Department of Geology
Graduate Handbook
Revised August, 2015
Department Head - Lewis Owen
Director of Graduate Studies - Craig Dietsch
Academic Director - Krista Smilek
Financial Administrator - Kate Cosgrove
CONTENTS
GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL DUTIES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
FINANCIAL SUPPORT …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
University Graduate Scholarships (UGS)
Graduate Assistantship (GA)
Teaching Assistantship (TA)
Research Assistantship (RA)
Departmental Fellowships (DFs)
Nevin M. Fenneman Doctoral Fellowship
Wycoff Scholarship Fellowship
Endowed Funds for Support of Student Research
Geology Research Fund
Walter H. Bucher Fund
Nevin M. Fenneman Fund
Sedimentology Fund
Jenks Fund
K.E. Caster Fund
John L. Rich Fund
University Research Council (URC) Summer Fellowships
Geology Department Summer Stipends
Graduate Student Governance Association Research Award
Tax Status of Financial Awards
Outside Employment
GRADUATE CREDIT POLICIES .....................................................................................................................................6
GRADING ....................................................................................................................................................................7
MAINTAINING GRADUATE STUDENT STATUS ...........................................................................................................7
Required Courses
Minimum Credits/Registration Requirements
Full-Time Course Load
Part-Time Course Load
Reduced Course Load (International Students)
Minimum Academic Performance
TIME TO DEGREE ...................................................................................................................................................... 7
Master’s Degree
Doctoral Degree
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE .......................................................................................................... 8
General Information
Time Limits
Financial Support
Principal Advisor & Advisory Committee
Approval of Initial Research Summary
Approval of Research Proposal
Thesis Completion, Defense, and Graduation
Time Table for Completion of Degree Requirements
Master’s Thesis 4 Plus 1 MS Program
REQUIREMENTS FOR A DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE .................................................................................... 11
General Information
Admission to the Doctoral Program
Time Limits
Financial Support
Admission to Candidacy
Advisory Committee Selection
Initial Research Summary
Research Proposal
Candidacy Exam
Forms
Time Table for Completion of Degree Requirements
Formats for Dissertations
GRADUATE STUDENT RIGHTS ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Right to Review Records
Non-discrimination Policy
Academic Dishonesty
GRADUATE STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES ....................................................................................................... 18
GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL DUTIES
All students receiving departmental or University support are required to carry out certain general departmental duties. These include, but may not be limited to, the following:
· Proctoring examinations.
· Registration for and attendance of the weekly Geology Colloquium (GEOL7025) during all semesters in residence.
· Assistance with the departmental Colloquium as requested.
· Participation each year in the departmental four-day field trip in early fall semester.
· Mentoring undergraduate students.
From time to time, students may be called upon to do special jobs, such as assisting at prospective student fairs, participating in the Graduate Recruitment Weekend, etc. The Department Head, Director of Graduate Studies, or Academic Director will make these temporary assignments.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The Geology Department and the University of Cincinnati provide financial support on an academic-year basis for many graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, tuition scholarships, endowed fellowships, and research assistantships funded by faculty. Students who are paid on departmental funds are expected to take part in training applicable to graduate student success, including teaching, assisting with field work or field trips, grant writing, and attending guest speaker presentations. Financial support is limited to a maximum of two years for M.S. students and four years (beyond the M.S.) for Ph.D. students. Support beyond the first year is contingent upon evidence of satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements. All students receiving departmental and/or University financial support must be full-time, i.e. registered for a minimum of 12 graduate credits each semester during the academic year. The current stipend is $15,000 for the academic year.
Graduate students may obtain financial support from several sources. Financial support options include a Graduate Assistant Scholarship (GAS)/Graduate Incentive Award (GIA), Graduate Assistantship, Departmental Fellowship, and a Departmental Summer Research Fellowship.
Graduate Assistant Scholarship (GAS)/Graduate Incentive Award (GIA) - The GAS and GIA are university-funded scholarships that cover all or part of a full-time or part-time student’s tuition and fees. The GAS is for graduate students who are graduate assistants (GAs) and receive their stipend through payroll. The GIA is for graduate students who are GAs or on departmental fellowship and receive their stipend through Student Accounts.
Graduate Assistantship (GA) - A student awarded a GA receives 9 months of financial support during the academic year in the form of a stipend and full tuition remission (GAS). The stipend amount changes from year to year and is currently $14,000. Students receiving a teaching assistantship (see below) are expected to assist teaching one or more classes or laboratory sections per semester, while those a receiving the less common research assistantship (RA, see below) are expected to carry out specific research assignments in collaboration with their principal advisor.
Teaching Assistantship (TA) - A TA is a professional academic appointment with the expectation that the recipient will gain useful experience as teachers of Earth Science and improve their general communication skills. Graduate TAs are assigned to specific courses. Course assignments may remain the same throughout a given academic year, but typically change from year-to-year or semester-to-semester to provide TAs with more diverse teaching experience and to even out possible inequities in the teaching load. Any questions about TA assignments should be brought to the attention of the Academic Director for clarification.
The Graduate School requires a TA to work no more than 20 hours per week. All work assignments should relate specifically to the course to which the TA is assigned. Teaching assistant duties may include:
• Preparation and presentation of lectures and laboratories in undergraduate courses.
• Assisting in the preparation of teaching materials for lecture and laboratories.
• Assisting in the preparation and proctoring of examinations.
• Assisting in the grading of exams, homework, and laboratory exercises.
• Assisting in audio-visual presentation of class materials.
• Tutoring and advising students on a one-to-one basis, and
· Maintaining regular office hours.
Research Assistantship (RA) - An RA may be assigned if the student’s advisor has appropriate grant support. Research assistants are excluded from teaching responsibilities, although RAs may have specific departmental duties that will be determined by agreement between the recipient, the supporting faculty member, and the Director of Graduate Studies. An RA should work no more than 20 hours per week.
Departmental Fellowships (DFs) - DFs may be awarded to outstanding incoming graduate students, as well as to outstanding PhD students in their final year of support. A fellowship provides 9 months of financial support during the academic year and full tuition remission. The stipend awarded is typically $15,000 per academic year. These awards carry no teaching duties, but recipients are expected to make substantial progress in coursework and research leading to completion of their degree. DFs includes full tuition coverage.
Endowed Funds for Support of Student Research - The Department has a number of endowed funds that may be used to support student research, instruction, and travel. Applications for such funds must be made before the actual expenses are incurred (i.e. apply for fieldwork support prior to leaving for the field, not after returning). IRS regulations require receipts for all reimbursements; therefore detailed records and receipts must be kept. One requirement to be eligible for these funds is that the student must have first applied to one or more sources of external funding (e.g. grants-in-aid from GSA, AAPG, Sigma Xi, Smithsonian, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, requests should be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will confer with the Graduate Policy Committee and the Department Head regarding allocation of funds. The funds available to students and their designated purposes are:
· General departmental funds - supports research and travel by graduate and undergraduate students and is available to all students in the Geology program. The maximum award for a MS student is $350 and $600 for a PhD student.
· Walter H. Bucher Fund - provides travel money to geology students presenting a talk or poster at a professional meeting. To request support, a student must write a letter to the Head of the Department at least two weeks before the meeting and include a copy of the abstract, a letter of acceptance of the abstract, and a budget. Expenses of student presenters will be covered to a maximum of $350 for one student author, $450 for two student authors, and $550 for three student authors.
· Sedimentology Fund - supports research by graduate and undergraduate students in sedimentology. To obtain support, letters of application should be directed to Professors Algeo, Brett, and Maynard. Awards up to $1,000 are granted.
· K.E. Caster Fund - supports graduate research in paleobiology. To obtain support, letters of application should be submitted to Professors Brett, Meyer, and Miller.
· John L. Rich Fund - supports graduate research in remote sensing and geomorphology.
University Research Council (URC) Graduate Student Research Fellowship - Graduate students have the opportunity to obtain summer funding in one of two ways; through the University Research Council (URC) Graduate Student Research Fellowship or the Geology Department Summer Stipend (see below). The University Research Council, administered through the College of Arts and Sciences, currently awards $3,000 summer research fellowships. Students who are awarded a URC Fellowship will receive additional support from the Department of Geology. Graduate students from the Geology Department are in competition with those from other physical science departments (chemistry, physics, and mathematics) for 10-12 awards per year. Proposals submitted by geology graduate students are also automatically eligible to be considered for Geology Department summer stipends, which are discussed below. Check with the Director of Graduate Students for when proposals are due for faculty review. Further information can be found via the University Research Council funding site at http://webcentral.uc.edu/urc2/apply/programinfo.cfm.
Geology Department Summer Stipends - The Department provides a $3,100 two-month stipend for support of research by students who remain in residence during the summer. The summer stipend will be awarded to students in good standing who have applied for a University Research Council (URC) Summer Fellowship. The primary objective of these awards is to allow the student to continue working on a specific degree in a timely fashion. A Master’s student is eligible for one summer of support and a PhD student three summers of support. In order to qualify for this award, a student is expected to submit a research proposal to the Director of Graduate Studies describing (1) the project, (2) work to be completed during that summer, and (3) a detailed budget. This proposal must be presented to the Director of Graduate Studies along with a letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor that addresses the importance of the proposed work for the student and the appropriateness of the proposed budget. A departmental committee will evaluate proposals for summer support and make recommendations regarding which proposals to forward to the college-wide URC committee. Successful applicants must submit a report to the Director of Graduate Studies outlining their specific research accomplishments during the previous summer by mid-fall semester (check with DGS for exact deadline).
Graduate Student Governance Association Research funds - Students may receive a maximum of $400 in conference related travel awards in a fiscal year. See http://www.uc.edu/gsga/StudentAwards.html for details.
Tax Status of Financial Awards - Stipends paid to graduate students that require no services as a condition of receipt are tax-exempt. Scholarships and fellowships generally fall into this category, including UGS awards. Students receiving tax-exempt scholarships or fellowships must file a W-4 form indicating exemption at the time of their appointment. Graduate Assistantships are taxable because teaching, research, or other services are required of the recipient, and the University will withhold taxes from monthly stipend checks. Questions concerning the tax-exempt status of any particular award should be addressed to the Office of Human Resources.
Outside Employment - GA, DF, or SRF (not UGS) support is an investment made by the Department of Geology in its graduate students and their research with the understanding that the student’s focus will be devoted mainly to the pursuit of the student’s graduate degree. Therefore, recipients of GA, DF, or SRF support are prohibited from simultaneously holding other employment outside of the Department without the prior approval of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Head of the Department.
GRADUATE CREDIT POLICIES
Graduate credit can only be earned for those courses at this University that are listed as graduate in the Schedule of Classes (6000-level or higher), which can be accessed via the One Stop website, or which have been approved in writing by appropriate program authority for inclusion in the curriculum. Students who have completed graduate work at other schools may petition the Director of Graduate Studies for transfer of credits earned elsewhere to be applied towards a MS or PhD at the University of Cincinnati. A graduate student earning graduate credit by taking a 6000-level course, which are dual-level courses (available for both undergraduate and graduate credit), may be required to complete academic work beyond that required for the undergraduates in the course.
GRADING - see the Graduate School Graduate Student Handbook for information on final exams, grade reports, grades assigned to repeated research courses, pass/fail grades, and grade changes.
MAINTAINING GRADUATE STUDENT STATUS
Maintaining graduate student status signifies that the student is actively engaged in making progress towards his or her degree and meeting program requirements. A University of Cincinnati graduate student must hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent and must have been accepted for admission into graduate study by the appropriate graduate program.
Required Courses - each graduate student is required to enroll in the following courses: Geology Colloquium (each semester), Four Day Field Trip (fall semester only), Graduate Research (fall semester of first year of residence), and at least one credit of MS or PhD Research credit (each semester).
Minimum Credits/Registration Requirements - To maintain graduate status at the University of Cincinnati, a student must register at UC for at least one graduate credit that contributes to degree requirements in an academic year. Credits that are audited or in which a student receives a W or UW do not count toward the minimum credit requirement. A student whose status has automatically terminated because of failure to register during an academic year will no longer be considered a graduate student but may seek reinstatement. Also note that students must register for at least one graduate credit hour during each semester (excluding summer semester) if they are using University resources such as libraries, University housing, campus laboratories, office space, equipment, recreational or computer facilities.