Full-Time Enrollment

The Graduate School defines full-time enrollment as:

• Fall and Spring Semesters:
  • 8–15 graded credits at the 300 level or above (excluding pass/fail and audit courses).
• Summer Term:
  • 4–12 credits.

However, taking the full number of course credits is often not practical or recommended for graduate students.

Zoology 990: Research is a variable-credit course that helps bridge the gap between coursework and full-time status.

• Students should consult with their advisor each semester to determine the appropriate number of 990 credits to enroll in.
• All students in the Department of Biology must request permission each semester to enroll in Zoology 990.
• To request permission to enroll in Zoology 990, email Erin Pierce eapierce3@wisc.edu, and provide the following information:
  • your name
  • campus ID
  • name of your advisor
  • term in which you want to enroll
• The course will appear closed until you receive permission to enroll.

Have questions about credits and Zoology 990? Email Erin Pierce for more information.

A warrant is a MS program’s recommendation that a student be granted a degree. It is the Graduate School’s notification that a student has met both the Graduate School and the program requirements.

Requesting a Warrant

Warrants are requested electronically by the Graduate Student Coordinator and must be returned to the Graduate School with faculty signatures upon completion of the degree requirements.

Please complete and submit the following electronic form at least 3 weeks before your master’s thesis defense to notify the Graduate Student Coordinator of your intent to request a warrant:

iBio/FMS Warrant Request

Once received from the Graduate School, the Graduate Coordinator will send the electronic warrant to the committee members prior to the defense. The warrants are signed electronically.

Upon successful completion of the master’s thesis defense, the student’s advisory committee must complete and sign both the warrant and the Thesis/Dissertation Proposal and Defense Evaluation Rubric.

The graduate coordinator will submit the signed warrant to the graduate school. The student or one of the members of the committee should email the completed rubric to the graduate program coordinator.

1. Complete all your degree requirements.
   • Check the Integrative Biology Graduate Program Handbook for more details.
2. Clear all Incomplete grades or Progress grades in non-research courses.
   • Progress grades in 990 research may remain as a P but won’t count towards the degree.
   • Your final research credits must be graded by the end of the semester.
3. The thesis defense is one of the final steps in the MS process.
   • At least 3-4 weeks before the defense, you must request a final defense warrant from the graduate program coordinator (more details above).
4. The Graduate school will send you an exit survey after the warrant is requested.
5. The coordinator will provide you with the warrant and signing instructions.
6. After your defense, your committee should complete and sign your warrant and defense evaluation rubric forms.
   • You’ll need to send a copy of the completed warrant, rubric, and an updated CV to the graduate program coordinator.
7. For iBio MS students, you must complete a thesis but aren’t required to deposit it unless you or your committee desire to.
8. iBio MS students don’t have to do a public talk unless you and/or your committee want to.
   • You can schedule your own talk. Connect with your graduate coordinator to discussion promotion of the talk.
9. The department does not have specific requirements for the thesis.
   • Thesis and project guidelines and requirements are provided by the advisory committee and samples can be requested from the committee or found in the UW-Madison Library Catalog.
10. The graduate school has deadlines to deposit your warrant for your degree to be conferred.
11. If you’re planning to participate in commencement, you are required to indicate as such in your Student Center through MyUW.
12. Find more information about Commencement here.

Questions?

• If you have questions about subjects 1-8 or questions about deadlines and window periods, please contact Erin Pierce, eapierce3@wisc.edu.
• If you deposit in a window period instead of the regular semester MS degree deadline and need proof of graduating, you can request a completion letter from the Registrar’s office as you wait for your degree to be conferred.

If you have questions or concerns related to credit hours, annual reports, forms, degree and graduation requirements, contact: Erin Pierce, eapierce3@wisc.edu.

If you have questions or concerns about degree progress, mentor-mentee interactions, program requirements and expectations, contact:

Monica Turner, PhD, Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, turnermg@wisc.edu; 608-262-2592

Full-Time Enrollment

The Graduate School defines full-time enrollment as:

• Fall and Spring Semesters:
  • 8–15 graded credits at the 300 level or above (excluding pass/fail and audit courses).
• Summer Term:
  • 4–12 credits.

However, taking the full number of course credits is often not practical or recommended for graduate students.

Zoology 990: Research is a variable-credit course that helps bridge the gap between coursework and full-time status.

• Students should consult with their advisor each semester to determine the appropriate number of 990 credits to enroll in.
• All students in the Department of Biology must request permission each semester to enroll in Zoology 990.
• To request permission to enroll in Zoology 990, email Nazan Gillie , and provide the following information:
  • your name
  • campus ID
  • name of your advisor
  • term in which you want to enroll
• The course will appear closed until you receive permission to enroll.

Have questions about credits and Zoology 990? Email Nazan Gillie for more information.

Credit Requirements

• At least half of your credits must be graduate level credits (700+ level).
  • Some 300-600 level courses qualify as “50% Graduate Coursework Requirement”.
  • See the Integrative Biology Graduate Program Handbook for more information about courses in the department that count towards graduate level coursework.
• A PhD in iBio needs at least 51 total credits to graduate.
  • Credits must be earned from 300 level courses or above.
  • 32 of those credits must be completed:
    • in residence at UW–Madison
    • by the end of the semester a graduate student completes their preliminary exam.
• Students must earn a B or above in all courses counting toward degree requirements.
• The PhD minor requirement must be completed by the end of the semester where the student completes their prelim exam.

GPA and Teaching Requirement

• An average record of B or better in all work taken as a Graduate Student is required by the Department of Biology
  • Grades of P and S are for this purpose considered to be satisfactory at the B level
  • Grades of Incomplete are considered for this purpose to be unsatisfactory if they are not removed during the following semester of residence.
• PhD Students are required to teach at least one semester.

Time to completion

• It is expected that a PhD student will defend the dissertation by the end of the 5th academic year.
  • If this is not accomplished by the end of the summer following the 6th academic year, the student’s mentor must present a written statement to the Director of Graduate Studies. This letter will explain why the PhD has not been completed and describes plans that the student and their advisory committee have agreed upon to ensure completion, including specific expectations, dates for completion and consequences should expectations not be met.
  • Continuation in the program beyond 8 years will be at the discretion of the mentor and advisory committee.
  • 10 years is the outside limit by which a student must complete the PhD degree.

Statement of Rights and Responsibilities

• It is the responsibility of the graduate student to make sure that all requirements, time targets, and time limits are met.
• Students can expect their advisor/major professor and advisory committee to be available for necessary and required meetings and exams.
• If the student encounters difficulty in assembling all designates for certification or examinations, other graduate faculty can readily be substituted by the student and their advisor/major professor.
  • Students who experience problems in setting up meetings should seek assistance from the departmental Graduate Student Coordinator or the Director of Graduate Studies.

A warrant is a program’s recommendation that a student be admitted to doctoral candidacy (a preliminary examination warrant) or be granted a doctoral degree. It is the Graduate School’s notification that a student has met both the Graduate School and the program requirements.

Requesting a Warrant

Warrants are requested electronically by the Graduate Student Coordinator and must be returned to the Graduate School with faculty signatures upon completion of the degree requirements.

Please complete and submit the following electronic form at least 3 weeks before your preliminary exam or doctoral dissertation defense to notify the Graduate Student Coordinator of your intent to request a warrant:

iBio/FMS Warrant Request

Once received from the Graduate School, the Graduate Coordinator will send the electronic warrant to the committee members prior to the preliminary exam or the defense. The warrants are signed electronically.

Upon successful completion of the preliminary exam or doctoral dissertation defense, the student’s advisory committee must complete and sign both the warrant and the Thesis/Dissertation Proposal and Defense Evaluation Rubric.

The graduate coordinator will submit the signed warrant to the graduate school. The student or one of the members of the committee should email the completed rubric to the graduate program coordinator.

Note: Students who have successfully defended their doctoral dissertation must upload their signed warrant to ProQuest before turning in the hard copy to the Graduate Student Coordinator.

Year One

• Advisor and Committee
  • During the first year, students assemble an advisory committee in consultation with their major advisor.
  • PhD students must have 5 committee members and at least one must be from outside the Department of Biology (4 members are acceptable for the certification meeting and qualifying exam).
• Certification Meeting and Annual Progress Meeting
  • During the first year students meet with the advisory committee to complete the graduate Certification Form and discuss the student’s broad research interests and goals in a formal venue.
  • The committee reviews the student’s background and identifies areas to be strengthened during the course of the degree program and makes recommendations.
    • Note: Some committees ask students to combine the certification meeting with the qualifying exam.
  • Every year a student must complete an annual progress meeting and an annual progress report. Most students complete both forms together.
  • Some Students take their Qualifying exam their first year, while others may complete it their second year.

Year Two

• Qualifying Exam
  • During their first or second year, PhD student’s take a qualifying exam to test their knowledge in their chosen field of research and broader biological sciences.
  • The student’s committee uses the test to identify deficiencies and strengths and ultimately assess whether the student is prepared to pursue the PhD.
    • Guidelines and requirements are specified by the advisory committee — students should check with their committee to best prepare for the exam.
    • Should a student perform poorly on this exam, the committee may fail the student. Students may retake the exam once (within 2 semesters).
  • The committee then recommends or requires courses or suggests other methods to fill knowledge gaps and provide necessary skills.
  • The committee will complete the qualifying exam and submit it to the graduate coordinator.
• Annual Progress Meeting and Progress Report are still required.
• Students take their Preliminary Exam their second or third year.

Year Three

• Preliminary Exam
  • By the end of the third year, PhD students meet with the advisory committee to defend a written dissertation research proposal, known as a “preliminary examination”.
  • Prior to taking the preliminary exam, a student must request a warrant.
  • Students must demonstrate sufficient background and understanding needed to complete the proposed research. This may include preliminary data indicating feasibility of the project.
  • Prelim exam should be taken prior to completion of the bulk of the work to allow the committee to critique, suggest modifications, and agree upon the proposed work.
    • Guidelines and requirements are specified by the advisory committee.
    • Should a student perform poorly on this exam, the committee may fail the student. If a student fails they may retake the exam once (within 2 semesters).
  • The advisory committee should complete the warrant and defense rubric after the exam. Both forms should be submitted to the graduate program coordinator, along with an updated CV.
• Annual Progress Meeting and Progress report are still required.
• Credit Requirements
  • By the end of the semester that you complete your prelim exam you should have completed 32 credits in residence and the PhD Minor.
• Becoming a Dissertator
  • Dissertator Status is achieved in the semester following the Preliminary Exam.
  • Once students have achieved dissertator status, they must enroll each fall and spring semester for exactly 3 credits.
  • Dissertator is a unique fee status for students who have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree except for the dissertation. To be eligible for dissertator fee status, a student must:
    • Pass the Preliminary Exam;
    • Satisfy the 32 credit minimum doctoral graduate residence requirement;
    • Complete all minor requirements;
    • Complete all program requirements except the dissertation and teaching requirement;
    • Clear all Incomplete grades or Progress grades in non-research courses (progress grades in 990 research may remain);
    • Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA;
    • Return the signed and dated Preliminary Exam warrant to the Graduate School

Year Four

• Requirements
  • Annual Progress Meeting and Progress Report are still required

Final Year

• Final Defense
  • During year four or five, PhD students are expected to defend a written dissertation.
  • 3-4 weeks before the defense, the student will request a PhD Warrant.
  • Students will defend their written dissertation to their advisory committee and will present their dissertation research in a public venue.
  • The advisory committee will complete the warrant and defense rubric after the defense.
    • The student will email those forms and an updated CV to the graduate program coordinator.
  • Students submit their dissertation.
    • Dissertation guidelines and requirements are provided by the advisory committee. Samples can be requested from the committee or found in the UW-Madison Library Catalog.
    • See additional submission guidelines and requirements from the Graduate School.
  • Students must defend the dissertation within 10 years.
• Annual Progress Meeting and Progress report is still required.

1. Complete all degree requirements.
   • Check the Integrative Biology Graduate Handbook for more details.
2. Clear all Incomplete grades or Progress grades in non-research courses,
   • Progress grades in 990 research may remain as a P but won’t count towards the degree.
   • Final research credits must be graded by the end of the semester.
3. The Dissertation defense is one of the final steps in the PhD process.
   • At least 3-4 weeks before the defense, students must request a final defense warrant from the graduate program coordinator.
   • The coordinator will provide the warrant and signing instructions.
4. After the defense, the advisory committee should complete and sign both the warrant and defense evaluation rubric.
5. The student will send a copy of the completed rubric and an updated CV to the graduate coordinator.
   • The coordinator will already have the warrant when it’s completed.
6. The coordinator will send the student a completed/signed copy of the warrant. Students will need this when submitting their dissertation.
7. Students are also required to present their dissertation research in a public venue.
   • Students can schedule their own talk.
   • Students will design a defense poster and share it with their graduate coordinator one week prior to promote their talk.
8. Students are required to deposit their dissertation through the Graduate School.
   • See instructions and requirements from the Graduate School here.
   • If students deposit in a window period instead of the regular semester doctoral degree deadline and need proof of graduating, they can request a completion letter from the Registrar’s office.
9. If you’re planning to participate in commencement, you are required to indicate as such in your Student Center through MyUW.
10. Find more information about Commencement here.

If you have questions about subjects 1-8 or questions about deadlines and window periods, please contact boldiis@wisc.edu.

If you have questions or concerns related to credit hours, annual reports, forms, degree and graduation requirements, contact: Nazan Gillie

If you have questions or concerns about degree progress, mentor-mentee interactions, program requirements and expectations, contact:

Monica Turner, PhD, Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, turnermg@wisc.edu; 608-262-2592