Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) Degree Requirements

Consult the current UNL Graduate Studies Bulletin for a detailed description of the University's requirements for Ph.D. Degree. These requirements are summarized below along with specific requirements for the Natural Resource Sciences major.

The minimum required graduate credit is 90 semester hours, including a dissertation. At least half of the graduate work, including the dissertation will be completed in your major. The remaining work, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Committee, may include supporting courses in the same or in related departments or a minor field of study, outside of the Natural Resources (16 semester hours with 6 hours in courses open exclusively to graduate students).

Minimum credit hours	Type of Course Work
90	Total graduate credit hours
0-30	Accepted from Master's program
45 or more	Completed at UNL after filing of the program of studies
15-55	Dissertation research
2	Seminar
remaining credit hours	Supporting courses or minor field (greater than or equal to 16 in any masters program with 6 in graduate only courses)
0	Language or Research Tool (must be completed prior to admission to candidacy and at least 7 months before the final oral examination)

 

The Office of Graduate Studies has established a residency requirement for the purpose of ensuring that the doctoral program is reasonably compact, continuous and coherent and that a substantial portion of the program is completed under the supervision of the University. This residency requirement is part of your approved program. Twenty-seven hours of graduate course work (excluding dissertation hours unless approved by the Graduate Dean) within an 18 consecutive month period or less are required. Fifteen of these 27 hours must be taken after receiving the masters degree or its equivalent. Not more than 1/3 of the work for residency or 9 hours total credits may be taken during the summer sessions.

A minimum of three full years of graduate study is normally required to complete a program for the Ph.D. degree. The time limit on granting the Ph.D. degree is eight years from the time of filing your program of studies in the graduate studies office.

Supervisory Committee

You are advised to form a Supervisory Committee early, preferably during the first year, before you completed more than 45 hours (exclusive of language and/or research tool) as listed on your program of studies. The Supervisory Committee must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. At least four Graduate Faculty are to serve on the committee with at least one member external to the academic department or area in which the doctorate is to be granted (the representative of the minor department on the committee may serve as the outside representative). The Appointment of Supervisory Committee for Doctoral Degree form must be filed in the Office of Graduate Studies.

Program of Studies

Within three weeks of its appointment, the Supervisory Committee will meet to designate and file in the office of Graduate Studies a complete program of studies form (Report of the Supervisory Committee on Program of Studies for the Doctoral Degree), including any language or research tool requirements, and the general area of research for the dissertation. A tentative program will ordinarily be present by the student to the committee at that time.

The Supervisory Committee is not obligated to accept credits beyond the masters degree which were completed prior to its appointment. At least one-half of the total program of courses and dissertation research must be completed following submission of the program to Graduate Studies. Any subsequent change in the program or in the dissertation topic must be approved by the supervisory committee and the action reported to the Office of Graduate Studies. Record changes on the revised Report of the Supervisory Committee on Program of Studies for the Doctoral Degree form.

Areas of Specialization

To obtain designation of an approved area of specialization (if desired), the specialization must be listed in parenthesis after the major "Natural Resource Sciences" on the Application for Final Oral Examination form.

Language or Research Tool

Your Supervisory Committee will determine the language or research tool requirement. The tool or language requirement must be completed prior to candidacy and at least seven months before the final oral examination.

Seminars

Two credits in seminar courses are required. Several seminar courses in various program areas are offered within the School of Natural Resources (SNR). These seminars are presented by students and faculty in the School, by faculty in other departments, and by visiting scholars.

You are required to make two formal presentations. A presentation of your research prospectus is required and should be presented either late in your first semester or early in your second semester of residency. You are also required to make a formal presentation of your final research results, typically before your final oral exam.

Evaluations

At the end of your first semester, your progress will be reviewed in a meeting with your advisor. At the end of your first calendar year of residence, your progress will be reviewed again. Should your research and/or course work prove unsatisfactory, you may be asked to terminate your degree program. This decision is made by your major advisor. You will not be asked to leave without being warned by your advisor that your work is unsatisfactory. If you feel you are evaluated unfairly, contact the SNR Graduate Committee Chairperson to obtain information on Grievance Procedures.

Comprehensive Examination

A comprehensive examination is required of all students and should cover your approved program of study. It should be administered when you have substantially completed studies in the doctoral program. The examination will consist of written and oral parts administered by the major professor as directed by your committee. Results of the exam will be reported to the SNR Graduate Committee by your advisory committee using Written and Oral Comprehensive Examinations Report form. When you have passed the comprehensive examination and satisfied the language/research tool requirement, the committee will recommend to the Office of Graduate Studies your admission to Candidacy by filing the Application for Admission to Candidacy, noting the dates of completion of the comprehensive examination and the language and research tool requirements. The application must be filed at least seven months prior to the final oral examination (dissertation defense).

Following admission to candidacy, you must register for at least one credit hour during each academic-year semester until you receive the doctoral degree, even if you have completed the total dissertation hours on your approved program of study. Failure to register during each academic-year semester will result in termination of the Candidacy.

In the event that members of the examining committee are not unanimous in recommending a passing grade on the comprehensive examination, you will be approved as passing if a majority of the committee approve. The dissenting member(s) is (are) expected to file a letter of explanation with the School Graduate Committee Chair within 2 weeks of the examination. In the event a majority of your committee does not approve, you will not be approved as passing the exam. Another examination may not be held during the same semester or the same summer session in which you failed. Typically, only two attempts to pass the comprehensive examination will be permitted.

Final Examination (Defense)

The final defense of the thesis should be administered during the semester in which you intend to graduate. The final examination consists of two parts: a seminar on the thesis topic and a formal oral examination. The two parts should be held on the same day but are not required to be held on the same day.

Part one of the thesis examination (seminar) is open to all faculty of the Graduate College. Active participation in part two of the examination process (formal oral examination) is at the discretion of your major professor and advisory committee.

The date(s) and time(s) of the seminar and of the oral examination should be announced at least one week prior to the date of the seminar or examination. The Final Examination Report must be filed by this time. A copy of your thesis abstract must be submitted to the SNR graduate secretary at that time.

In the event that members of a final oral examining committee are not unanimous, you will be approved for the degree if only one examiner dissents. However, the dissenting member of the committee is expected to file a letter of explanation in the Office of Graduate Studies.

If you fail to pass the final oral examination, your committee must file a report on the failure in the Office of Graduate Studies and indicate what you must do before taking another examination. Another examination may not be held during the same semester or the same summer session in which you failed.

Deposition of Thesis Materials

In addition to the Office of Graduate Studies requirements, you must provide your advisor and the School with hard-bound copies of your thesis. You may also be asked to provide your advisor with electronic files containing thesis files, data files, and programs to access information necessary for data analysis. It is also customary to offer soft-bound or electronic copies of your thesis to each member of your supervisory committee.