Ecology (Plants, Soils, and Climate) - PhD

Interdepartmental Program in Ecology

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Director: Nancy Huntly
Location: Natural Resources 314
Phone: (435) 797-2555
FAX: (435) 797-3872
E-mail: nancy.huntly@usu.edu
WWW: http://www.usu.edu/ecology/

Degrees offered: Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the following departments: Biology; Environment and Society; Plants, Soils, and Climate; Watershed Sciences; and Wildland Resources

Graduate Program

The ecology program at Utah State University is administered by the interdepartmental Ecology Center. Its goals are to promote research and graduate education in the science of ecology and to provide expert, professional information and advice for decision-makers. The research carried out by the center’s associates covers the full spectrum of ecology.

Students earn their degrees in ecology while maintaining residence in one of the participating departments; the Center itself does not grant degrees. The candidate selects a major professor from the department appropriate to his or her interests.

Ecology MS and PhD Degree Course Requirements

Requirements for graduate degrees in ecology include the university and departmental degree requirements, as well as the Ecology Center requirements outlined below.

The ecology MS and PhD are research degrees requiring a research thesis or dissertation. Students receiving graduate degrees in ecology are expected to have some breadth and sophistication in modern science as well as depth in ecology.

Additional Degree Requirements for Ecology - Plants, Soils & Climate

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Minimum Total Credits

Doctoral degrees generally require 30 academic credits beyond a master’s degree or 60 academic credits beyond a bachelor’s degree. The credit amounts are determined by the approved Program of Study.

Course requirements leading to Ph.D. degrees are developed jointly by the student and the student’s supervisory committee. Each student must have a Program of Study approved by their supervisory committee. 

The following are required:

• Ph.D. (post-master’s):
  • 15 credits minimum of committee-approved 6000-7000 level courses
• Ph.D. (post-baccalaureate):
  • 30 credits minimum of committee-approved 6000-7000 level courses

(5000 level courses are considered upper-division and may be used in a graduate program if approved by the supervisory committee)

• Thesis Research credits (PSC 7970 ):
  • If student has master’s degree - minimum of 12 credits 
  • If student has a bachelor’s degree - minimum of 18 credits

• 2 credits of Plants, Soils and Climate Graduate seminar (PSC 7890 ) in addition to the Ecology seminar credits (3 credits for PhD).

Course selections reflect areas of specialization. Designation of a specialization is optional.  Official specializations will appear on transcript. There are additional specific departmental requirements regarding physical sciences, biological sciences, and mathematics courses, which differ depending on the program and area of specialization.

All Ph.D. students write a dissertation under the guidance of their advisor and supervisory committee. The doctoral dissertation must be successfully defended before the supervisory committee and submitted to the library.

Qualifying Exams

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• Each Ph.D.student must undergo some sort of qualifying experience. Depending on the student’s particular research and their faculty committee, the exam can either be a traditional oral and written exam, a scholarly proposal, or another option best suited to the student’s individual situation.

Required of all programs and degree types

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Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower; Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses.  Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Course Number Acceptability

The Program of Study for a doctoral degree, if the student has a master’s degree, must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above. If the student does not have a master’s degree, the Program of Study must include at least 30 credits at the level of 6000 or above.

Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

Matriculation Start Semester

A doctorate must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review. 

Coursework Validity

Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is re-validated.

USU Residency Requirement

At least 33 semester credits for a doctoral (Ph.D.) must be taken from Utah State University and be part of an committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University, is required.

Thesis Research Credits 7970

A minimum of 12 dissertation credits (7970) is required if the student has a master’s degree, and a minimum of 18 is required if the student has a bachelor’s degree.

Doctoral Forms

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Doctoral forms: Approval of the following academic forms required for doctoral students by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS):

• Supervisory Committee
• Program of Study
• Application for Candidacy (includes proposal)
• Appointment for Examination
• Record of Examination
• Authorship and Copyright
• Style and Format
• SGS and library review and approval