ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
Dr. Rita Anderson (Psychology)
Dr. Joseph Brown (OSC/Biology) - Co-Chair
Dr. John Gow (Biology)
Dr. Edward Miller (Biology)
Dr. William Montevecchi (Psychology)
Dr. Anne Storey (Psychology) - Co-Chair
Dr. Ian Warkentin or Dr. David Brombeck (SWGC)
Two Graduate Students from the Program
A) PROGRAM
1. The Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Graduate Program focuses on interdisciplinary
animal behaviour research. Research integrates mechanistic, developmental,
evolutionary and ecological perspectives on behaviour through molecular, individual
and population levels of analysis. Supervisors include faculty from the Departments
of Biology, Psychology and the Ocean Sciences Centre, the Faculty of Medicine
and the Environmental Science Program at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, as
well as adjunct faculty from the Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of
Fisheries and Oceans, the Newfoundland and Labrador Forestry and Wildlife
Divisions and Parks Canada. The Departments of Biology and Psychology jointly
offer the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Cognitive
and Behavioural Ecology.
2. The Administrative Committee is responsible for the Program. Committee
members are appointed by the Dean of Science, on the recommendation of the
Chair of the Committee and of the Heads of Biology and Psychology. The Committee
chair is elected by the committee members and appointed by the Dean of Science.
The Committee makes recommendations to the Dean of Graduate Studies concerning
admissions and academic requirements. In consultation with supervisors, recommendations
are made concerning course programs, financial support, thesis committees,
comprehensive and thesis topics and examiners, students’ annual progress.
Upon program completion, the Committee certifies that all requirements for
the appropriate degree have been met. The department of the supervisor ensures
that adequate facilities are provided for each candidate. Students in Cognitive
and Behavioural Ecology are considered for teaching assistantships in the
Psychology or Biology Departments.
B) REGULATIONS - DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
1. There are no required courses for the doctoral program. However, the
Doctoral Seminar (Biopsychology 6992) and/or other courses tailored for individual
students may be included in the student’s program by the Dean of Graduate
Studies on the recommendation of the Chair of the Committee.
2. The comprehensive examination should be taken during the first year of
the program. An Examination Committee will be struck in accordance with GENERAL REGULATIONS. At least one member
of the Department of Biology and of the Department of Psychology (other than
the Supervisor) must be on the Examination Committee. The candidate’s Supervisor
will be on the Examination Committee and will be the only examiner from the
candidate’s Thesis Supervisory Committee. The Head of the Department of the
Supervisor of his/her delegate is invited to serve on the Comprehensive Examination
Committee. The Examination Committee is chaired by the Chair of the Cognitive
and Behavioural Ecology Committee. The examination will include a comprehensive,
integrative review paper on a research topic in Animal Behaviour. The review
topic is assigned by the Examination Committee, which also determines the
submission date for the paper, and the date of the examination. Normally,
the student will write the paper in four months, and the oral examination
will occur within six weeks of the paper’s submission. This paper will form
the basis of a public seminar. The Examination Committee will question the
candidate about the paper, the topic and its broader relationship with Cognitive
and Behavioural Ecology.
C) COURSES
Biopsychology (BIOP) 6992. Doctoral Seminar in Cognitive and Behavioural
Ecology
Psychology (PSYC) 6000. Advanced Statistics in Psychology
Biology (BIOL) 7220. Quantitative Methods in Biology
Biopsychology (BIOP) 6351. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology
Biopsychology (BIOP) 7000. Field and Lab Methods in Animal Behaviour and
Behavioural Ecology
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