PHD DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The Entomology Graduate Program at the University of Maryland is designed to accommodate the individual needs and interests of each student. Therefore, there are few course requirements and the design of each program is strongly influenced by the student, advisor, and their dissertation committee.
The Dissertation Committee
One of the first things a new graduate student should do is discuss the formation of a dissertation committee with their advisor. The advisor and dissertation committee guide the student to develop a research program, identify relevant coursework, evaluate the student’s progress, administer the qualifying exam, and administer the dissertation defense at the end of the degree program.
The formation of the dissertation committee by the student and their advisor starts in the student's first year, with the composition of the dissertation committee being determined by the nature of the dissertation. Students must meet with the dissertation committee annually to discuss progress made toward completion of their degree. The Graduate School regulations governing dissertation committees are described in more detail in the Graduate Catalog. The student is responsible for determining that these requirements are met.
Degree Requirements
Each PhD student must:
Pursuing the Ph.D. Degree without an M.S. Degree
We encourage students having only a BS to complete an MS before proceeding with a PhD degree program; however, students with exceptional scientific research and coursework accomplishments may proceed directly into a PhD degree program. A student that bypasses the MS and enters the PhD program is required to fulfill both PhD and MS degree course requirements, with the exception that only five topics seminars are required.
Dissertation Research Proposal
For the student's dissertation committee to evaluate the dissertation topic, the student must prepare a research proposal. The format may correspond to that required for submitting proposals to the National Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health. The proposal should state the:
Pre-Qualifying Exam Meeting
A minimum of 2 months prior to the Qualifying Examination, the student must hold a pre-qualifying exam dissertation committee meeting. The objective of this meeting is for the student, advisor, and dissertation committee to identify the student's subject area of research and 2 - 3 related focal areas within the discipline of entomology in which the student will be expected to be proficient by their qualifying examination, in addition to general knowledge obtained through coursework.
Qualifying Examination
Preparation of the Dissertation
The format of the dissertation should follow the editorial style of the journal in which publication of research is anticipated, which should be determined in consultation with the advisor. Preparation of the dissertation in journal format allows the student to expedite publication of research results. Many students prefer to prepare separate scientific articles as chapters in the dissertation with introductory and concluding sections. For dissertations not prepared in journal format, the Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Manual describes the format and general requirements for preparation of a dissertation.
Publishing Before the Defense
See the Graduate Catalog for information about including previously published material before the defense.
Dissertation Defense
Public Presentation of the Dissertation
Before graduating, all finishing PhD students are required to present their dissertations at the Department of Entomology's weekly colloquium or an alternative publicly announced seminar.
Publication of the Dissertation
The Graduate School requires all dissertations be submitted to Proquest's University of Maryland Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) website. The Registrar will check the document for formatting and legibility, following the Thesis and Dissertation Style Guide. After corrections are made and the dissertation is re-submitted, the Registrar will accept the document and start the graduation clearance process. All email communications will come from [email protected], so be on the lookout for them, including in your Spam folder (this has happened recently).
Unsatisfactory Progress
A student's failure to meet one of the following graduate program requirements indicates unsatisfactory progress:
Time Limitations
Students must complete the entire program for the doctoral degree, including the dissertation and final examination, during a four-year period after admission to candidacy, but no later than nine years after admission to the doctoral program. Students must be advanced to candidacy within five years of admission to the doctoral program. Additional details related to time limitations are described in the Graduate Catalog. Extensions of time are granted only under unusual circumstances. The student may request a first one-year extension from the Department of Entomology's Graduate Affairs Committee. If approved, the Department will notify the Graduate School of the extension. Should a second extension be requested, the Graduate Affairs Committee will again evaluate the request and, if approved, will require the student, advisor, and dissertation committee to provide specific objectives to be achieved during the extension that will be included in a letter to the Graduate School. No additional extensions will be granted.
Graduate Outcomes Assessment
As part of the University's evaluation of graduate programs, each PhD student in Entomology will be subject to Graduate Outcomes Assessments at the qualifying exam, dissertation defense, the yearly progress report, and 2 years after graduation. The data gathered will provide critical feedback regarding the effectiveness of the graduate program and better inform the student and advisor on student progress toward the degree.
The Dissertation Committee
One of the first things a new graduate student should do is discuss the formation of a dissertation committee with their advisor. The advisor and dissertation committee guide the student to develop a research program, identify relevant coursework, evaluate the student’s progress, administer the qualifying exam, and administer the dissertation defense at the end of the degree program.
The formation of the dissertation committee by the student and their advisor starts in the student's first year, with the composition of the dissertation committee being determined by the nature of the dissertation. Students must meet with the dissertation committee annually to discuss progress made toward completion of their degree. The Graduate School regulations governing dissertation committees are described in more detail in the Graduate Catalog. The student is responsible for determining that these requirements are met.
Degree Requirements
Each PhD student must:
- Fulfill all requirements and meet all deadlines set forth by the Graduate School.
- Coursework Requirements: Successfully complete a minimum of 40 credits of coursework, which are broken down into 5 categories that align with UMD's u.achieve degree auditing system for ENTM PhD students (u.achieve user guide).
- Thesis Research
- PhD students must complete a minimum of 12 dissertation research credits (ENTM898/899).
- Note: After a PhD student advances to candidacy, they will be automatically registered for 6 credits of ENTM899 by the Graduate Registrar under their advisor's section.
- Core Courses
- PhD students must demonstrate a basic command of core areas of entomology by receiving a B or better in the following courses:
- BSCI480: Arthropod Form & Function (4 credits) - offered spring semester of even-numbered years only.
- BSCI481: Insect Diversity & Classification (4 credits) - beginning Fall 2022, this course will be offered every fall semester. Formerly, this course was offered in the fall semester of even-numbered years only.
- BSCI482: Insect Physiology & Molecular Biology (4 credits) - beginning fall 2024, this course will be offered every fall semester.
- Note: Incoming students that have taken and received a B or better in equivalent graduate-level courses at other institutions may ask the Graduate Director to assess the equivalence of the courses and to waive the requirement to take these again at the University of Maryland. Waiver of a requirement does not reduce the number of credits that the student must take to qualify for graduation.
- PhD students must demonstrate a basic command of core areas of entomology by receiving a B or better in the following courses:
- Topic Seminars
- PhD students must take at least 5 topic seminars, which are ENTM798 courses or relevant 1 credit graduate-level (600 or above) courses in ENTM or other departments. We recognize that seminar courses are often in short supply. If you have a question about whether a course will fulfill this requirement, contact the Graduate Director.
- The five topic seminars must include Responsible Conduct of Research (e.g., BISI712).
- A semester-long Broadening Experience (ENTM788: Entomological Topics) may substitute for one topic seminar. The Broadening Experience is an opportunity for a student to join the lab of an ENTM faculty member other than their major advisor for one semester in order to acquire new research skills and perspectives. The Broadening Experience should be completed prior to candidacy.
- Note: Students who serve as Teaching Assistants are required to take ENTM701: Effective Teaching - TA Training, which is offered each fall semester. This does not fulfill the topic seminar requirement.
- Colloquium
- PhD students must register for ENTM788C: Special Topics - Colloquium each semester and attend each Entomology Colloquium until they have advanced to candidacy. This does not fulfill the topic seminar requirement.
- Additional Coursework Chosen with Advisor
- Any additional elective courses will fall into this category.
- Each credit of ENTM788C beyond the initial credit taken during a PhD student's first semester will automatically fulfill this elective category.
- Research credits (ENTM898/899) beyond the minimum 12 required under the Thesis Research category do not fulfill this elective category.
- Thesis Research
- Non-coursework Requirements
- Hold a minimum of one dissertation committee meeting per year. A Report of Annual Committee Meeting must be completed and submitted to the Graduate Coordinator for each meeting.
- Submit an annual progress report to the Graduate Coordinator in late August/early September.
- Hold a pre-qualifying exam dissertation committee meeting (see below).
- Take a qualifying examination in order to advance to candidacy (see below).
- Prepare a dissertation representing a report of independent research, the subject of which is selected by the student, advisor, and dissertation committee.
- Defend the dissertation before the advisor and dissertation committee.
- Present research results to the department at the Entomology Colloquium or other publicly announced seminar.
Pursuing the Ph.D. Degree without an M.S. Degree
We encourage students having only a BS to complete an MS before proceeding with a PhD degree program; however, students with exceptional scientific research and coursework accomplishments may proceed directly into a PhD degree program. A student that bypasses the MS and enters the PhD program is required to fulfill both PhD and MS degree course requirements, with the exception that only five topics seminars are required.
Dissertation Research Proposal
For the student's dissertation committee to evaluate the dissertation topic, the student must prepare a research proposal. The format may correspond to that required for submitting proposals to the National Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health. The proposal should state the:
- Problem in question
- Background information in the form of a review of the pertinent literature
- Specific question(s) being investigated
- Methods or approach
- Reasoning or logic behind the methods of approach
- Manner of data collection and statistical procedures utilized
- Way in which data will be interpreted and presented
Pre-Qualifying Exam Meeting
A minimum of 2 months prior to the Qualifying Examination, the student must hold a pre-qualifying exam dissertation committee meeting. The objective of this meeting is for the student, advisor, and dissertation committee to identify the student's subject area of research and 2 - 3 related focal areas within the discipline of entomology in which the student will be expected to be proficient by their qualifying examination, in addition to general knowledge obtained through coursework.
Qualifying Examination
- This examination is a departmental requirement of all students enrolled in the PhD program. It is administered orally by the student's advisor and dissertation committee. Under special circumstances, if requested by the student, the dissertation committee can elect to administer a written examination. A student should schedule the qualifying examination at the completion of most course work and near the beginning of dissertation research. The qualifying examination should be taken within 5 years of entering the PhD program; however, the department strongly urges students to take the examination during their 4th or 5th semester. Failure to take the qualifying examination within this time limit results in special review by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
- The qualifying examination is not intended to focus solely on the dissertation area, but tests intensely the depth of the student's knowledge in their area of research expertise, 2 - 3 related focal areas, and the overall discipline of entomology; examines the student's ability to think, synthesize, and integrate information from disciplines of entomology and biology in general; and evaluates the student's ability to produce a defensible proposal and actually do the proposed research.
- The student must provide each member of the dissertation committee with a copy of the dissertation research proposal 10 business days prior to examination.
- Major flaws in the proposed research found at the time of the qualifying examination may constitute failure. The qualifying examination is open to all faculty, all of whom may question the student, but only the dissertation committee will vote. Two or more negative votes constitute a failure. A student has two chances to pass the qualifying examination.
- In addition, Graduate School guidelines state that the PhD is granted only upon sufficient evidence of high achievement in scholarship and ability to engage in independent research. It is not awarded for completion of course and seminar requirements, no matter how successful.
Preparation of the Dissertation
The format of the dissertation should follow the editorial style of the journal in which publication of research is anticipated, which should be determined in consultation with the advisor. Preparation of the dissertation in journal format allows the student to expedite publication of research results. Many students prefer to prepare separate scientific articles as chapters in the dissertation with introductory and concluding sections. For dissertations not prepared in journal format, the Graduate School's Thesis and Dissertation Manual describes the format and general requirements for preparation of a dissertation.
Publishing Before the Defense
See the Graduate Catalog for information about including previously published material before the defense.
Dissertation Defense
- All PhD students must defend their dissertations during an oral examination administered by their advisors and dissertation committees.
- As per Graduate School guidelines, the student must give each member of the dissertation committee a copy of the dissertation 10 business days before the dissertation defense. Furthermore, the advisor must notify all Entomology faculty of the time and location of the defense 5 business days prior to the defense date.
- In addition to questions on the dissertation, knowledge in major and related focus areas will be tested. Interested members of the graduate faculty may attend and question the student. However, the dissertation committee will discuss the student's performance in private and only the dissertation committee may vote. Two or more negative votes constitutes a failure and the student may have one additional chance to defend the dissertation.
Public Presentation of the Dissertation
Before graduating, all finishing PhD students are required to present their dissertations at the Department of Entomology's weekly colloquium or an alternative publicly announced seminar.
Publication of the Dissertation
The Graduate School requires all dissertations be submitted to Proquest's University of Maryland Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) website. The Registrar will check the document for formatting and legibility, following the Thesis and Dissertation Style Guide. After corrections are made and the dissertation is re-submitted, the Registrar will accept the document and start the graduation clearance process. All email communications will come from [email protected], so be on the lookout for them, including in your Spam folder (this has happened recently).
Unsatisfactory Progress
A student's failure to meet one of the following graduate program requirements indicates unsatisfactory progress:
- Dissertation committee is not formed within the first year
- Dissertation committee meetings are not held annually
- Failure to submit annual progress reports
- Failure to take the qualifying exam within the required time period
- Research proposal is not prepared, filed, and defended within the required time period
- The student fails to maintain a grade point average of B or better for two consecutive semesters
- The student does not have a major advisor for more than one semester
Time Limitations
Students must complete the entire program for the doctoral degree, including the dissertation and final examination, during a four-year period after admission to candidacy, but no later than nine years after admission to the doctoral program. Students must be advanced to candidacy within five years of admission to the doctoral program. Additional details related to time limitations are described in the Graduate Catalog. Extensions of time are granted only under unusual circumstances. The student may request a first one-year extension from the Department of Entomology's Graduate Affairs Committee. If approved, the Department will notify the Graduate School of the extension. Should a second extension be requested, the Graduate Affairs Committee will again evaluate the request and, if approved, will require the student, advisor, and dissertation committee to provide specific objectives to be achieved during the extension that will be included in a letter to the Graduate School. No additional extensions will be granted.
Graduate Outcomes Assessment
As part of the University's evaluation of graduate programs, each PhD student in Entomology will be subject to Graduate Outcomes Assessments at the qualifying exam, dissertation defense, the yearly progress report, and 2 years after graduation. The data gathered will provide critical feedback regarding the effectiveness of the graduate program and better inform the student and advisor on student progress toward the degree.
