Description
The conservation biology Ph.D. program provides an interface between traditional biological sciences and the areas of economics, law, urban and rural planning, politics, communication, philosophy, and environmental engineering. The purpose of this training is to produce scientists who are not only capable of doing independent research but who can work within the broader area of environmental politics, law, and economics to communicate issues of conservation biology to policy makers, the general public, and industry. Students will choose one of two specializations: Applied Conservation Biology or Ecology and Organismal Biology. The Applied Conservation Biology Track is intended to provide the academic background necessary to begin work in industry, non-governmental organizations, or government in a leadership role in the application of cutting-edge principles to problem solving in conservation biology. The Ecology and Organismal Biology Track embraces both applied and basic research concerning ecological questions to address current concerns in the area of conservation biology. Students taking either track would be prepared to pursue an academic career.
Degrees OfferedDoctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology- Applied Conservation Biology Track
- Ecology and Organismal Biology Track
Admission
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).
Students entering the graduate program with regular status are normally expected to have completed course work generally required for a bachelor’s degree in biology. In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must provide:
- Official score of at least 1100 (combined) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which must have been taken within the last five years
- Official transcripts showing a bachelor’s degree and all courses taken for that degree, and any post-baccalaureate education or degree. GPA should be 3.0 or higher.
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of research interest and purpose, including a summary of relevant work or research experience
- Resume
- For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
A personal or telephone interview will also take place whenever possible. Admission is based on an overall assessment of qualifications documented in credentials submitted and the interview. All admissions to graduate status are competitive and based on availability of faculty for sponsoring research.
Application Due Dates
All students applying for fellowships or assistantships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.
U.S. Applicants
| Program(s) |
Fall Priority |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Applied Conservation Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Ecology and Organismal Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
International Applicants
| Program(s) |
Fall Priority |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Applied Conservation Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Ecology and Organismal Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
International Transfer Applicants
| Program(s) |
Fall Priority |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Applied Conservation Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
| |
Ecology and Organismal Biology Track |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
|
|
| |
Students applying for summer or spring admission will be considered on an ad hoc basis. |
Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology
Ph.D. in Conservation Biology—Minimum 72 Credit Hours
The program is composed of 12 credit hours of required core courses, a minimum of 20 hours of elective courses, a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research and the balance of required credit hours in additional electives and directed research. In the Applied Conservation Biology Track, professional internship hours can be substituted for directed research.
All entering students will take a core group of courses that will provide an introduction to the science of conservation biology. By the end of the second semester, the student will be required to establish a program of study in conjunction with their dissertation adviser and the advisory committee. Students are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours of electives in consultation with their advisory committee. In addition to these selected electives, the dissertation committee may require the candidate to take any graduate course taught at UCF, if deemed appropriate for the candidate’s area of emphasis. Minor programmatic deficiencies will be addressed early in the program. No more than six semester credit hours of 4000-level courses may be taken for credit. Students entering with a master’s degree may request up to 30 semester credit hours of previous work be accepted toward the requirements for this degree subject to approval of the dissertation committee. Students may register for dissertation research only after passing candidacy exam.
Applied Conservation Biology Track
The Applied Conservation Biology Track is intended to provide the academic background necessary to work in industry or government in a leadership role in the application of cutting edge principles to problem solving in consersvation biology. This track is especially well suited for career employees of federal or state agencies who are looking for a non-traditional Ph.D. program.
Ecology and Oganismal Biology Track
The Ecology and Oganismal Biology Track will embrace both applied and basic research concerning ecological questions to address current concerns in the area of conservation biology. Students taking this track would be prepared to either work in industry or government or to enter an academic career. This track incorporates more traditional research in broader biology areas that have a focus on conservation.
Sample Program of Study
Year 1
Fall
Conservation Biology I (4 credit hours)
Seminar in Conservation Biology (1 credit hour)
Research Communications I (1 credit hour)*
Elective (3 credit hours)
Spring
Conservation Biology II (4 credit hours)
Seminar in Conservation Biology (1 credit hour)
Research Communications II (1 credit hour)*
Elective (3 credit hours)
Summer
Written Qualifying Exam
Directed Research (6 credit hours)
Year 2
Fall
Elective (4 credit hours)
Elective (3 credit hours)
Directed Research and/or Elective (2 credit hours)
Spring
Elective (4 credit hours)
Directed Research and/or Elective (5 credit hours)
Oral Candidacy Exam
Summer
Directed Research and/or Elective (6 credit hours)
Year 3
Fall
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Spring
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Summer
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Year 4
Fall
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Spring
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Summer
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Year 5
Fall
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Spring
Dissertation Research (3 credit hours)**
Summer
Dissertation Defense (3 credit hours)**
* Advanced students, who have already completed a M.Sc., may substitute Directed Research for Research Communication
** In the Applied Conservation Biology Track, Professional Internship hours can be substituted for Directed Research
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee shall consist of a minimum of four members, including the dissertation adviser, with at least three members coming from the Biology Department. At least one member will be from a department other than Biology or from outside the university. The Chair, or co-Chair, must be a member of the Program Faculty of the Department of Biology.
Enrollment Requirements
Students are required to register for 9 credit hours in fall and spring, and 6 credit hours in summer, before their candidacy exam. After being admitted to candidacy, minimum enrollment is 3 credit hours of dissertation research each semester.
Qualifying Examination
The written qualifying exam will be administered to students in the summer semester following the end of their first academic year. The exact format of this exam is determined by the Chair of the Advisory Committee and approved by the remaining members of the committee. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student is proficient in all subject matter related to their chosen field of conservation biology. While some questions may be directly related to the dissertation research proposal, in most instances questions are designed to examine general knowledge and reasoning. Overall, the committee determines whether the student has a strong knowledge base in the area of biology, understands experimental methods/design and possesses sound scientific reasoning. Students who fail will be given a second opportunity to be taken within one academic semester. Two failures results in dismissal from the program.
Candidacy Examination
No later than the end of the second academic year, each student will be required to generate, organize, and orally defend a written proposal outlining their dissertation research to their Advisory Committee. Areas of deficiency identified in the written Qualifying Exam may also be reexamined in the Candidacy Exam. After passing the candidacy exam the student will be deemed as having been admitted to candidacy and can register for dissertation hours.
Dissertation Defense
Upon completion and approval of the doctoral dissertation by all appropriate faculty and university offices, the student will make a formal presentation of the research findings in seminar format to the dissertation committee and other university faculty and students who may wish to attend. The candidate will answer questions about the subject matter presented and defend the conclusions drawn.
The final defense will consist of two phases; there will be a public presentation of the candidate’s research with accompanying questions from the audience, and there will be an oral defense of the dissertation in front of the candidate’s committee. This defense will focus on the dissertation and the application and/or ramifications of this research to the discipline. The dissertation committee will determine whether or not the candidate has passed this last assessment.
Student Orientation
An orientation for all incoming students will be scheduled one week prior to each fall semester. The orientation will include tours of the program facilities, a session on registration, university policies and procedures, and expectations of doctoral study. Further, Environmental Health and Safety will present a program on topics such as laboratory safety, chemical and fire safety, biohazard training, and radioisotope handling. Expectations for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistants (GRA) will be fully covered. In addition, students will be required to participate in the program for GTA’s offered by the UCF Faculty Teaching and Learning Center and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Financial Support
Students accepted in the program are eligible for graduate fellowships, graduate teaching assistantships, or graduate research assistantships. Stipends are currently $19,000 per year. Tuition waivers are provided to all students. Exceptionally qualified students become eligible for university enhancement awards. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Key points about financial support:
- If you’re interested in financial assistance, you’re strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
- You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
- If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
- UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. All admitted graduate students are automatically considered in this nomination process. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. University graduate fellowships are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
- Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application). For university fellowship applications, see Financing Grad School.
- For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.
Contact Info
Doctor of Philosophy in Conservation Biology
John Weishampel, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-6525
jweisham@mail.ucf.edu Applied Conservation Biology Track
John Weishampel, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-6525
jweisham@mail.ucf.edu Ecology and Organismal Biology Track
John Weishampel, Ph.D. , Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-6525
jweisham@mail.ucf.edu
|
Graduate Students
