Professor and Head of the Department
M. Burton
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is offered in Biology to full-time and
part-time students in Biology and Marine Biology. Students interested in
animal behaviour should also consult the section in the Calendar describing
the Doctoral programs in Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology.
1. Admission to a Ph.D. program in Biology shall not normally take place
until after the completion of the course requirements and the submission
of the thesis for the M.Sc. degree. However, on the recommendation of the
Department, this requirement may be waived by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
2. The program of a candidate shall be the responsibility of a Supervisory
Committee composed of the Supervisor and at least two other appropriate members
recommended to the Dean by the Head (or delegate) of the Department with
the concurrence of the Supervisor.
3. The Supervisory Committee shall interview the student normally within
a month of first registration, to discuss the student's program and to explore
any areas of weakness in the candidate's biological knowledge, especially
where these relate to the intended areas of research. The Supervisory Committee
will recommend a student's subdiscipline within Biology to the Department
in writing after this meeting.
4. It is the function of a Supervisory Committee to have regular meetings,
at least annually, with its graduate student. A meeting report, signed by
all members of the Supervisory Committee and student, must be given to the
Department. A copy will be sent to the graduate student and to the Dean of
Graduate Studies.
5. The candidate will present a tentative outline of the proposed research
to the Supervisory Committee, with a copy to the Department by the end of
the second semester, and preferably prior to commencement of the research.
6. The student will present a research seminar to the Department, normally
by the end of the second semester following admission, to describe the research
topic being investigated and the methodologies to be employed. This seminar
provides an opportunity for the student to receive constructive input from
the broad biological community.
7. When the Supervisory Committee deems it necessary, a working knowledge
of a language other than English may be required.
8. Comprehensive Examination
a) Timing of Examination
Timing of the comprehensive examination shall follow Regulation H.2.a. of the General Regulations governing the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. A candidate registered in a full-time Ph.D. program in the Faculty of Science, Department of Biology shall normally take the comprehensive examination during the first year of the program, and no later than one year after completion of the prescribed courses.
The procedure shall be initiated by the candidate's Supervisor who will notify the Department of Biology, in writing, of the candidate's readiness. Failure to meet the above requirement can result in the candidate being required to withdraw from the program.
b) Examination Committee
The Examination Committee shall be appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of the Department of Biology according to Regulation H.2.b. of the GENERAL REGULATIONS of the School of Graduate Studies. No more than two members of the Examination Committee may be members of the candidate's Supervisory Committee. The committee shall meet and recommend to the Department in writing an examination seminar topic within the student's previously determined subdiscipline.
c) Examination Procedure
The Department shall provide the student the examination date and the seminar
topic in writing not more than six nor less than four weeks prior to the
examination. The student shall provide each member of the Examination Committee
a written paper on the seminar topic one week prior to the examination. The
Examination Committee shall evaluate the candidate's presentation and response
to questions put to him/her during the Oral Examination both on the seminar
and within the student's subdiscipline of Biology.
d) Subsequent Action
The Examination Committee will meet in camera to arrive at its conclusions.
The Chair shall report the results of the Examination to the Head and the
Dean of Graduate Studies for transmission to the candidate. The report will
include one of the following decisions: a) the student passed with distinction,
passed or failed. b) if failed and it is the first examination whether the
student may be re-examined.
e) Re-examination
Comprehensive Re-examination if permitted will occur not sooner than one
month and not more than six months after the first. The candidate and his
or her Supervisory Committee shall be informed of the deficiencies found.
The format for the second examination will be determined by the Examination
Committee with the approval of the Biology Graduate Studies Committee. The
candidate will be informed of the topic and format four to six weeks prior
to the examination. The examination will follow the procedure outlined in
8.c & d (above). A failure will require the student to withdraw from
the program.
9. Theses shall conform to Regulation J. of the GENERAL REGULATIONS
of the School of Graduate Studies and the Departmental Guidelines.
Marine Biology
1. A program of study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy with a specialization in Marine Biology is governed by the above regulations.
2. To be considered for admission, applicants must have a background equivalent
to that provided by the M.Sc. specialization in Marine Biology.
3. Normally students will be required to take 6 credit hours in Biology
courses from the following group: 6710, 7531, 7535, 7540, 7541, 7551, 7560
and 7561.
4. Depending on the student's area of research and background additional
courses may be required.
COURSES
In accordance with Senate’s Policy Regarding Inactive Courses,
courses which have not been offered in the previous three academic years
and which are not scheduled to be offered in the current academic year have
been removed from the following listing. For information about any of these
inactive courses, please contact the Head of the Department.
A selection of the following graduate courses will be offered to meet the
requirements of candidates, as far as the resources of the Department will
allow:
6000. Research Topics in Microbiology
6100. Modern Problems in Botany
6110. Advanced Phycology
6410. Helminthology
6590. Molecular Biology I (Cross-listed as Biochemistry 6590 and Medicine
6590) Prerequisites: Biology 4241,
Biochemistry 4100 (or equivalent)
6593. Selected Readings in Molecular Biology (Cross-listed as Biochemistry
6593) Prerequisites or Co-requisites: Biology 6590, 6591/Biochemistry
6590, 6591/Medicine 6590, 6591, (or equivalent)
6710. Marine Benthic Biology
6910. Applied Entomology
7110. Cellular Physiology and Cytology
7210. Arctic and Subarctic Biology
7220. Quantitative Methods in Biology
7270. Ecology of Newfoundland
7300. Ornithology
7510. Ichthyology
7531. Biological Oceanography
7535. Research Methods in Marine Science
7540. Plankton Dynamics
7541. Physiological Ecology of Phytoplankton
7550. Fishery Biology
7551. Fisheries Resource Management
7560. Physiology of Marine Invertebrates
7561. Physiology of Marine Vertebrates
7600. Effect of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants on Biological Systems
7910. Community and Ecosystem Ecology
7920-7930. Special Topics in Biology
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