The BEES doctoral degree program
is intended to be flexible yet provide sufficiently rigorous
training to allow students to pursue independent and substantive
basic research. Students are encouraged to choose from the many
training opportunities available within the program and to design
a course of study that will fit their specific educational objectives.
Doctoral candidates are required to complete the following coursework:
1.
A minimum of 12 semester hours of doctoral research (BEES
899).
2. Evidence of one *approved course (600-level or higher;
courses restricted to graduate students) in three out of
the following four areas: Behavior, Ecology, Evolution and
Systematics (these courses may be counted as part of the
four required courses).
3.
Participation in an *approved Statistics course (600-level
or higher).
4. Participation in at least four graduate seminars.
Program course requirements may be waived
by the Director upon recommendation of the Program Advisory
Committee if it is viewed that this is warranted by previous
training.
*Approved courses for each of the four BEES areas are as follows:
- Behavior:
BIOL 665 Behavioral Ecology (4); BIOL 728D Animal Communication (3); BIOL 767 Behavioral Endocrinology (3)
- Ecology:
ENTM 612 Insect Ecology (3); BIOL 708T Theoretical Ecology (4); BIOL 662 Concept in Animal Ecology (4); BIOL 760 Plant Population Biology (3); BIOL 663 Ecology of Marine Communities (4); MEES 614 Landscape Ecology (4)
- Evolution:
ENTM 623 Insect Evolutionary Biology (3); BIOL 670 Concepts in Evolution (3); BIOL 671 Molecular Evolution (3); BIOL 708E Evolutionary Genetics (3)
- Systematics:
ENTM 622 Principles of Systematic Entomology (3); CBMG 688O Molecular Systematics (3)
- Statistics:
BIOM 601 Biostatistics I and Lab (4); BIOM 602 Biostatistics II and Lab (4); BIOM 603 Biostatistics III and Lab (4); BIOM 621 Applied Multivariate Statistics (3)
Within the first two weeks of their first
semester in residence (preferably sooner), all students are
required to participate in a First Advisory Meeting. At this meeting the advisor(s) and
a senior graduate student (defined as a graduate student who
has completed at least one year in the BEES Program) will review
the student's academic background and provide advice regarding
appropriate course work, including completion of any deficiencies.
A student whose doctoral research is being conducted in association
with an adjunct faculty member must have a co-advisor who is
a regular member of the Graduate Faculty.
By the end of the first year the student must participate in
the Second Advisory Meeting. The committee present at this meeting should consist
of the research advisor(s), two additional faculty members,
and one senior doctoral student. The purpose of the meeting
is to review the student's background in his/ her proposed research
area and to help him/ her to develop a research plan.
During the semester prior to the student's preliminary examination
(i.e. during the fourth semester in the program ), the student
is required to participate in the Third
Advisory Meeting. The committee present at this meeting should include the advisor(s) and four additional faculty members, at least two of which must be BEES faculty, in addition to the advisor. Although it is not required at this point, students might wish to consider making one committee member a faculty member in a department or graduate program at UM other than the one in which the student is seeking a degree (as is required for their dissertation defense). The student should prepare an outline of their research proposal and submit it to the committee members prior to this meeting. The committee will review the outline, assess the student's background, and assess the feasibility of the research. At the meeting, the student and committee members will discuss and agree upon the following: the format of the proposal to be submitted prior to the preliminary examination, areas to be covered in the preliminary examination, recommended readings, and any other issues pertinent to the format of the preliminary exam.
The Preliminary Examination
must be taken within the first five semesters after entrance
into the Ph.D. program. The purpose of this examination is to
determine whether the student has the proper educational background,
motivation, intellectual capacity, and curiosity for the Ph.D.
program, and whether the student has or can develop the research
proficiency necessary to successfully complete a doctoral dissertation.
To address these dual goals, the preliminary examination consists
of two parts, including a general knowledge portion and defense
of a dissertation research proposal. The examining committee
will evaluate each part separately. The examining committee shall consist of a minimum of five members, three of who must be full-time BEES faculty members who are also regular members of the Graduate Faculty of the University. A co-advisor who is not a full-time member of the University of Maryland faculty (i.e. an adjunct faculty member) will not count as one of the three BEES faculty members of the committee. The remaining committee members should have academic credentials comparable to those of the BEES faculty. Individuals who are not members of the University of Maryland Graduate Faculty may be nominated to serve as a member of the preliminary examination committee by submitting a Curriculum Vitae and a letter to the Director of Graduate Studies that briefly describes the nominee's qualifications. In the case of a co-advised student, the size of the committee is increased by one person (six members) with each member having an independent vote.
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