30 hours

The Plant Biology department recruits Ph.D. students through two umbrella programs, the Integrated Life Sciences (ILS; ils.uga.edu) and the Integrated Plant Sciences (IPS; ips.uga.edu). Both programs have a deadline of December 1 for the following Fall semester. Application materials should be submitted through the UGA Graduate School webpage (grad.uga.edu/admissions) and include: CV Unofficial transcript (3.0 minimum GPA) Statement of Purpose outlining career goals and research interests; at the end of the statement the names of potential faculty who share your interests and could serve as your major advisor may be included. Three Letters of recommendation International students: If your primary language is not English, please submit official documents conforming to UGA Graduate School regulations as proof of English proficiency.

Undergraduate coursework and training should demonstrate preparation for advanced study in plant or fungal biology. An M.S. degree is not required for admission.

PBIO 8830

Plant Biology Seminar

1

PBIO 9000  (max. 6 hours)

Doctoral Research

1-18

PBIO 9300  (3 hours)

Doctoral Dissertation

1-18

Choose 3 course(s) from the following:

PBIO 8010

Seminar in Teaching Biology

1

PBIO 8200

Grant Writing with a Focus on Plants and Microbes

2

PBIO 8810

Mycology Seminar

1-2

PBIO 8820

Plant Genetics and Molecular Biology Seminar

1-2

PBIO 8840

Plant Ecology Seminar

1-2

PBIO 8920

Explaining Your Science

2-3

Other seminar courses that require the participant to organize and present material other than their own dissertation research

A minimum of 30 hours course work must be completed. 21 hours must be in courses only open to graduate students, and 16 or more hours in 8000 or 9000 level courses (not including PBIO 9000/9300). PBIO 8830 as well as GRSC 7770 (or equivalent), LLED 7768, and LLED 7769 do not count toward the minimum of 30 hours.

GRSC 7001

GradFIRST: First-year Research and Scholarship Training Seminar

1

GRSC 7770

Graduate Teaching Seminar

1-3

Ph.D. students are required to gain first-hand experience in instruction by taking a Graduate Teaching Seminar (GRSC 7770, or equivalent), and complete two semesters of teaching. Positions that do not involve direct contact with students, such as preparing teaching labs, lecturing, or grading, cannot be used to fulfill the teaching requirement.

Select additional courses, as needed, in consultation with an advisor to meet the minimum number of required credit hours for this program.

Qualified students admitted to the ILS or IPS umbrella may be nominated by these programs for Graduate School Presidential and PhD Fellows awards. Students also are encouraged to seek outside fellowships and scholarships (e.g., NSF Graduate Research Fellowships).

Students are encouraged to pursue research opportunities off-campus in consultation with their major advisor and committees, for example as contributions to collaborative research projects. Cooperative arrangements for joint research exist with such off-campus facilities as the Hudson Alpha Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, State Botanical Garden, UGA Marine Institute Savannah, and other regional research centers.

Internships are not required, but graduate students are encouraged to seek and pursue internship opportunities that will further their professional development and career objectives.

Students are encouraged to write and submit grant proposals to national or state agencies as well as scientific societies in order to help fund their research and to develop professional writing skills. Grant writing classes are offered to foster this aim. In addition, the department maintains an active small-grants program that is open to all of its graduate students. Students are expected to present their research at conferences, professional meetings, and symposia. Both the Plant Biology department and the Graduate School make funds available to defray travel expenses for students who present posters or talks. Students are expected to publish their research findings in peer-reviewed journals.

The Plant Biology Graduate Student Association (PBGSA) represents graduate students within the department and is actively involved in departmental affairs.

The Plant Biology department offers two graduate programs: M.S. Plant Biology Ph.D. Plant Biology