The Graduate Program in Ecology
at Miami University
Requirements
Entrance Requirements
Incoming students are expected to have completed a bachelors or masters degree, and to have taken one or more courses in each of the following areas:
- Ecology
- Physiology
- Genetics
- Systematics/Taxonomy/Biodiversity, and
- Calculus
Students may be admitted to the program without having completed these courses. In these cases, students may be required to take such courses upon entering the graduate program, at the discretion of the Ecology Program Executive Committee.
Ph.D. Requirements
A. Formal Course Requirements
Students must earn 18 credit hours of formal coursework, including:
- one course in population/community ecology
- one course in ecosystem/global ecology
- one graduate course in the student's home department, not including those used to satisfy requirements 1 or 2 above
- one course in statistics or mathematical modeling
A formal plan of study, including courses to be taken to satisfy requirements 1-4, must be approved by the student's committee. Equivalent courses taken in another graduate program may satisfy course requirements, at the discretion of the student's thesis/dissertation committee. In the event that a student has not yet formed a committee, s/he can seek approval from the Ecology Program Executive Committee.
B. Seminars
Students must take at least four semesters of graduate seminars in ecology.
C. Professional Workshop(s)/Seminar(s)
Students must take any workshop, seminar in teaching, or other professional training required of new students by the home department.
D. Dissertation
Students must complete a dissertation. The dissertation committee must include at least five faculty members. Three committee members must be from the student's home department, and three must be Ecology Program Faculty Associates. The Committee Chair (Advisor) must be a member or associate of the home department.
E. Comprehensive Exams
Students must pass a comprehensive written and oral exam, given by the student's dissertation committee.
F. Other Requirements
In all other matters, such as evaluation of teaching performance, service on departmental committees, etc., students must follow the procedures set forth by the student's home department.
M.S. Requirements
A. Formal Course Requirements
Students must earn 12 credit hours of formal coursework, including:
- one course in population/community ecology
- one course in ecosystem/global ecology
- one graduate course in the student's home department, not including those used to satisfy requirements 1 or 2 above
- one course in statistics or mathematical modeling
A formal plan of study, including courses to be taken to satisfy requirements 1-4, must be approved by the student's committee.
B. Seminars
Students must take at least two semesters of graduate seminars in ecology.
C. Professional Workshop(s)/Seminar(s)
Students must take any workshop, seminar in teaching, or other professional training required of new students by the home department.
D. Thesis
Students must complete a thesis. The thesis committee must include at least three faculty members. Two committee members must be from the student's home department and two must be Ecology Program Faculty Affiliates. The Committee Chair (Advisor) must be a member or associate of the home department.
E. Diagnostic Exams
Students must complete either a comprehensive exam, or a thesis proposal defense. The type of exam will be determined by the student's home department.
F. Other Requirements
In all other matters, such as evaluation of teaching performance, service on departmental committees, etc., students must follow the procedures set forth by the student's home department.