COURSEWORK - Ph.D. PROGRAM

Students who have an M.S. degree and have been admitted to the Ph.D. program must complete a minimum of 12 credits of coursework applicable to a graduate degree with at least 9 credits at the 600 level or above. Credits to be applied to a student’s Ph.D. program cannot have been used to satisfy any other previously earned degree. Students may take substantially more than 12 credits in coursework depending on their academic preparation and research objectives. A written course of study must be approved by the student’s advisor and by the Graduate Committee during the first semester of the student’s matriculation.

Coursework requirements for students who are admitted to the Ph.D. program and who do not hold an M.S. degree will be established by the Graduate Committee but normally will be 30 credits of coursework applicable to a graduate degree, 21 of which must be at the 600 level or above, and normally 24 credits must be from the Department of Geology, or in the case of an interdisciplinary study, an appropriate program approved by the graduate committee. Credits to be applied to a student’s program cannot have been used to satisfy any other previously earned degree. A written course of study must be approved by the student’s advisor and by the Graduate Committee before the end of the first year of the student’s matriculation.

COURSEWORK - M.S. PROGRAM

A minimum of 30 credits in courses acceptable for credit toward a graduate degree is required by the University for a Master’s Degree. Of these, 24 must be from coursework and at least 12 credits of coursework must be at the 600 level or higher. Normally 18 credits of coursework must be from the Department of Geology, or in the case of an interdisciplinary study, an appropriate program approved by the graduate committee. 6 credits of Master’s Thesis Research may be applied to the M.S. degree. Credits to be applied to a student’s program for an M.S. degree cannot have been used to satisfy any other previously earned degree. A written course of study must be approved by the student’s advisor and by the Graduate Committee before the end of the second semester of the student’s matriculation.

RESIDENCY

All graduate students are expected to participate in departmental activities including formal and informal seminars and presentations, departmental field trips, and departmental meetings. Reasons for regular absences from such functions should be discussed with the Chair of the Graduate Committee. Every year, all graduate students must give a seminar to the Department (to be scheduled by the Seminar Coordinator) in order to maintain satisfactory progress in the graduate program.

M.S. COMMITTEE

1. Membership

1. Committee must consist of at least three members.
2. All members must be members of UMCP Graduate Faculty or approved for membership by the Dean of the Graduate School.
3. The Chair must be a tenured or tenure-track regular member of the Geology Department faculty and is normally the advisor.
4. Membership must be approved by the Graduate Committee prior to the defense of the thesis proposal and again prior to the defense of the thesis.

2. Functions

1. Meets with student to discuss coursework, research proposals and research progress as necessary.
2. Approves M.S. thesis proposal.
3. Conducts oral public presentation of the thesis research and approved M.S. thesis.
4. Approval of a thesis proposal or thesis must be unanimous.

1. All students must normally register for at least 1 credit/semester to maintain the university required continuous registration (summer and winter sessions excluded).
2. A student is no longer considered in good standing with the program if a grade of “unsatisfactory” is given by the advisor for 799 Research more than one time in degree program. More than one unsatisfactory is grounds for removal from program.
3. By May 1 every year, all students must submit to the Graduate Committee a program summary approved by the advisor which is the basis for the annual student review for satisfactory progress.
4. By the start of the fall semester, and in the event of a change of address, all students must submit a completed Graduate Student Information Form for office records.
5. All graduate students are required to present a seminar to the Department each year in order to maintain satisfactory progress. This seminar will be scheduled by the Department.
6. Normally, M.S. students are expected to defend a proposal during the second semester or first summer of enrollment. In all cases, the advisor in consultation with the student must submit a completed Committee for Proposal Defense Form to the Graduate Committee for approval prior to the end of the student’s second semester in residence. To remain in good standing, students must defend a proposal by the beginning of their third semester of enrollment. For part-time students the deadline may be extended by the Graduate Committee.
7. The advisor in consultation with the student should submit a completed Committee for Thesis Defense Form to the Graduate Committee for approval by the beginning of the student’s 4th semester of enrollment. For part-time students, the deadline may be extended by the Graduate Committee. The Committee must be approved at least two month prior to the anticipated date of defense.
8. The student must submit a completed Committee Approval Form to the Graduate School two months prior to defense.
9. The student must apply for graduation.
10. After consultation with advisor and Graduate Committee Chair, the student should schedule the date and time of defense and schedule conference room and room for public seminar.
11. The student must provide abstract, title page, number of figures, tables and pages from the thesis to the Chair of the Graduate Committee for the Department’s records.
12. The student must submit to the Chair of the Graduate Committee a bound copy of the thesis. The binding should be black with gold letters. Please consult the Chair of the Graduate Committee for other specifications.

Advancement to candidacy

           The student will take one oral examination prior to the dissertation defense. This examination will serve as both the criterion for admission to candidacy and the proposal defense. The student will be questioned on:

1. the proposal, and
2. general knowledge with special reference to areas related to the proposed research.

           The examination will normally be taken no later than the end of the third semester by students who have already completed a Master’s degree or no later than the end of the fourth semester by doctoral students bypassing the Master’s. The student will be examined by a committee that will consist of at least four members, all of whom must be members of the UM Graduate Faculty (or approved for membership by the Dean of the Graduate School). A majority of the members must be regular members of the Geology Graduate Faculty. The Chair of the Committee must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty of the Geology Department. The membership of this committee must be approved by the Departmental Graduate Committee prior to the examination. Two negative votes will constitute a failure of the candidacy examination. In the event of failure, the Committee may recommend re-examination. Normally, this examination can be retaken only once.

Dissertation Defense

           The defense of a student’s dissertation will be scheduled after the main advisor has seen a draft of the thesis and has determined that the thesis is in a defensible form. A copy of the dissertation in final form will be distributed to the Committee members no less than two weeks before the date of the exam.

           The Ph.D. Committee will preside over the dissertation defense and will normally consist of five members, all of whom must be members of the UM Graduate Faculty or approved for membership by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Chair of the Committee must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty of the Geology Department and is normally the advisor. This Committee must also include a Dean’s representative who is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and is not a member of the Geology Department. The membership of this Committee must be approved by the Departmental Graduate Committee prior to the examination. The defense of the dissertation will consist of a public presentation with opportunity for questions and a subsequent private meeting between the Dissertation Committee and the candidate. The possible results of this examination are: 1) pass or pass with minor revisions; 2) deferral of decision; or, 3) failure. A minimum of four positive votes are required for a pass. In the event of deferral, re-examination is required, normally by the same committee. In the event of a pass, any final revisions will be given to the successful candidate at this time. The final copy to be presented to the Graduate School must be in proper University form and must be presented for inspection to the main advisor before the final signing of the form. It will be expected that this final copy of the dissertation would then be filed with the Graduate School during the same day.

1. All students must normally register for at least 1 credit/semester to maintain the university required continuous registration (summer and winter sessions excluded).
2. A student is no longer considered in good standing with the program if a grade of “unsatisfactory” is given by the advisor for 898 or 899 research more than one time in degree program. More than one unsatisfactory is grounds for removal from program.
3. By May 1 every year, all students must submit to the Graduate Committee a program summary approved by the advisor. This summary is the basis for the annual student review for satisfactory progress.
4. By the start of the fall semester, and in the even of a change of address, students must submit a completed Graduate Student Information Form for the office records.
5. All graduate students are required to present a seminar to the Department each year in order to maintain satisfactory progress. This seminar will be scheduled by the Department.
6. The advisor, after consultation with the student, must submit a completed Committee for Advancement to Candidacy and Proposal Defense Form to the Graduate Committee for approval. Candidacy examinations should be scheduled by the end of the 3rd semester for students with an M.S. and by the end of the 4th semester for those without the M.S. For part-time students, the deadline may be extended by the Graduate Committee.
7. After successful completion of examination for advancement to candidacy, the student must submit an Application for Advancement to Candidacy to the Graduate School. Students must be advanced to candidacy at least one year prior to graduation.
8. The advisor, in consultation with the student, must submit a completed Committee for Dissertation Defense form to the Graduate Committee for approval. The Committee must be approved at least three months prior to the defense.
9. The student must submit a completed Committee Approval Form to the Graduate School three months prior to defense.
10. The student must apply for graduation.
11. After consultation with advisor and Graduate Committee Chair, the student should schedule date and time of defense and schedule conference room and room for public seminar.
12. The student must provide abstract, title page, # figures, tables and pages from the dissertation to the Chair of the Graduate Committee for departmental records.
13. The student must submit to the Chair of the Graduate Committee one bound copy of the dissertation. The binding should be black with gold letters. Please consult the Chair of the Graduate Committee for other specifications.

Click for Approval of M.S. Thesis Approval form
Click for Approval of Ph.D. Dissertation Approval form
Click for Graduate Committe Approval form (** Updated 6/10/2009 **)
Click for Mid-States Evaluation of Graduate Students form

REGISTRATION AND CREDITS

DESIGNATION OF FULL AND PART-TIME STATUS

The Graduate School uses a unit system in making calculations to determine full- or part-time student status. Please note that graduate units are different from credit hours. The number of graduate units per credit hour is calculated in the following manner:

Courses in the series: 000-399 carry 2 units/credit hour.
Courses in the series: 400-499 carry 4 units/credit hour.
Courses in the series: 500-599 carry 5 units/credit hour.
Courses in the series: 600-897 carry 6 units/credit hour.
Master’s Research course: 799 carries 12 units/credit hour.
Pre-candidacy Doctoral Research courses: 898 carries 18 units/credit hour.
Doctoral Dissertation Research: 899 carries 18 units / credit hour. All doctoral candidates must pay candidacy tuition for which they will be registered for six (6) credit hours of 899.

To be certified as full time, a graduate student must be officially registered for a combination of courses equivalent to 48 units per semester. Graduate assistants holding regular appointments have full-time status if they are registered for at least 24 units in addition to the assistantship; holders of half-time assistantships are considered full-time if registered for 36 units. Audited courses do not generate graduate units and cannot be used in calculating full-time or part-time status.

CONTINUOUS REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

All graduate students must register for courses and pay associated tuition and fees each semester, not including summer and winter sessions, until the degree is awarded.

A student who fails to register and who has not requested and received a waiver of registration or “Leave of Absence for Childbearing, Adoption, Illness or Dependent Care” will be notified by the Graduate School after the first day of classes that the student must register for the current semester. The Graduate School will also inform the Graduate Director of the graduate program that the student is in jeopardy of termination. If the student does not register, he or she will be dismissed from the Graduate School at the end of the semester for failure to comply with the continuous registration requirement.

A student who is dismissed for non-registration may appeal dismissal during a 30-day period following the end of the semester of non-registration. If the student does not appeal, or if the appeal is denied, and the student wishes to continue in the Graduate School, the student must apply for readmission. In this case, readmission does not alter the initial requirements for time to complete the degree or advance to candidacy.