Graduate Policies and Academic Procedures

Policies and Procedures

Specific policies and procedures pertaining to faculty and students located away from the College Station campus or associated with collaborative degree programs are provided in separate sections at the end of this document.

It is the student’s responsibility to make sure all deadlines are met and the necessary paperwork submitted by deadlines. Deadlines are listed by semester on the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies (OGAPS) semester calendars. It is recommended students are familiar with the dates and deadlines and required steps and documents for graduation at least a year before the anticipated semester of graduation to ensure all requirements are met. For paper forms, students must gather all signatures from committee members and submit forms to one of the academic advisors for the department head signature, records and routing to OGAPS.

Academic Process

Faculty Advisor/Committee Chair/Major Advisor

To be accepted into the Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management graduate program all students must identify an RWFM faculty member who is willing to serve as the advisor/graduate committee chair. A faculty member must agree to be a student’s faculty advisor before the student is admitted into the graduate program. Student performance issues (e.g., failure to adhere to graduate program policies and advising, unsatisfactory academic progress to degree completion, poor communication, excessive class/lab absences without university excused documentation, student rule 7) can and will result in the student’s dismissal from the faculty advisor’s lab and termination of the faculty advisor from the student’s graduate committee. The student must meet with the RWFM graduate advisor immediately following the dismissal, where a deadline will be set for the student to secure a new RWFM faculty advisor. Should the student not secure a new faculty advisor by the given deadline, the student will be dismissed from the RWFM graduate program.

Advisory Committee

The student’s advisory committee must be selected beginning of the second regular semester for Master’s students and beginning of the fourth regular semester for Ph.D. students. Students not meeting this deadline will have a hold placed on their account by the OGAPS, and that hold can only be removed by submitting a degree plan and having it approved by their advisory committee, the department, and OGAPS.

The composition and size of the committee should reflect the scope of the intended graduate program and should be developed with substantial input from the student’s faculty advisor. Interdisciplinary research efforts normally require larger committees. The advisor(s) will serve as chair(s) of the committee. The committee must be selected from members of the TAMU Graduate Faculty. Recognized scholars who are not faculty of TAMU may serve as adjunct members of the Graduate Faculty following nomination and approval by RWFM, COALS, and OGAPS; see OGAPS Graduate Faculty Guidelines for membership qualifications. The process to add an outside member may take two to three months for approval. Students should plan accordingly. Members of the Graduate Faculty not located in College Station or Galveston may serve as co-chair committee members.

To assure the student receives necessary guidance regarding University academic matters, all advisory committees must include at least one tenure-track faculty member. Students whose advisor is off-campus must have an on-campus committee member from RWFM. Additional committee members (those who are not members of the TAMU Graduate Faculty) may be added as a “Special Appointment” status by submitting a nomination request to the WFSC graduate advisor. Special appointments are not included in the required minimum committee composition.

Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Wildlife Science (MWS), and Master of Natural Resource Development (MNRD)

The committee must include at least three members of the Graduate Faculty representing the student’s field of study, including the major advisor(s). A chair/co-chair must be from within the RWFM tenure-track faculty, with at least one member from a department other than RWFM. All adjunct Graduate Faculty members nominated by RWFM will count as an inside committee member.

Doctoral (Ph.D.)

The committee must include at least four members of the Graduate Faculty, including the major advisor(s), and at least one of the members must be from a department other than the student’s major department. A chair/co-chair must be from within the RWFM tenure-track faculty, with at least one member from a department other than RWFM. All adjunct Graduate Faculty members nominated by RWFM will count as an inside committee member.

Degree Plan

The student, in consultation with the student’s advisory committee, will develop the proposed degree plan. The degree plan and list of committee members must be submitted to OGAPS through the Document Processing Submission System (DPSS) and approved by the student’s advisory committee, department, and OGAPS. The advisor and/or committee may require additional coursework over the minimum requirements described below based on the student’s previous experience, intended areas of study or other factors.

The student’s advisory committee will evaluate the student’s coursework and experience to determine the courses necessary for the degree plan. Remedial coursework not applicable to the graduate program will be required for students without proper graduate preparation in the chosen discipline and should precede major coursework and research when possible. Although the student and advisor play the major roles in determining the research project, project identification and evaluation should incorporate continuing input from the entire advisory committee.

Deadlines

Master’s (thesis and non-thesis): no later than the beginning of the second regular (fall/spring) semester.
Doctoral: no later than the beginning of the fourth regular (fall/spring) semester.

If a degree plan is not submitted by this deadline, OGAPS will place a registration hold on the student’s account, blocking the student from course registration.

Master’s Degree (Thesis)

The M.S. degree requires a thesis to be written based on original research. At least 32 credit hours of approved credits are required on the degree plan.

M.S. Degree Plan Requirements

• At least 18 hours of regular graded (non-research, non-variable credit) coursework
• No more than 8 credits combined of 691 and 684
• No more than 12 credits combined of 684, 685, and 691
• No more than 8 credits of 685
• No more than 1 credit of 681
• No more than 9 credits of 300 and/or 400 level coursework
• No more than 12 credits of transfer coursework
• No more than 50 percent of the degree plan may be completed through distance education courses

NOTE: Transfer coursework must have the approval of the committee, department, and OGAPS.

M.S. students must be continuously enrolled with at least 1 credit hour each Fall and Spring semester until graduation. Summer enrollment is only necessary for August graduation.

MWS and MNRD Degrees (Non-Thesis)

The MWS and MNRD degrees are non-thesis degrees but require the writing of a professional paper. At least 36 credit hours of approved courses are required on the degree plan.

MWS and MNRD Degree Plan Requirement

• At least 30 hours of regular graded (non-research, non-variable credit) coursework
• No more than 6 credits combined of 684 and 685
• No 691 credit
• No more than 1 credit of 681
• No more than 9 credits of 300 and/or 400 level coursework
• No more than 12 credits of transfer coursework

NOTE: Transfer coursework must have the approval of the committee, department, and OGAPS.

Doctoral Degree

Ph.D. Degree Plan Requirements
The Ph.D. degree plan requires at least 64 hours of coursework for students who have completed an approved Master’s or another advanced degree. Students without a Master’s degree require 96 hours of coursework on the degree plan. Ph.D. students have 10 consecutive calendar years to complete their degree. Once a Ph.D. student reaches 99 hours and/or 21 semesters (including summers) they will be charged out-of-state tuition. Ph.D. students are not bound by the same degree plan combination or transfer limitations as described above for Master’s students. No more than four courses may be taken by distance education and no more than 50 percent of the non-research credit hours required for the degree plan may be completed through distance education courses.

64 Hour Program (with approved M.S.) | at least 18 hours of regular graded (non-research, non-variable credit) coursework• 2 credits of 681

96 Hour Program (with approved M.S.) | at least 36 hours of regular graded (non-research, non-variable credit) coursework• 2 credits of 681

Registration Guidelines

All students are required to maintain continuous registration until such time as they complete all requirements for graduation unless a specific leave of absence is granted (in writing) by the department. Summer registration is not required by the university, but may be required by the advisory committee or to meet assistantship/fellowship/scholarship or other requirements. To be considered for financial aid a student must be enrolled at least half-time (5 hours fall/spring, 3 hours summer).

Faculty advisors may require more hours depending on the amount of time or other resources they must commit to a student’s research and/or thesis/dissertation. If final thesis/dissertation corrections have been cleared by the OGAPS before the registration deadline in a particular term, registration is not required during the graduation semester (excluding international students). Students participating in a non-thesis degree program are not required to maintain continuous enrollment once coursework is complete, but must be registered in the semester they want to graduate.

A student must be registered in the semester(s) in which prelims, final defense of the thesis/dissertation, and graduation are scheduled. International students should check with ISS on additional enrollment requirements that may affect their visa status.

Seminars

Ph.D. students in residence are required to register for two credits and M.S. students are required to register for one credit of Seminar (or other approved 681) during the course of their degree program. Non-thesis master’s students are encouraged to register for one credit of 681, but not required.

All students are strongly encouraged to present a thesis/dissertation proposal seminar to fellow students and their advisory committee prior to conducting much of their research. This will provide project orientation and clarify objectives, justification, methods, and logic. The timing, location, and format of this presentation will be cooperatively planned by the student and the advisor, but with a public announcement to allow interested persons to attend.

All students will present a final thesis/dissertation research seminar prior to the final examination. This too will be cooperatively planned and advertised to the academic community.

Research Proposal (Ph.D. and M.S.)

Students pursuing M.S. (thesis) and Ph.D. degrees must develop a detailed research proposal. This research proposal, consisting of a maximum of ten pages of narrative, should review pertinent literature and summarize methods to be used in the proposed research.

The proposal should make clear the topic to be addressed, its background, motivation for the study, and the general approach to be followed. Format proposal according to the thesis/dissertation template in conjunction with the style guide you are using (APA, MLA, ACS, etc.).

A student’s research project should be designed to produce a publishable product for a refereed journal. It is in the best interest of the student and the committee to ensure the proposal is approved prior to the start of the research. The student should report regularly on research progress to the advisor and the advisory committee to prevent unexpected surprises or misunderstandings and to gain the approval of any redirection.

Preliminary Examination (Ph.D.)

A formal Preliminary Examination (prelim) for Ph.D. students may be given by the student’s advisory committee if the student is within six hours of completing formal degree plan coursework (except 681, 684, and 691) but must be given before the end of the semester following completion of regular coursework on the degree plan.

The Preliminary Exam Checklist and Report must be submitted to OGAPS within ten days of the oral examination date. The signed checklist and report should be submitted to the graduate advisor for the department head signature, records, and routing to OGAPS.

To be eligible to hold a preliminary exam, the student must:

• Have a Degree Plan approved by the OGAPS no later than 90 days prior to the preliminary exam
• Have a graduate GPR of at least 3.0 (Program GPA)
• Have a degree plan GPR of at least 3.0
• Be registered for at least one credit
• Be within 6 hrs of completing all formal (graded) course work on the degree plan (i.e., all course work except 681, 684, 685 and 691)

Prelims will cover all areas within the scope of the student’s doctoral program and usually includes written exams from each advisory committee member, followed by an oral exam administered by the committee as a whole.

The student is responsible for completing the Preliminary Examination Checklist before scheduling the preliminary exam. Written and oral examinations must be held on the College Station campus; however, students may request, well in advance of scheduling the exam, for an exemption to hold examination off-campus. Examinations by Skype or other electronic means must also be requested in advance with a statement indicating the location of each member and the student. Committee substitutions can be made, but the examination must be rescheduled if two or more members cannot attend. There can be no substitutions for the committee chair. No more than one dissenting vote is permitted for the student to pass.

After successfully completing the prelims, a student must complete all remaining degree requirements within four calendar years or the prelims must either be retaken or time-limit extension must be requested from OGAPS.

Thesis/Dissertation

All M.S. or Ph.D students must complete a thesis or dissertation. In addition to meeting OGAPS requirements, students must provide a copy of their thesis/dissertation to the department and to each member of their committee. The thesis/dissertation should be in a proper format for publication and “tightened” to readiness for submittal by use of appendixes for non-essential information.

The student’s committee will offer guidance on study design and interpretation of results. It is not the committee’s responsibility to edit careless writing. A polished draft (including all manuscript components and page numbers) must be delivered to the advisory committee for review after the student and major advisor have agreed upon editorial changes; this should occur well before the anticipated date of the final examination. It is the student and faculty advisor’s responsibility to make certain the document is in good form, both in terms of grammar and scientific style. Committee members have the right to reject documents that fail to meet these guidelines. Committee members should be given at least two weeks to review the draft before the student attempts to schedule the final exam/defense. The final exam is to be scheduled only after the advisory committee agrees the thesis or dissertation is ready for defense.

Committee members should return the corrected thesis/dissertation to the student two weeks after receipt. As such, the student should check with committee members to ensure they have the time to review the document. If the student delivers the final draft to the committee one month prior to the exam, that would allow two weeks before the scheduled exam/defense date for the student to make recommended changes.

Final Oral Examination/Defense

Although the final oral exam tends to focus on the thesis/dissertation/professional paper, additional issues may be addressed on the basis of the prelims, or as an outgrowth of the normal discussion of the student’s research or professional activities. Requests to schedule final oral exams/defenses must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the scheduled date requested, and only after approval to schedule has been received from all advisory committee members. If the request for scheduling includes a petition for changes to the degree plan or advisory committee, the request must be submitted at least five weeks ahead of the scheduled date.

To schedule the final exam/defense, submit the completed Request and Announcement of Final Exam form signed by the committee chair to the graduate advisor for the department head signature, records, and routing to OGAPS.

Final exams must be held on the College Station campus; however, students may, well in advance of scheduling the exam, for an exemption to hold examination off-campus. Examinations by Skype or other electronic means must also be requested in advance with a statement indicating the location of each member and the student. Committee substitutions can be made, but the examination must be rescheduled if two or more members cannot attend. There can be no substitutions for the committee chair. No more than one dissenting vote is permitted for the student to pass.

Defense Announcements to RWFM

Students should email the graduate advisor and Carrie Baker with thesis/dissertation/professional paper title, defense date, location, time, and photos to be included in RWFM announcement. Carrie will create the announcement graphic, request student approval, and distribute to the RWFM listserv, website, and social media. Students may also create their own flyer graphic and email to Lindsay for distribution.

Defense Announcements on OGAPS Website

The online web announcement is not a substitute for the paper Request and Announcement of the Final Examination form. Additionally, completion (or lack of completion) of the online announcement in no way impacts the approval or processing of your paper Request and Announcement of the Final Examination form. Once the online defense announcement is complete, the announcement will appear on the OGAPS Defense Announcements website. Announcements will be published after OGAPS approves the Request and Announcement of the Final Examination.

Professional Paper (MWS and MNRD)

All students completing the MWS or MNRD non-thesis degrees must complete a professional paper. Students may receive up to six hours of 685 credits for the professional paper. Specific information on paper content and style may vary considerably and is typically decided by each student’s graduate committee. Full-time non-employed students will be encouraged to complete an off-campus internship. Students may receive up to four hours of 684 credits for an internship. Students are also encouraged to submit a copy to the library to keep in a digital repository. Final approval of style and content for graduate student documents (proposals, theses, dissertations, professional papers) is the responsibility of each student and their graduate committee.

Questions about Your Program?

When to see an Academic Advisor

• Questions about degree requirements, registration for courses, submission of documents on DPSS and to OGAPS
• Questions on anything discussed at new student orientation or found in the graduate student handbook
• Questions about graduate student involvement, upcoming events
• Information on important deadlines
• Questions about progress towards degree, applying for graduation, etc.
• Need to send an email to ESSM graduate students, faculty, and/or staff
• Need to print a poster for a course or meeting
• Questions on international student status
• Questions about funding: departmental and college fellowships, teaching assistantships
• Mental health concerns, emotional support

When to see your Faculty Advisor

• Development of degree plan
• Development of research plan and proposal
• Formation of graduate advisory committee
• Check in meetings on progress through courses and research
• Updates on status of writing thesis/dissertation
• Experiencing an overload of coursework, work responsibilities, research, etc.