II.    Graduate Standards Committee

Until students successfully complete the PhD Qualifying Examination, students in all three PhD tracks (Cell & Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, and Ecology & Evolution) will be monitored and advised by the Graduate Standards Committee.  The Committee will evaluate the student’s qualifications and based on specific research interests will make recommendations on course selections, laboratory rotations, and potential thesis advisors.  Additionally, the Committee will assign all first year students to mentoring labs in both the fall and spring semesters.  The ultimate charge of the committee is to assist and guide the student toward successful completion of the Qualifying Exam.

III.    Mentoring Laboratory

Each incoming student will be assigned a “mentor lab” for the fall and spring semester of his or her first-year in the program.  The purpose of the mentoring lab is to provide students with a physical desk space giving them a home-base within the department, to provide early contact with other graduate students, and to informally introduce students to life in a research environment.

IV.     Biology Colloquium

The Biology Colloquium is a combined seminar & reading course that provides students with exposure to modern day research in areas representing the three tracks of the PhD program.  Every student is required to register for Biology Colloquium (120:651 & 652) each semester during his or her first three years as PhD students.   A maximum of six credits of Biology Colloquium may be applied toward the degree requirements, but attendance at this departmental function is strongly encouraged throughout the degree program.

V.    Laboratory Rotations

Laboratory rotations (Advanced Problems in Biology 120:509,510 or BIOL 792, 793) provide opportunities for laboratory research and/or independent study with two different faculty members, one of which may be in the laboratory in which the student plans to complete his/her thesis work.   After successfully completing the first year course curriculum, students will start the first of two mandatory laboratory rotations in the summer between their first and second years.   Selection of laboratory rotation is done in consultation with the Graduate Standards Committee and the appropriate faculty member.  Each rotation is to last for one semester (summer session may count as one semester) and the rotations should be completed by the spring semester of a student’s second year in the program.  Both rotations must be completed prior to the student’s taking the qualifying examination.  Completion of the lab rotation requires a written report and a public oral presentation.  The written report must be submitted within one month following the end of the rotation and should contain a substantial background section that reviews the pertinent literature (8-10 pages).  If the rotation is performed in the fall semester, the oral presentation will be in late January or early February (i.e., at the beginning of the spring semester).  If the rotation is performed in the spring semester, the oral presentation will be in June.  If the rotation is performed during the summer, the presentation will be in September (i.e., at the beginning of the fall semester).   Six credits in Advanced Problems in Biology must be taken to fulfill the program requirement, but additional credit in this course may not be applied toward the total required

VI.    Qualifying Examination

The qualifying exam will be administered by the Qualifying Examination Committee, which consists of three faculty members from the Department’s graduate program.  A student’s thesis advisor may not be a member of her/his Qualifying Examination Committee.  Members of the committee will serve for two consecutive years and will examine all doctoral students taking the exam during this time.  The Qualifying Examination will be administered in June.  Exam dates will be posted on the Department’s Academic Calendar.  It is recommended that students take the exam at the end of their fourth semester in the program.  In order to take the qualifying exam, students must have successfully completed the core course and laboratory rotation requirements.

The Qualifying Examination will consist of a written and oral component.  The written component of the exam will consist of a research proposal using a format typical of a pre- /post-doctoral grant application submitted to the National Science Foundation.  The length of the proposal will be in the range of 10 pages.   The proposal will consist of a background review of the relevant literature and a proposed series of experiments to address a specific hypothesis.  A one-page outline of the proposal will be submitted to the qualifying exam committee for approval at least 45 days prior to the exam.   The written proposal will be submitted to the Qualifying Exam Committee 14 days prior to the oral exam date.  The Qualifying Exam Committee will review the written proposal for clarity of presentation, scientific soundness, and understanding of hypothesis being tested.  The oral component of the exam will begin with a brief 15 – 20 minute presentation of the proposal followed by questioning from the committee.  The question and answer period will relate to material relevant to the written proposal as well as material from the core courses designated for a specific PhD track.

The examination results must persuade the committee that the student has a solid working knowledge of general principles and phenomena in biological sciences and that he/she can reason through an experimental problem.  If a student does not pass the written and/or oral component of the qualifying examination, the student may be offered a second attempt to complete the exam.  The Qualifying Exam Committee will provide students with written notification of the necessity of taking the second examination.  The second attempt at the oral exam is given in January.  Failure to pass either the written or oral part of the qualifying examination on the second attempt will result in the dismissal of the student from the program.  A written explanation of the failure will be provided.

After successful completion of the Qualifying Examination, the student must submit a PhD Examination Report to The NJIT Office of Graduate Studies. The report must be signed by all members of the Qualifying Examination Committee and the Department Chair.  A student who passes the Qualifying Examination but who does not have a thesis advisor will continue under the charge of the Graduate Standards Committee and will not be admitted to candidacy until an advisor is found.

VII.    Thesis Prospectus and Dissertation Committee

Within one year after passing the Qualifying Examination, the student will prepare and submit a written thesis proposal to their Dissertation Committee.   This must be done no later than the end of the third year.  At this stage, the Dissertation Committee will be composed of the student’s thesis advisor and at least two other members of the Biology Graduate Faculty (an outside member is not required at this stage of thesis work).  Faculty shall be appointed to serve on the Dissertation Committee by the Program Director (after receiving suggestions from the major advisor).  A Dissertation Committee Appointment Report must be submitted to The NJIT Office of Graduate Studies.

The written proposal will follow the format of a NIH or NSF postdoctoral fellowship application, and will determine the student’s ability to conceive, design and carry out a suitable research project.  If the Committee finds the proposal acceptable, the Program Director will be notified in writing and the student will continue research until he/she is ready to defend the thesis of the research.  The student must submit a PhD Proposal Defense Report to The NJIT Office of Graduate Studies.

In addition, the Dissertation Committee may meet with the student at least once every six months.  The meeting dates will be recorded and kept on file by the Program Director.

VIII.  Dissertation Defense

Approximately 6 months prior to the Dissertation Defense, the Dissertation Committee will convene a meeting with the PhD candidate for a final progress report to the committee.  The meeting should be attended by all members of the Dissertation Committee (internal and external), at which time the committee will evaluate if sufficient progress has been made to warrant final preparation of a thesis and to establish an approximate timetable for completion of the thesis.

The completed dissertation must be submitted to all members the final Dissertation Committee, including outside member, at least one month prior to the scheduled Dissertation Defense.   The Deans of the Graduate Schools of NJIT and Rutgers-Newark, Program Director, and Department Chair must be invited to attend and the event must be publicized and open to anyone wishing to attend.  The public defense of the dissertation is immediately followed by an oral examination by the Dissertation Committee.  In the event that the student fails to successfully defend the dissertation, one additional Dissertation Defense may be attempted.  Reasons for the failure will be provided to the student in writing. Failure on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the program. A written explanation of the second failure will be provided to the student.  Appeals by the student should be directed to the Academic Standing and Student Review Committee of the Graduate School.

After successful completion of the Dissertation Defense, a completed PhD Dissertation Defense Report must be submitted to the NJIT Office of Graduate Studies.

The Graduate School has a seven-year limit for full-time students for attaining a doctoral degree.

IX.    Assistantships and Fellowships

Full-time matriculated students may be offered, on a competitive basis, assistantships or fellowships.  These are academic or calendar year awards and are renewable on a yearly basis, usually for not longer than a total of five years.

X.     Teaching Duties

Students awarded teaching assistantships generally will be given teaching assignments each semester.  Failure to perform adequately as a teaching assistant will result in revocation of the assistantship by the Program Director.

Students awarded graduate assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships through the Department or who are supported by research grants or external fellowships will be expected to serve a total of not less than two semesters for a total of six contact hours as teaching assistants, except in instances in which the assistantship or fellowship explicitly requires that the student not engage in any teaching activities.  The Department Chair makes teaching assignments.  Students awarded assistantships or fellowships are not permitted to hold employment outside the University.  Failure to comply with this regulation will result in immediate revocation of the assistantship or fellowship.

XI.    Part-time Students

Part-time students are expected to fulfill exactly the same requirements as full-time students.  Doctoral students are permitted to be part-time only during the coursework part of their training.  During this part-time period they are not eligible for assistantships.  Advisors of part-time students are required to submit a yearly progress report to the Program Director, due by January 31.  Doctoral students who entered the program as part-timers are required to become full-time students upon their acceptance into candidacy for the PhD degree.  They are required to remain full-time students until successful completion of the doctoral thesis, and they are required to carry out their research projects on site.  As a full-time student, it is not permissible for a student to hold employment inside or outside the University (other than through Rutgers University teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships or fellowships).  The outside member of the part-time student’s doctoral thesis committee may not be drawn from the same non-academic organization that originally employed the student.  There is an eight-year time limit for students who began as part-timers to complete the doctoral thesis.

XII.    Research Project Location

All thesis research must be performed on site with the student’s advisor in University facilities.  The term “on site” includes field studies and work in natural history museums.

XIII.  Exceptions to Regulations

Exceptions to the foregoing regulations may be granted by the Program Director, after consultation with the Admissions Committee and the Graduate Standards Committee, only in extremely unusual circumstances and only after rigorous justification is presented in writing to the Program Director.  Applications for performing research off-campus must include a detailed proposal for the research and the special facilities required for the project.  A student may not register for “Matriculation Continued” unless he/she has been admitted to candidacy and has completed all coursework requirements (36 credits), rotations and thesis research.

XIII.  General Notes on Curriculum

Although the Program has three tracks and most students are likely to choose one track in which to concentrate, the PhD program recognizes that some students may wish to establish an individualized course of study intermediate between the tracks.  The individualized course of study must be developed in consultation with the student’s major advisor and committee and with written approval of the Program Director.

Until the point at which the student has been admitted to candidacy, the student must discuss course selection each semester with the Graduate Standards Committee.  After being admitted to candidacy, the thesis advisor guides the student in course selection.

The coursework requirement should be completed by the end of the second year.  Repetition of an elective course by a student who has received less than a “B” grade is not permitted.   A student may repeat a core course once if they receive less than a “B” grade.  The original grade will, however, still appear on the transcript.  Failure to remain above the minimum standard of “B” or better in the core courses and overall will result in the student’s being required to leave the program. (See II.-D,  Notes on Ecology and Evolution Course Requirements for additional comments on academic standards.)

There are no foreign language requirements.

The minimum total number of research credits is 36.

XIV.  Other Resources

The NJIT Graduate School Catalog should be consulted for University regulations.  The document above is the most recent update of the doctoral program and supersedes any previous information regarding graduate student requirements.  These revised policies apply to all students entering the program as of September 2004.

Graduate Catalog: http://catalog.njit.edu/graduate/frontmatter/academicpolicy.php
Graduate Studies: http://www.njit.edu/graduatestudies/

Revised guidelines adopted June 2004 and September 2004 and implemented September 2004.