Additional Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Additional Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
in Plant Pathology
a. Participation in department seminars is a requirement
All students must enroll in the departmental general seminar (290) each quarter they are enrolled. In addition, students must enroll in at least one of the other special seminars (e.g. 291, 292, 293, etc. that are offered per year. These special seminars vary in topic and availability; instructors will post flyers around the department indicating when special seminars are offered and their subject matter. Alternatively, this information can be found in the Class Schedule and Room Directory that is issued before the start of each quarter.
b. Qualifying (preliminary) exam.
i. Purpose of the examc. Teaching
The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine if the student has the intellectual capacity and preparation necessary to successfully conduct independent research and complete a doctoral dissertation. Thus the student is expected to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the basic principles of plant pathology and related areas, and to effectively present and defend a dissertation proposal that involves novel and independent research. Students are expected to respond effectively to in-depth questions about their proposal, plant pathology in general, and other fields of science related to their area of study.
ii. When must the qualifying exam be taken?
Students must take the qualifying exam before the beginning of their tenth quarter as a registered student in the Plant Pathology Graduate Program. However, it is often feasible and appropriate for students to take the exam after two years. Ph.D. students should consult with their graduate adviser and major professor concerning the scheduling of their exam. Students admitted into the Plant Pathology Graduate Program for a master's degree and change their degree goal to a Ph.D. without completing a master's thesis remain subject to the 9 quarter limitation (i.e. you cannot enroll for the 10th quarter without having taken your qualifying exam). Students who complete a master's degree and continue for a Ph.D. have an additional 9 quarters before they must take the qualifying exam. Students must be registered for the quarter in which they take the exam and have a "B" average in all work undertaken in graduate standing. The student's graduate adviser must certify that all course requirements have been satisfied before the qualifying exam can be taken.
iii. Selection of the Qualifying Examination Committee.
The qualifying exam committee consists of 5 members. Four must be faculty members in the Plant Pathology Graduate Program, one of whom serves as the chairperson. One member may be from outside the program (e.g., a faculty member from another UCD Department or a faculty member from another institution). The student's Major Professor can not serve on the qualifying exam committee. Four of the five committee members will be identified by the student in consultation with his/her major professor and Graduate Advisor. The Graduate Adviser will present the proposed qualifying exam committee to the Graduate Affairs Committee, which will approve it or recommend changes. The Graduate Affairs Committee will also be responsible for identifying the fifth member of the qualifying exam committee based, in part, on the relative frequency of service among the faculty. Once the qualifying exam committee has been approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee, it is forwarded to Graduate Studies, wherein the Chair of the Graduate Council makes the final approval.
iv. What is the content of the qualifying exam?
All students are presumed to possess a strong basic knowledge and understanding of plant pathology. For students specializing in nematology, similar expectations would apply regarding basic knowledge and understanding of the principles of nematology. In addition, three specific areas will be defended. These areas (listed below) are usually selected by the student in consultation with the graduate adviser and/or major professor. Students may propose alternative specialty areas, but these must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
In the qualifying exam, students should expect to defend their thesis research in detail. Students should prepare a concise dissertation proposal to be given to the members of the qualifying examination committee two weeks before the examination date. This document should be 7-10 pages in length, excluding figures and references. Students are encouraged to seek feedback on their proposal from their qualifying exam committee members prior to their exam. Students should consult the chair of the qualifying exam committee concerning the manner in which the research proposal should be presented during the exam. Approximately one hour of the exam will be devoted to the presentation and defense of the proposal. The committee chair will be responsible for ensuring that the time devoted to this portion of the exam is properly balanced with broader coverage of the subject areas being defended.
Each student is required to be a teaching assistant (TA) for at least one quarter. Students can approach instructors directly regarding the possibility of being a TA for a specific course, but the final decision rests with the Department Curriculum Committee. The department reserves the right to have a student TA for more than one quarter depending on the circumstances. Students also can be TAs in courses outside of the Plant Pathology Department; however, they should consult their major professor and graduate adviser before accepting such a position.
d. Advancement to Candidacy and Appointment of a Dissertation Committee.
During the course of the student's research, the student should begin to think about the composition of the dissertation committee, which consists of three faculty members one of which is the major professor. Approved faculty members from outside the Graduate Program may be members of the dissertation committee. Once the student has passed the qualifying exam, the student meets with the major professor to formally designate a dissertation committee. The dissertation committee may include some or all of the members of the guiding committee, which will be dissolved once the dissertation committee has been approved. The dissertation committee must be approved by the Executive Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. Students are encouraged to meet with their dissertation committee on a regular basis.
e. Dissertation
Each student must submit a dissertation that meets the approval of all members of the dissertation committee. The research that is the subject of this dissertation is initiated with the input of the major professor and is conducted under the guidance of this individual and the dissertation committee. As soon as a dissertation committee has been selected, the student should meet with the committee to obtain further guidance concerning the direction and content of the student's thesis research. During the course of a student's Ph.D. research, the student can request a committee meeting at any time. The final dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee and Graduate Studies before the Ph.D is conferred. There is generally no final or dissertation defense, although the committee may choose to ask the student to defend the dissertation research before the committee. Detailed instructions regarding the form of the dissertation can be obtained from Graduate Studies (252 Mrak Hall).
f. Exit seminar.
All students are expected to present to the department a seminar on their dissertation research.
g. On-campus residence requirement and time to complete the degree<
Students working toward a Ph.D. must be registered and in university residence for a minimum of six regular quarters. Two consecutive regular Summer Sessions can be substituted for one regular quarter if two units are taken in each Summer Session. The normative time to complete a Ph.D. ranges from 4-6 years and is measured from the time a student begins graduate study at UC Davis. Up to three quarters of non-registered status is allowed.
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Email the Plant Pathology Office