For general requirements of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and online access to forms, see the CCAS Graduate Student Handbook. For further information contact the Graduate Advisor of the Department of Biological Sciences or Ms. Iva Beatty of the CCAS.

I. Committee on Graduate Studies

Graduate affairs are administered formally within the department by a five-member faculty committee (Committee on Graduate Studies). This committee consists of three full-time faculty members, the Admissions Director, and the Graduate Student Advisor who serves as chairperson of the Committee. The departmental chairperson serves as an ex oficio member. The functions of the Committee include:

1.Admissions

2.Recommendations regarding graduate policy

3.Resolution of points of controversy which may arise between graduate students and the department

4.Awarding of fellowships

A non-voting student representative, selected by the graduate students, joins the committee at meetings involving policy, but not at meetings involving admissions or the awarding of fellowships.

II.General Requirements

A. Application:

1.Application forms for admission to graduate study and for financial aid are available at the office of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Phillips 107, or online at the CCAS Graduate Admissions web page. When completed, these application forms must be submitted to that office together with college transcript(s) and letters of recommendation. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical; biology test not required) must be submitted with the application.

2.Applicants must have an academic background in biology. Their academic programs must have included the equivalent of the following: 24 hours of advanced level biology, one year of organic chemistry or some other advanced chemistry (e.g., Biochemistry), one year of physics, and one semester of calculus or statistics.

Students not having completed these requirements prior to enrollment in a graduate program are required to take and pass courses with a grade of "C" or better at the beginning of their graduate career. Credit for these courses is not applicable to graduate degree requirements.

3.Normally at least a "B" average (or equivalent) from an accredited college is required in order to be accepted into the program. An applicant whose academic record falls below "B" may be accepted if other evidence of academic promise, such as high scores on the Graduate Record Examinations, exists. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Students who apply in their senior year must have completed their baccalaureate work before registration in the Graduate School, and must present evidence of such completion. Completed applications and requests for fellowship support should be submitted by January 2 for the following academic year.

B. Registration:

1.A student cannot register for classes until he/she has received a letter of admission to the University issued by the appropriate admitting office. A student may not register concurrently in this University and other institution without the prior permission of the dean of the college, school, or division in which he/she is registered in this University.

3.The dates, hours, and place of registration will be stated online in the Schedule of Classes, which is available well in advance of each semester

4.All registration materials must be signed by the Graduate Student Advisor.

5.Registration for Consortium Courses: Students interested in taking courses at any of the other Institutions in the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area should consult the program announcements of the other institutions. Consortium application forms and instructions are available from the Registrar after a student has obtained his/her admissions packet. In order to participate in the Consortium program, the graduate student must obtain the approval of the Graduate Student Advisor, and should ascertain from the department of the institution where the course is taught whether or not he or she is eligible for the course, and whether there is space in the class. Schools participating in the Consortium are American University, Catholic University, Howard University, Georgetown University, Marymount College, University of District of Columbia, Mount Vernon College, Gallaudet College, Trinity College, George Mason University, the University of Maryland, and the George Washington University.

C. Financial Support:

1 .Graduate Teaching Fellowships normally are granted for the full academic year. Applications must be received by January 2. Usually recipients of awards will be notified during the spring semester preceding the academic year for which the award is made. These fellowships provide tuition plus a salary and stipend. Tuition awards are made only for the minimum number of semester hours of credit (i.e., 9) per semester. All graduate students in good standing as well as new applicants are eligible to apply.

Master's students may receive teaching fellowship awards for no more than two years. Ph.D. candidates entering the program with a baccalaureate degree (or the equivalent) may receive awards for no more than six years, while those entering Ph.D. programs with a Master's degree may receive awards for no more than three years. One additional year may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

2. King Research Fellowships and Weintraub Fellowships are cash stipends for the support of Ph.D. students. The King Fellowships are only given to qualified students in the research phase of their Ph.D. programs, King awards are made for a period of one year, and except in unusual circumstances, students may be the recipient of this award only once. Weintraub Fellowships also are awarded only to advanced Ph.D. students. Recipients may not be otherwise employed during the period of these awards.

D. Workload:

Full time students must register for 9 to 12 semester hours during the Fall and Spring semesters-, part-time students must register for a minimum of 6 semester hours each semester. Registration during the summer sessions is not required unless the student plans to graduate during the summer. These requirements do not apply when a student has fewer than 9 semester hours (full-time) or 6 semester hours (part-time) remaining to complete the program. No more than 15 semester hours may be taken during any one semester.

E. Transfer of Credit:

1. Master of Sciences

A maximum of one-quarter of the semester hours of graduate course work required for a degree may be approved for transfer to G.W. Graduate School from another accredited college or university under the following conditions: the course work must have been taken prior to admission to the Graduate School; it must be approved as a part of the student's program of studies; it must not have been applied to the completion of requirements for another degree; it must be a graduate-level course work; it must have been taken within the past two years, and the student must have received a grade of 'B' or better. This action must be approved on a 'request form' signed by the Graduate Student Advisor and the Dean. A transcript of the course work must be on file before the request can be considered.

2. Ph.D.

Up to 24 hours of course work towards a Ph.D. at another institution may be transferred (see the University Bulletin for details).

F. Grades:

Grades for graduate work are: 'A' - Excellent; 'B" - Good; 'C' - Minimum Pass; CR - Credit; 'F' - Fail; 'I' - In Progress; 'P' - Pass; "NP" - No Pass; 'W' - Authorized Withdrawal. A grade of 'I' in an academic course should be removed within one year. The grade "I' cannot be removed by re-registering for the course here, or by taking its equivalent elsewhere. The grade of "IPG' is given for all thesis and dissertation research courses until the thesis or dissertation is complete. Upon the satisfactory completion of the thesis or dissertation, the Grade of "IPG" is changed to "CR" automatically. Letter grades will be assigned for 295 (Research) and 398 (Advanced Reading and Research) courses. A "B" average must be maintained.

G. Research:

Insofar as possible, students must do their research under the direction of a member of the GWU faculty, although such research may be conducted off-campus. If the contingency should arise that the immediate director of the student's research is not affiliated with GWU, special arrangements may be made to allow the off-campus person to serve as co-advisor. The student is required to have an on-campus advisor. This departmental co-advisor shall participate in all aspects of the thesis or dissertation preparation and shall have a voice in all decisions that arise in the preparation of the thesis or dissertation.

H. Advising:

All graduate students are formally advised by the Graduate Student Advisor, who maintains records on all students and administers all graduate programs. The advisor serves as the official liaison to the Columbian College. All registration materials, requests, etc. are signed by the Advisor prior to their submission to the Columbian College. After enrollment in a program, a student may have an informal advisor from the biology faculty, who will assist the student in planning course work and/or conducting research, as appropriate.

III. M.S. DEGREE

This department offers both thesis and non-thesis degree programs.

A. M.S. Degree without Thesis - Requirements:

1. Completion of 36 credits of approved course work. Except in unusual circumstances, no more than 12 credits of course work may be taken outside this department.

2. Satisfactory performance on the Oral Masters Comprehensive Exam. This exam must be taken during the last semester of the student's program. See Appendix A for a description of the exam and dates of administration.

B. M.S. Degree with Thesis - Requirements:

1. Completion of 24 credits of approved course work plus BiSc 299 and 300. Except in unusual circumstances, no more than 8 credits of course work may be taken outside this department.

2. Satisfactory performance on the Oral Masters Comprehensive Examination. Same as non-thesis.

3. M.S. Thesis

a. Thesis Research Director - any member of the Biology faculty who is a member of the graduate faculty may serve as a thesis director. The director aids the student in planning and conducting the thesis.

b. M.S. Thesis Proposal - the Proposal must be typed (double-spaced) and 2 copies must be presented to the Graduate Student Advisor with the signature of the thesis research director.

The proposal will usually consist of no more than 10 pages of text and should include: a brief review of literature pertaining to the problem, a statement of the hypothesis to be tested, an outline of the methods of investigation, a statement of how the data will be analyzed, a brief discussion of the scientific significance of the proposed research, and a bibliography. The style of the proposal shall be in accordance with that of the AIBS style manual or that of an appropriate professional journal. Upon submission of the proposal to the Graduate Advisor, a copy of the proposal will be given to one biology faculty member for review. The student and the research director may suggest reviewers. A faculty reviewer must report his/her approval or disapproval of the proposal and/or make any pertinent comments to the Graduate Advisor within 14 days of receipt of the proposal. Once approved by the Graduate Advisor and reviewer, a Thesis Topic Approval Form must be filed with the Columbian College. In most cases, the reviewer will serve as the departmental reader of the completed thesis. Major revisions of research procedures during the course of the work must be reported to the Graduate Advisor and approved by the faculty reviewer. Students are urged to consult with the faculty reviewer at any appropriate time.

C. Preparation of the M.S. Thesis:

For information on the format, see the Theses and Dissertation web page of the CSAS. The style of the thesis shall be in accordance with that of the AIBS style manual or that of an appropriate professional journal.

1. Reading copies: These should be in approved thesis form. Two reading copies, signed and approved by the research director(s) must be submitted to the Graduate Student Advisor and the reader at least four weeks prior to the thesis deadline stated in the University Bulletin. The thesis reader is selected by the Graduate Student Advisor following consultation with the student and thesis research director. Any suggestions for changes should be made by the reader within 14 days after receipt of the draft. Changes should be made to the satisfaction of Thesis Director and the Reader, and the draft should be resubmitted to the Reader for formal approval within one further week. Unresolved differences of opinion will be decided by the Thesis Director. The thesis may then be typed in final form for submission to the Graduate College. Failure of the student to meet the above time limits may defer graduation.

2. Final copies: Two unbound copies (double-spaced) of the approved thesis and the "Thesis Form", signed by the director and reader, must be presented to the Columbian College by the specified date. One bound copy must be presented to the Graduate Student Advisor and one bound to the Thesis Director.

D. All M.S. candidates are encouraged to present a seminar to the department on the topic of their research prior to graduation.

E. Checklist for steps for completing thesis:

1. Choose thesis research director and topic.

2. Prepare a Masters thesis research proposal and submit it for approval to the Graduate Advisor (2 copies) before initiation of experiments. Once approved file a Thesis topic approval form with the Columbian College.

3. Submit reading copies of the thesis (2) to the Graduate Student Advisor at least four (4) weeks prior to the thesis deadline stated in the University Bulletin.

4. Turn in approved final form of thesis. Two copies go to the Columbian College, one to the Graduate Advisor, and one to the Thesis Director.

IV. Ph.D. PROGRAM

A. For general requirement see the Graduate Student Handbook of the CSAS.

B. Information concerning the steps toward completing the Ph.D. degree:

1. The general examination committee will be selected by the Graduate Student Advisor and the student. The committee is chaired by the Graduate Student Advisor and usually consists of four to six faculty members, each of whom will direct the student in intensive study of an area of biology. This committee decides on appropriate fields of study, course work, and target dates for written comprehensive exams.

2. Students entering Ph.D. programs with baccalaureate degrees must register to a minimum of 72 semester hours of approved graduate work prior to graduation. Forty-eight to 60 semester hours of course work must be taken in preparation for the General Examination. The student must register for 12 to 24 hours of dissertation research.

Students entering Ph.D. programs with Master's degree must register for a minimum of 48 semester hours of approved graduate work prior to graduation. Twenty-four to 36 semester hours of course work must be taken in preparation for the General Examination.

3. Each student is required to complete the General Examination no later than the semester following the completion of course requirements. The examination is composed of a written examination followed by an oral examination before the entire examining committee. Each member will contribute questions for the written exam and view the completed exam prior to the oral exam. The oral exam shall be taken within one week of the written exam. A single grade shall be given by majority vote of the committee.

The student's performance must be graded and the results reported to the Columbian College within one week. A student failing an exam may be given one re-examination upon request, after the lapse of one semester, if the general examination committee so approves by majority vote.

4. The Dissertation Committee shall consist of the final readers of the dissertation. The Committee is chaired by the dissertation director or the departmental codirector if the director is not a full-time member of the Biology Department faculty. The committee should consist of the director (and co-director) and at least 5 others. At least one examiner shall not be a member of the Biological Sciences Department, nor shall this person have been directly associated with the production of the dissertation.

5. General format of the Dissertation Proposal should be the same as that for a M.S. thesis proposal (see p.4). The proposal must be typed and approved by the dissertation director (and co-director if there is one) and then given to all members of the dissertation committee except the outside examiner at least 14 days prior to oral presentation of the proposal by the candidate before the dissertation committee. The presentation is open to interested faculty and graduate students as nonparticipants. Following the presentation, the proposal must be approved by the dissertation committee in executive session, and one copy of the approved proposal must be submitted to the Columbian College. Following the approval of the proposal, any changes in the research plan must be approved by the dissertation committee. The proposal should be submitted before substantial data collection begins, but no later than one semester following the general oral examination.

6. See the "Theses and Dissertations" web page of the CSAS regarding guidelines for preparing the dissertation. A printed copy of Information on Theses and Dissertations is available from the Columbian College.The style of the dissertation shall be in accordance with that of the AIBS style manual or that of an appropriate professional journal. Students are urged to begin their dissertation work as early in the program as possible.

7. All Ph.D. candidates must present at least one seminar on the topic of their doctoral research to the Biology Department prior to graduation.

8. Information concerning the Oral Dissertation Defense is discussed in Appendix B.

C. Checklist of steps to complete Ph.D. (not necessarily done in the following order):

1. Set up general examination committee to establish program of study.

2. Complete approved program course work.

3. Pass General Written Examination.

4. Set up dissertation committee at such time as the research director and research area are chosen.

5. Oral presentation of the Ph.D. dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee.

6. Complete Dissertation research and write dissertation.

7. Present a seminar to the Department on dissertation topic.

8. Pass the Oral Dissertation Defense.

If there are any questions on these matters, please email or call Ms. Iva Beatty at (202) 994-8567.