ACADEMIC PROGRAM APPROVAL

                                                                    CHECKLIST

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Page 2 will serve as an attachment to the Faculty Senate agenda.  Proposing department should complete form, attach as a cover page and forward to the college dean. Documentation should include copy of curriculum as it is to appear in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog.  Proposals must arrive to the Undergraduate/Graduate Committee by November in order to reach the Faculty Senate by March 1.   Proposals received after this date cannot be implemented the following year nor included in the catalog for that year.

 

1.       Proposed change leads to the degree of

(  ) Bachelor of Arts                  (  ) Master of Arts                     (X) Doctor of Philosophy          

(  ) Bachelor of Science             (X) Master of Science               (  ) Other_______________

 

2.   (  ) New major/curriculum                                                                                                                                                        Title to be entered in record of students who select this program

       (  ) New minor                                                                                                                                                              Title to be entered in record of students who select this program

       (  ) Change from provisional to permanent status.

3.   (  ) Revision of existing:  (  ) major    (  ) minor          (  ) concentration

Present title                                                                                                                         

Records System Program Code                                                                                        

(  ) Add/delete required courses/credit hours

            (  ) Add concentration                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Title

(  ) Delete concentration                                                                                                                                                                                             Title

4.  (  ) Deletion of existing/disestablish:  (  ) major  (  ) minor  ( ) Other________________

 

             Title                                                                         Code ___________

 

5.  (X  )  Policy Change Graduate Student Requirements and Policies-- Admissions Requirements

                                    Entomology and Applied Ecology

                                                Title/Department

 

ROUTING AND APPROVALS: (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                    Date                            

 

Dean of College                                                                                                Date                            

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. On UG or GR Studies                                                            Date                            

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                  Date                            

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                  Date                            

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                  Date to be Effective     

 

Registrar                                                           Program Code                           Date                            

 

Vice Provost for Academic Programs & Planning                                                           Date                            

 

Provost                                                                                                 Date                            

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                             Date                            

 

 

a.  Rationale for creation, revision, or  deletion:

 

           

The array of interests for our MS and PhD students in Entomology and Applied Ecology and their faculty mentors have broadened in recent years to include ones where organic chemistry is not an essential need for successful graduate study. Therefore the faculty has decided to remove organic chemistry as a general requirement for admission (or to be made up as a grad student). Instead, the student’s graduate adviser and committee will determine if the student will be required to make up a deficiency in organic chemistry as part of his or her degree requirements and how that will be done. Such a requirement will most likely occur for students in particular areas that need a strong background in chemistry. This change will eliminate an unnecessary requirement for some students and facilitate requirements in a more timely way. It is consistent with policies in numerous other wildlife and ecology programs. By removing the entrance requirement for organic chemistry, we also should increase our applicant pool by attracting students from undergraduate wildlife programs, which usually do not require the course.

 

 

b.  Summary of program:

 

Graduate students in Entomology and Applied Ecology at the University of Delaware couple a focus on insects or vertebrates with a broad knowledge of other related fields of biology, especially ecology.  The Department offers programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Entomology and Applied Ecology and the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Entomology and Applied Ecology.  M.S. students select either of the Entomology or Applied Ecology Concentrations, which differ in their requirements.  Each candidate's program is planned with the help of the advisor and graduate committee. The M.S. in Entomology, in place since 1949, was changed to M.S. in Entomology and Applied Ecology in 1999, and concentrations were added in 2001. The Ph.D. program received 4- year Provisional Status effective September 1, 1999.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This document shows excerpts pertinent to the proposal to drop organic chemistry as an admission requirement and to transfer the right to require it and any other additional courses to the student’s committee.  Two statements are added to inform prospective students that their committee may require other undergraduate courses relevant to their specialty.  The one deletion is marked with a strike-through, and the two additions are in bold.

 

 

GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES

                                                               DEPARTMENT OF

                            ENTOMOLOGY AND APPLIED ECOLOGY

                                                 UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

                                                           NEWARK, DELAWARE

                                                                             

                                                                      May, 2002

                                                                             

Graduate students in Entomology and Applied Ecology at the University of Delaware couple a focus on insects or vertebrates with a broad knowledge of other related fields of biology, especially ecology.  The Department offers programs leading to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Entomology and Applied Ecology and the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Entomology and Applied Ecology.  M.S. students select either of the Entomology or Applied Ecology Concentrations, which differ in their requirements.  Each candidate's program is planned with the help of the advisor and graduate committee. The M.S. in Entomology, in place since 1949, was changed to M.S. in Entomology and Applied Ecology in 1999, and concentrations were added in 2001. The Ph.D. program received  4- year Provisional Status effective September 1, 1999.    

 

                                                 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

 

            The minimum requirements for admission to the master's and doctoral program are an undergraduate academic index of 2.8 overall and 3.0 in the major field of study and a combined score of 1050 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE.  Graduate GPA (if applicable) should be at least 3.2.  A TOEFL score of at least 550 is required for international students.  The Advanced GRE in Biology is required for Ph.D. applicants, and it is strongly recommended for M.S. applicants. Scores are used for making course program recommendations and as additional information for awarding graduate assistantships.  An applicant should have satisfactorily completed the following:  General Biology, Organic Chemistry, and General Ecology.  Additionally, M.S. applicants for the Applied Ecology Concentration should have satisfactorily completed a physiology course. Applicants lacking any of those courses must complete the missing course(s) during graduate study. (Note: Admitted students may be required by their committee to take other undergraduate courses relevant to their specialty. See Degree requirements below.)  Applicants must have three recommendation forms completed and submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies.  At least two of these should be from faculty of the applicant's major department.  Applicants for the Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to submit additional evidentiary material that attests to the applicant's ability to carry out and benefit from doctoral work.  This material can include Master's theses, term papers, research reports, grant proposals, publications, evidence of teaching or professional work experience, etc.  Ph.D. applicants must also identify a faculty member with whom they would like to conduct their research, and that person must agree to act as the student's advisor before the applicant will be accepted into the program. For most applicants, completion of an M.S. degree is required before admission to the doctoral program.  However, exceptionally well-qualified students may be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program.  For further details, contact the chairperson of the department's Graduate Admissions Committee. Applications for financial support should be completed by March 1 for Summer or Fall terms and November 1 for entering in Spring term.

            Admission to the graduate program is competitive. Those who meet stated minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet all of those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

 

[To reduce unnecessary duplication, sections irrelevant to the proposed change are omitted here]

                                                                             

 

 

MASTER OF SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS

 

            General requirements for both concentrations of the M.S. degree are: (1) completion of at least 30 graduate credit hours, including required courses for the chosen concentration (Entomology or Applied Ecology) and a thesis describing independent research (6 credit hours); (2) passing an oral, general knowledge examination centering on the student’s program of study; (3) presenting the thesis research in a formal departmental seminar; and (4) passing a thesis defense. Students in the Entomology Concentration also must pass an Insect Family Recognition Test (see later section).

 

1.  Credit, Course, and Grade Requirements

            a.  Required Courses - Courses required of all students for the Master of Science in Entomology and Applied Ecology degree are:

                               ENWC 865 - Seminar                                                    (1 CH)*                       

                                ENWC 888 - Topics in Ent. & App. Ecol.                              (1 CH) **

                               ENWC 869 - Master's Thesis                              (6 CH)***

                               A graduate-level statistics course                          (3 CH)

                      *  ENWC 865 should be taken during the student's first semester of study, if possible.

                             **ENWC 888 should be taken for credit during the student's second semester, if possible.    Students are expected to attend all department seminars during their period of graduate study.

                             *** See sect. 2, below

 

b.       Courses Required in Entomology Concentration

                               ENWC 601 – Insect Physiology                                     (4 CH)

                               ENWC 606 - Insect ID - Taxonomy                               (3 CH)

                               ENWC 614 – Insect Ecology                                                (3 CH)

                       

            c.       Courses Required in the Applied Ecology Concentration     

                               BISC 637 – Population Ecology                                      (3 CH)

                               One of the following:

                                   ENWC 620 – Behavioral Ecology                               (3 CH)

                                   ENWC 656 – Conservation Genetics                           (3 CH)

                                   ENWC 615 – Wildlife Research Techniques                      (3 CH)

                               Two of the following:

                                   ENWC 606 - Insect ID – Taxonomy                           (3 CH)

                                                          OR

                                   ENWC 608 – Insect Field Taxonomy                          (3 CH)

                                   ENWC 618 – Avian Biology                                       (3 CH)

                                   ENWC 624 – Herpetology                                          (3 CH)

                                   ENWC 625 – Mammalogy                                          (3 CH)

                                   BISC 630  –  Ichthyology                                            (3 CH)

                                              OR

                                   MAST 629 – Topics in Marine Ecology:

                                                            Ichthyology                                       (3 CH)

 

                      If a student has satisfactorily completed any of the required courses or an equivalent, the requirement may be waived.

 

            d.       Additional Coursework – Students must earn additional graduate credit hours appropriate to the concentration to bring the total earned to at least 30 hours.  A list of the additional credit hours should be developed at the first committee meeting and confirmed in writing to the student by the advisor.  Students in the Entomology Concentration lacking an entomology course should register as an auditor in ENWC 205 and/or 305 as needed and may earn one graduate credit maximum of ENWC 666 (Special Problem) for fulfilling additional graduate level requirements to the satisfaction of the instructor(s) of the course(s).  Students may also be required by their committee to take coursework to make up a deficiency (see under Admission Requirements) [to gain background necessary for their research area, e. g. organic chemistry] or to meet a prerequisite for a graduate level course.  Any such requirements will be stated in writing by the student's advisor following the first committee meeting.  If the course can be taken for graduate credit, it will count toward the additional credits.  A maximum of 3 credits in ENWC 666, 668, 866, and 868 and 6 credits of 869 can be applied to the degree.

 

[To reduce unnecessary duplication, sections irrelevant to the proposed change are omitted here]

                                                                             

 

 

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY REQUIREMENTS

 

1.  Course Requirements

 

            The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is conferred in recognition of breadth of scholarly attainment and of demonstrated power to investigate problems independently and effectively,  rather than for the completion of definite courses of study through a stated period of time.  Doctoral students in Entomology and Applied Ecology must complete the following courses or their equivalent, either before or during their program at Delaware:  ENWC 601 (Insect Physiology), ENWC 606 (Insect ID-Taxonomy), ENWC 614 (Insect Ecology), ENWC 865 (Seminar), ENWC 888 (Topics in Entomology and Applied Ecology), 6 credits of graduate statistics (600-level or above) and 9 credits of Doctoral Dissertation (ENWC 969).  Doctoral students entering the program with an M.S. must complete a total of at least 30 graduate credits, and students entering with a B.S. must complete a total of at least 60 graduate credits while enrolled in the program.

            Through their course of study, doctoral students should develop significant expertise in one major area and in at least one ancillary area.  During the first semester of study, students should develop a proposed list of courses that they will complete while at Delaware.  This course program should then be discussed, modified, and approved by the student's graduate committee.

 

[To reduce unnecessary duplication, sections irrelevant to the proposed change are omitted here]