Doctor of Philosophy in Biological Sciences

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Admission

Students seeking admission to the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biological Sciences must meet all the requirements for admission to the NIU Graduate School. In addition to the standard requirements for graduate admission, the doctoral program requires degree-seeking applicants to submit the following materials:

Baccalaureate Field: Outstanding candidates with a B.A/B.S from U.S. accredited institutions or accepted international universities in Biology or related programs may be considered.
Grade Point Average: At least 2.75/4.00 GPA is required overall and a 3.2/4.0 minimum GPA in Biology content courses.
Letters of Recommendation: Three (3) letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to your ability to be successful in the completion of a graduate-level degree program. The individuals who submit a letter for you should be individuals who have a professional or academic relationship with you.
Personal Statement: Your personal statement should be approximately 1-2 pages in length. It should outline your preparation for graduate study in your chosen field, as well as your scientific and career goals for graduate school and beyond. In the statement, also explain why you believe the program at NIU can best help you meet your goals. Statements should also indicate which faculty you have communicated with and/or are interested in working with for your graduate research program.
Resume/CV: Include either a resume or CV. The document should outline your experience and qualifications that make you a good candidate for the position and can include information on your education, work experience, skills, and/or volunteer experience.

Deadlines: Applications for the fall semester (August) admission will be reviewed beginning on January 1, and for the spring semester (January) admission will be reviewed beginning on October 1. Admission of new graduate students for the fall is common. However, spring admission availability is less consistent and not guaranteed.

Check departmental information for any additional requirements.

The student learning outcomes for this degree are located at http://www.niu.edu/assessment/clearinghouse/outcomes/index.shtml.

Requirements

Each student’s program must consist of at least 90 semester hours of graduate credit, including successful completion of the following courses.

BIOS 761 - Seminar Credits: 1
(to be taken for a minimum of 4 hours of credit, at least 2 of which shall be taken after the first 30 graduate-level semester hours in the student’s program)
BIOS 799 - Doctoral Dissertation Credits: 1-12
(enrollment each semester after being admitted to candidacy, until all requirements for the degree are complete)

Additional Requirements

By the end of the student’s second semester, the chair of their doctoral committee will be selected with the approval of the department chair. The department chair, in consultation with the chair of the doctoral committee and the student, will nominate a doctoral committee to be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. This committee will consist of no fewer than four members, including at least one person from outside the student’s research field. Adjunct graduate faculty may serve on the doctoral committee; a majority of the committee, however, must be regular members of the graduate faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences. Replacements which may be required on the committee will be nominated by the remaining committee members and the department chair from among qualified faculty in consultation with the student.

The doctoral committee will consult with the student in the formulation of a program of courses and research study for the duration of the Ph.D. program. The committee will meet with the student at least once a year to evaluate progress toward completion of the degree requirements. This evaluation may include written and oral presentations required of the student by the committee. This committee assessment of the student’s progress will appraise the student’s background knowledge and their competence in carrying out original independent research and will determine whether the student will be retained in the Ph.D. program.

The Department of Biological Sciences research-tool requirement is fulfilled by completing two graduate-level courses totaling no fewer than six hours of credit and chosen by the student’s doctoral committee.

The student must pass a candidacy examination consisting of written and oral portions and administered by the doctoral committee. This examination will include a comprehensive coverage of the student’s academic background to enable the committee to evaluate the student’s potential for successful completion of the Ph.D. degree program. This examination will be taken at a time designated by the doctoral committee, but no sooner than the completion of the first 27 graduate-level semester hours and no later than the completion of the first 60 graduate credit hours, to be applied to the Ph.D. program. A student who fails this examination may, with the permission of the committee, repeat it once; the repeated examination will be at a time designated by the committee, but no sooner than the lapse of one semester and no later than eight months before granting of the degree.

After the student has completed all other requirements for the degree, including the writing of a dissertation on a research topic approved by the student’s doctoral committee, an oral defense of the dissertation will be conducted by the doctoral committee.

The doctoral candidate will present a public lecture, based on their dissertation.

Following approval of the dissertation by the doctoral committee, acceptable copies must be submitted to the Graduate School.