following approval of the request to switch from the Ph.D. to the MS program.
If a Ph.D. student does not pass their comprehensive exams or their proposal defense, or leaves their initial lab and cannot find a new advisor, they may leave the program with a non-thesis MS. Students must have completed the required coursework so that they meet the credit requirements for an MS.
Procedures for departure of a research advisor from WVU
If a faculty member leaves the department of Biology, graduate students have 3 options:
- The student can switch to a new advisor within the Biology department.
- The student can apply to the graduate program at their research advisor’s new institution (effectively leaving the WVU Biology Department).
- The student can remain in our program under the mentorship of their research advisor (either remaining at WVU or moving to the new institution).
If the graduate student chooses to remain in our program under the mentorship of the departing faculty member (Option 3), the student must obtain the commitment of an “on-site” advisor, regardless of whether the student goes with the faculty member or stays at WVU. The on-site advisor is only expected to monitor degree progression and assist with administrative needs, rather than direct research efforts. The on-site advisor can provide technical guidance if appropriate, but the student should only be completing experiments in the service of their proposed thesis or dissertation. The on-site advisor will become the “Thesis/Dissertation Chair” and the old advisor should maintain an affiliate status with the department, such that the original composition of the committee (including an external member) does not need to change. If the affiliate status cannot be maintained, then the student and on-site advisor should consult with the Graduate Chair to determine how the committee structure must change.
The student, research mentor, and on-site advisor must develop and sign a training plan for the student before the faculty member leaves WVU. This training plan should detail 1) the educational, professional and research goals, 2) the resources (lab space, equipment, resources, assistantships) available to the student, and 3) the frequency and format of meetings or progress reports. The training plan must be sent to the Graduate Committee for approval and disputes over expectations between any of the parties should be brought to the Graduate Chair to resolve.
If the student chooses a new advisor within our department (Option 1), then an on-site advisor is not necessary, and every effort should be made to ensure that completed POS and comprehensive exams transfer with the student when they switch to the new advisor. Transfer of successful proposal defenses is at the discretion of the dissertation committee but must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
Resolving Conflict
Minimizing conflict through communication
There are many instances in which conflict can arise either between lab personnel or a student and their advisor. Conflict rarely develops overnight and typically arises when mutual expectations have not been clearly established. The most effective way to resolve conflict is to ensure that everyone has clear expectations of resource allocation, individual responsibilities and code of conduct. Every lab in the Department of Biology must have a “Lab Handbook” that clearly describes how data should be managed, expectations of work schedule, mentorship style, guidelines for authorship and other critical aspects of working in a laboratory setting. In addition, each mentor has a different mentorship style, and each student needs different forms of guidance for success. If mentors and students discuss mentorship styles and student needs early on in their degree, they can optimize communication to lessen the likelihood that conflict may occur. Students and mentors should establish how to have difficult conversations in a constructive manner before conflict arises so that all parties have expectations of how to address any breakdown in expectations or communication.
Changing Advisors
During the course of their graduate degree, a student may find that they wish to change their research advisor. If this occurs, the student should communicate their decision to their current advisor and establish a clear set of expectations to complete the semester. This includes how data and resources (reagents, tools, etc.) will be managed. They must inform the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Biology of their decision and the Associate Chair will send the student a letter of understanding re-stating the student’s decision and describing the procedure moving forward. The student will have the next semester to identify a new advisor within the Department of Biology during which time they will be supported in the form of a Graduate teaching assistantship. Please note that summer teaching assistantships are very limited and are not guaranteed. If a student cannot identify a new research advisor, they will be dismissed from the Biology Graduate program.