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 Overview
Beginning (first and second years)
Middle and general requirements
End: Finishing up
Coursework
Checklist of EEB requirements
The department offers a program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree with the major being Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Minors in other departments are optional.
To ensure breadth of experience, doctoral students must complete three research internships during their first year. They also complete a required year long 1 unit course in which they discuss research approaches and present their results. They are also encouraged to do a year long core course in ecology and evolution.
Beyond this requirement, students and their faculty committees plan doctoral study programs on an individual basis. Independence and creativity in research are encouraged; doctoral dissertations often include work in several laboratories.
The Department emphasizes doctoral education, and normally guarantees financial support to successful Ph.D. applicants for five years following their admission. Ph.D. students should complete their studies within four to six years.
For more detailed information, see the EEB Graduate Student Handbook.
The First Year:
Temporary Advisor, Guidance Committee, Qualifying Exam, and Provisional Study Program.
All students accepted into the department are placed under the direction of a Temporary Graduate Advisor. Immediately upon entrance, the student and Temporary Advisor ask at least one other EEB Faculty member to be on the three member Guidance Committee. The Guidance Committee is responsible for the early design and supervision of the doctoral program. The Guidance Committee is temporary, serving only for the student's first academic year. As part of its first meeting, the Guidance Committee gives the student a Qualifying Exam which consists of an evaluation of the student's background, research interests and course needs. Based on the Qualifying Exam, the Guidance Committee creates a provisional study program. At the end of the first year, students are expected to choose a Dissertation Advisor.
Internships
First year students will enroll in a series of three internships with different faculty members. At least two of the three research internships should be completed with EEB Faculty or Joint EEB Faculty. Students will complete a total of three internships plus a research planning period. Central goals of the internship program are to help students learn new approaches and methods that might be useful in their own dissertation research and to help students/faculty decide on appropriate advisors/advisees. The individual internships are expected to consist primarily of hands on research activities, either empirical or theoretical.
Year Two: Major Professor and Doctoral Committee
Early in year 2, each student, with advice of the Major Professor, should assemble the Doctoral Committee. This is the permanent Doctoral Committee for the dissertation, In addition to the Major Professor, the Committee consists of at least two other tenure track faculty members in the Major, generally in EEB, and one faculty member in the Minor. Internal minors (i.e., within EEB) are acceptable.
Every Year: Annual Seminar and Annual Committee Meeting
Beginning in the second year, students are required to present an annual seminar, usually to the department, on their research plans and/or results. Most of these seminars will be scheduled during the Tuesday "noon" seminar series (Ecol596b). Seminars may be either half an hour or a full hour, depending on the stage of development of the project to be presented.
Beginning with the second year, each student is required to have an annual meeting with the Doctoral Committee.
Other Requirements: Foreign Language
The Graduate College has placed the responsibility requiring proficiency in a foreign language with the departments. The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology requires all doctoral students to show proficiency in at least one foreign language.
Middle Years: Comprehensive Exam and Doctoral Candidacy
The Comprehensive Examination is administered by the Doctoral Committee. The Comprehensive Examination includes written and oral portions and both must be completed by the end of the fifth semester. Submission of a Research Proposal constitutes part of the written Comprehensive Examination. The Research Proposal must be accepted by the Doctoral Committee in order for the student to pass written comprehensive and schedule the oral exam. This Research Proposal normally becomes the foundation of the student’s dissertation research.
Following the successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination including acceptance of the research proposal, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy by filing the Advancement to Candidacy form.
Finishing Up: Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense)
In this Department, the Final Oral Examination consists of a formal, public, oral presentation of the dissertation followed by a closed session of questioning and discussion with the student's committee. All students are expected to complete the Final Oral Examination by the end of the fifth year of graduate school.
Coursework: Graduate College Credit Requirements:
Minimum of 63 units after the Bachelor's Degree, as follows:
Minimum of 36 units in the Major at the 500 level or above.
Minimum of 9 units in the Minor subject, at least 3 at the 500 level or above
Additional 18 units of Dissertation Credit
At least 36 of the above 54 units must be taken at the Univ. of Arizona. At least 23 of the non-dissertation, graduate level courses (500+) must be taken for a grade (A, B, C). Undergraduate level courses do not enter into the grade point average.
Final course requirements are subject to approval of the student's Doctoral Committee. For a Minor in another department (not required), guidelines are set by that department. Minor may be in EEB.
List of EEB course websites (with links to more info)
Checklist of Departmental Requirements:
Students meeting these requirements are considered to be making acceptable progress.
FIRST SEMESTER:
Choose Guidance Committee
Complete Qualifying Exam.
Complete two internships and internship course for fall term
(3 units total of ECOL 610 a, b & c)
SECOND SEMESTER:
Complete internship and research planning and internship course for spring term (2 units total of ECOL 610a & c)
Complete Provisional Study Program
ANNUALLY, BEGINNING IN SECOND YEAR:
Present a seminar in a general forum, usually in the departmental noon seminar.*
Meet with Dissertation Committee to review research progress get advice on research directions.*
BY END OF FIFTH SEMESTER:
Complete written and oral portion of Comprehensive Exam.
Complete Grad College requirements for candidacy.
FOR DEGREE:
Complete language requirement.
4 semesters of noon seminar course, ECOL 596B (1 unit each).
At least two semesters as a half time Graduate Teaching Assistant.
BY END OF TENTH SEMESTER:
Complete and defend dissertation.
*The student is responsible for scheduling the seminars and committee meetings and for filing appropriate forms with the Graduate Coordinator.
For more detailed information, see the EEB Graduate Student Handbook.
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