Graduate Student Handbook

1.0 Introduction

Welcome to the graduate geology program in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Tennessee! We the Faculty hope you will treasure your time here as you work toward your graduate degree. We have compiled in this manual the information you need to navigate the path toward your degree, including all the rules and regulations pertaining to your progress. As you read, remember that our rules may change, all with the aim of providing you with a useful, rigorous program that you can take confidently to the next stage of your career. So check the manual as you reach each milestone on your journey.

The rules and procedures described in this manual are a superset of the rules set forth by the Graduate School. All those rules and regulations can be found in the Graduate Catalog and at the Graduate School's website. Our regulations fit within those of the Graduate School. If you find inconsistencies or mistakes in this manual, please bring them to the attention of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The Department recognizes that all possible circumstances cannot be accounted for in this document and that exceptions may be needed occasionally, which can be done by petition to the Graduate Program Committee (GPC). Petitions typically describe why a rule needs to be modified and describes the desired solution for the student. The petition should be accompanied by a supporting letter from the student’s major advisor or committee.

The governance of the Department is set forth in the bylaws. The Department has a head and several standing committees to conduct the business of the Department. The committee with which you will interact, besides your thesis or dissertation committee, is the GPC, whose chairperson is the DGS.

You will also get to know the Discretionary Funds Committee. This committee awards in-house financial aid for conducting your research and considers requests for support for out-of-the-ordinary situations.

Finally, you will get to know the office staff well. They can help you with mundane but important tasks such as getting keys, getting a mailbox, getting paid, and other things. Just remember that the staff has the job of running the front end of the Department. You are expected to do your own tasks and use your own resources.

Keep this manual close! Go ahead and bookmark this page. Set your home page to the Department's home page. If you have a question, look it up on the web. If you can't find a satisfactory answer, ask the DGS. We are here to help you resolve the unknowns.

2.0 Matriculation of Incoming Graduate Students

Once an incoming graduate student has received a letter of acceptance, the student should arrange to meet (in person, by email, or by phone) with their intended major advisor to discuss academic preparation for graduate studies and to select courses, including remedial courses, for the first semester. Incoming students typically meet as a group with the Department Head and DGS prior to the start of classes to discuss overall departmental matters and expectations of students. Also before classes begin, all graduate students are required to participate in university and departmental workshops that prepare the student for the upcoming semester.

During a student’s first semester, a committee will be formed to advise the student about coursework in the following semester. This committee may evolve into the Thesis/Dissertation committee and so selection of individuals for this committee is important. The role of the committee is to work with the student to develop the best curriculum to ensure that coursework establishes necessary depth and breadth to master the intended research direction. For a Master’s Degree candidate this committee needs to have three faculty members and for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree this committee should have four faculty members. Details about committee composition and course requirements are explained below.

Incoming students will meet with the GPC, which is headed by the DGS. The GPC serves several functions for all graduate students in the department. Perhaps the most important role of the GPC is to act as an impartial body with which all graduate students can confidentially discuss all aspects of their program of study, relationships with advisor and committee, and life in the department and university. In many respects, the GPC represents the interface between the graduate student body and the departmental faculty. Changes in the rules that govern the graduate program are presented to the faculty through the GPC. In this regard, any comments about the graduate program can be directed to the GPC for consideration and possible action. The GPC also approves membership of thesis and dissertation committees.

3.0. Graduate Degrees

The Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences offers research-based Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees. Both degrees require original research presented in the form of a thesis or dissertation that must be found acceptable by a committee of faculty.

We expect all graduate students familiarize themselves with the extensive information about the University of Tennessee and graduate studies here at the main UTK web page. Additional details pertaining to the graduate program including financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships can be found in the list of web pages identified below:

3.1 Academic Standards

For a graduate student to remain in good academic standing, the student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4-point scale. All courses taken for graduate credit count in the computation of GPA. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 is placed on academic probation by the University. A student has one semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or higher in the following semester (excluding summer). If a student on probation has another semester with a GPA below 3.00, they will be terminated from their program of study. More information about academic standards and GPA can be located in the graduate catalog, which is available on line in the policies link above.

3.2 Master’s of Science (MS) Degree in Geology

3.2.1 University Course Requirements (excerpted from the graduate catalog)

A candidate for a Master’s degree must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate credit in courses approved by the student’s master’s committee. In our program, 6 semester hours of credit in the major must be earned in course 500 (thesis) while the student is conducting research and preparing the thesis. Hours applied to the master’s degree may be entirely from one major subject or may be distributed to include one or two minor areas.

Courses numbered between 400 and 500 can be taken for graduate credit. However, at least two-thirds of the minimum required hours in a master’s degree program must be taken in courses numbered at or above the 500 level. Only 6 thesis (course 500) hours may be counted toward this requirement. For coursework taken at other institutions, refer to section in the University Graduate Catalog on Transfer Credits.

3.2.2 Departmental Course Requirements

In addition to the University requirements, students pursuing a MS degree must enroll in EPS 595 every semester they are in residence unless course or teaching conflicts preclude a student from being present. A student may apply a maximum of 2 credits towards graduation. Each student must also enroll in EPS 596 one time during their residency.

To graduate, each student is required to have had a committee-approved “field experience,” where a student has demonstrated proficiency in field-based Earth Sciences. In many cases this represents an undergraduate field camp course, although there are many acceptable alternatives.

3.2.3 Thesis Committee

A committee is composed of a major advisor and two at least two other professors holding the minimum rank of Assistant Professor or other approved faculty including lecturers or adjunct faculty. In ordinary circumstances, the committee will be formed in the student’s first semester and meet formally with the student at least annually to direct and assess student progress and academic standing. The committee must be formed by the time a student applies for admission to candidacy.

3.2.4 Thesis Proposal

All students pursuing the MS degree must do independent original research leading to a thesis to graduate. To be sure a student is prepared for the intended research project, a proposal outlining the project must be submitted and accepted by the Thesis Committee by the end of a student’s second semester. Because the proposal writing process can take considerable time with revisions, students should plan to get working early to meet this deadline. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the student receiving a warning or disciplinary action, including dismissal, from the GPC.

The proposal should be no longer than 10 pages of single-spaced text (including figures, but not references or additional materials). Proposal form can differ depending on sub-discipline, so students must work closely with their major advisor and committee to avert problems in getting the proposal passed. Upon successful completion and acceptance of the proposal by their committee, the student and major advisor should inform the GPC. Once the GPC approves the committee, which is done in combination with the approved proposal, the department typically offers an award to assist the student’s research. Once the GPC approves the committee, which is done in combination with an approved proposal, the department typically offers an award to assist the student’s research.

3.2.5 Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy indicates agreement that the student has demonstrated ability to do acceptable graduate work and that satisfactory progress has been made toward a degree. This action usually connotes that all prerequisites to admission have been completed and a program of study has been approved.

The application for the master’s degree is made as soon as possible after the student has completed any prerequisite courses and 9 hours of graduate coursework with a 3.00 average or higher in all graduate work. The Admission to Candidacy form must be signed by the student’s committee and all courses to be used for the degree must be listed, including transfer course-work. The student must submit this form to the Graduate School no later than the last day of classes of the semester preceding the semester in which he/she plans to graduate.

3.2.6 Thesis

A student must present a written thesis documenting independent original research that must be defended and approved by the thesis committee before a student can graduate. Specific form of the thesis is coordinated by the major advisor and thesis committee. Students are expected to work closely with their advisors during the evolution of the research and during the preparation of the thesis itself. There are University formatting guidelines and deadlines related to the thesis that all students are required to follow, details of which can be found at http://web.utk.edu/∼ethesis/

It is expected that research for the MS degree lead to a peer-refereed publication.

3.2.7 Thesis Defense

All students are required to have a defense of their research, attended by their committee, and open to the rest of the Department. In most cases, this represents an oral presentation of 20–30 minutes followed by an open question and answer session. Once this is complete, the thesis committee continues with a private examination period, in which the results of pass or fail are determined. Forms that must be signed by the committee can be located at the link above in section 3.0.

3.2.8 Time Limit to Completion

Students pursuing the MS degree have a total of six calendar years to complete their degree. In our department, students are expected to complete a MS degree in two calendar years (four semesters including two summers). Support offered through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) or Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) will only last for four semesters. Extensions to these funding paths are assessed individually but are not guaranteed. A worksheet showing major events in completion of the MS degree is located in the Appendices part of this document.

3.3 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Geology

3.3.1 University Course Requirements

All students enrolled in the PhD program in Earth & Planetary Sciences are required to become familiar with University rules and regulations as explained in the Graduate Catalog, the link for which can be found above. Some parts of these rules are excerpted here for convenience.

The student’s program of study is subject to Graduate Council policies and individual program requirements. The program of study as listed by the student on the Admission to Candidacy form must be approved by the doctoral committee. Doctoral programs include a major field or area of concentration and, frequently, one or more cognate fields. Cognate fields are defined as a minimum of 6 semester hours of graduate coursework in a given area outside the student’s major field.

Candidates for the PhD must complete a minimum of 24 hours of graduate coursework beyond the Master’s degree, which is a prerequisite for entry into most doctoral programs. If the doctoral candidate does not possess a Master’s degree, the candidate must complete a minimum of 48 hours of graduate coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree. A minimum of 12 of the 24 hours, or 30 of the 48 hours, must be graded A-F. A minimum of 6 hours of the student’s coursework must be taken in University of Tennessee courses at the 600 level (however, see below), exclusive of dissertation. In addition, 24 hours of course 600 Doctoral Research and Dissertation are required. Once a student has enrolled in EPS 600, this course must be registered for in each succeeding semester, including summer. GTAs need to enroll for 9 hours of 600 in the summer and GRAs need to consult with their advisors on how many hours to register for.

3.3.2 Departmental Course Requirements

In addition to those listed above above, the Department has a number of compulsory additional course work requirements for the PhD. All students pursuing a PhD degree must enroll in course number EPS 595 every semester they are in residence unless course or teaching conflicts preclude a student from being present. A student may apply a maximum of 4 credits of EPS 595/596 toward graduation. Each student must also enroll in course EPS 596 one time during their residency. All PhD students are required to enroll in a minimum of 9 hours of 600-level courses, excluding EPS 600 (this requirement supersedes the University requirement).

In order to graduate, each student is required to have had a committee-approved “field experience,” where a student has demonstrated proficiency in field-based Earth Sciences. In many cases this represents an undergraduate field camp course, although there are many acceptable alternatives.

3.3.3 Dissertation Committee

A committee composed of a major advisor who directs the dissertation research, and three other faculty members all holding the minimum rank of Assistant Professor or other approved faculty including lecturers or adjunct faculty. At least three of the committee members, including the major advisor, must be approved by the Graduate Council to direct doctoral research. Many dissertation committees have a fifth member related to the specialization of the research, and this is encouraged. At least one committee member must be from an academic unit at the University other than that of the student’s major field.

In ordinary circumstances, the committee is formed in the student’s first semester and meets formally with the student at least annually to direct and assess student progress and academic standing. The committee is formed by the end of the second semester of enrollment in the PhD program. A student’s committee must be nominated by the Department Head and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Requisite forms for PhD students can be found at the forms link above.

The dissertation committee works with the student to determine the program of study, including all course work, which is tailored to each student’s research and intellectual endeavors. Another role the committee serves is to track student progress, which it does via an annual meeting with the student. A student can expect their committee members to help in conducting research.

3.3.4 Dissertation Proposal

All students pursuing the PhD degree must do significant, independent, original research leading to a thesis in order to graduate. In order to be sure a student is prepared for the intended research project, a proposal outlining the project must be submitted and accepted by the dissertation committee by the end of a student’s third semester of continuous enrollment; submission of the proposal is done in connection with taking a Preliminary Examination (see below).

Because the proposal writing process can take considerable time with revisions, students should plan ahead to meet this deadline. Failure to meet this deadline may result in the student receiving warning and/or disciplinary action, including dismissal, from the GPC.

The proposal should be no longer than 15 pages of single-spaced text (including figures, but not references or additional materials). Proposal form can differ depending on sub-discipline, so students must work closely with their major advisor and committee to circumvent problems in getting the proposal passed. Upon successful completion and acceptance of the proposal, the student and major advisor should inform the Graduate Program Committee. Once the GPC approves the committee, which is done in combination with an approved proposal, the department typically offers an award to assist the student’s research.

3.3.5 Preliminary Examination

A Preliminary Exam designed to test the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in order to conduct advanced research should occur by no later than the end of a student’s third semester, just like the dissertation proposal.

The examination consists of written questions submitted by each committee member followed by an oral exam. There is no strict format to the written examination. Written questions may be either open book or closed book; no specific timing constraints are placed on these questions. The oral exam follows successful completion of the written questions. The oral examination is generally two hours in duration. At the discretion of the committee, the examination is open to all faculty, but your committee decides whether or not you passed the exam.

Results of the combined written and oral exams are determined by the committee at the end of the oral exam and results transmitted to the student. There are three potential outcomes of the Preliminary Exam: (1) Pass. A score of pass means the student has satisfactorily completed both parts of the exam and is free to continue in their program of study; (2) Conditional Pass. A score of conditional pass means that a student has passed one part of the exam and failed the other, or successfully completed most aspects of both exams, but still has minor gaps that need further attention before the student can move forward. The dissertation committee determines what remedies are necessary and places limits on the timing of completing the remedies. Once a student has successfully met these additional requirements, then a score of Pass is registered. If the student does not meet the additional requirements or has a repeat fail in the same part of the exam, a score of fail is registered for the student and the program is terminated by the end of that semester; (3) Fail. A score of fail means that a student has not met the requirements necessary for advanced research and so is dismissed from the program at the end of the semester the exam is taken.

3.3.6 Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy indicates agreement that the student has demonstrated the ability to do acceptable graduate work and that satisfactory progress has been made toward a degree. This action usually connotes that all prerequisites to admission have been completed and a program of study has been approved.

A student may be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree after: (1) passing the preliminary examination; (2) maintaining at least a B average in all graduate coursework; and (3) having a research paper accepted for publication in a peer-refereed journal or book chapter. The student need not be the first author, but must have made a major contribution to the study. This requirement provides experience in the timely reporting of scientific results.

Each student is responsible for filing the admission to candidacy form, which lists all courses to be used for the degree, including courses taken at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, or at another institution prior to admission to the doctoral program, and is signed by the doctoral committee. Admission to candidacy must be applied for and approved by the Graduate School at least one full semester prior to the date the degree is to be conferred.

3.3.7 Dissertation

A written dissertation showing evidence of significant, independent, and original research is required of all PhD students. The exact form of the dissertation is determined by the major advisor working in connection with the student. High value is placed on publication in peer-refereed journals, and it is common to expect a dissertation to lead to several publications.

The University has specific formatting requirements for theses and dissertations as well as a specific set of deadlines in advance of graduation. Please see the following link http://web.utk.edu/∼ethesis/

Forms to be submitted with the dissertation can be located in the forms link in section 3.0.

3.3.8 Dissertation Defense

Once the committee determines that sufficient written progress on the dissertation has occurred, the student may schedule an oral defense of the research. The defense has two main parts, a public presentation with accompanying question-and-answer session followed by a private defense with the dissertation committee. The public presentation should last 30-40 minutes and focus on the results of the dissertation research. Forms that must be signed by the committee can be located at the link above in section 3.0.

3.3.9 Time Limit to Completion

Students pursuing the PhD degree have a total of eight calendar years to complete their degree from the time of first enrollment in the program. We expect that the Preliminary Exam will be taken in a student’s third semester. A PhD student who has not passed the preliminary exam by the end of their fourth semester is subject to dismissal for lack of satisfactory progress. In our department, students are expected to complete a PhD degree in four calendar years (eight semesters including four summers). Support offered through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) or Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) will normally only last for eight semesters. Extensions to these funding paths are assessed individually but are not guaranteed. A worksheet showing major events in completion of the PhD degree is located at the end of this document. Please note, paperwork in anticipation of graduation begins months in advance of the anticipated graduation date. University deadlines are explained in the graduation deadlines link in section 3.0.

3.3.10 Language Requirement

The department does not have a foreign language requirement. This rule supersedes the University rule explained in the Graduate Catalog.

4.0 Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)

GTAs undertake up to 20 hr/week of teaching or lecturing responsibilities, typically in laboratory classes for introductory and upper-level geology courses, and grading in lecture courses. Required training sessions are held by the University and the Department to prepare and familiarize GTAs with the requirements and responsibilities of these positions. University policy requires international students whose native language is not English to pass a test in English proficiency prior to any GTA appointment involving classroom teaching.

Departmental GTAs receive a nine-month stipend (paid over 12 months), remission of tuition fees, and health insurance benefits. Students are responsible for fee charges, and fees levied for student activities, technology, and transportation charges. Student GTA stipends may be supplemented during the summer by research funds. On top of teaching obligations, the department participates in visible outreach efforts including instruction at Earth Science Day and at the McClung Museum where graduate student participation is very strongly encouraged. Students are not permitted to hold a job outside the department.

5.0 Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs)

GRAs are research appointments funded from external sources controlled by a member of the faculty. They enable students to engage in original research related to their degree goals. GRA appointments are primarily governed by the availability of external research grants. The project director or principal investigator determines the duration of GRA appointments and awards, which may be made to any applicant admitted to a degree program irrespective of any commitment of departmental support. International students who are supported on a GRA are not required to take the English proficiency test.

6.0. Timeline and Degree Checklists

The checklists can be downloaded as pdf files.

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