DOCTORAL REQUIREMENTS
F.C. Dobbs , Graduate Program Director
fdobbs@odu.edu
Requirements
Major Advisor and Guidance Committee
A major advisor must be identified to the graduate program director (GPD), at least provisionally, prior to admission to the program. After receiving admission to the program and enrolling, students consult with the GPD and their major advisor about initial course work. Before completion of nine semester hours (i.e. before the end of the student's first semester), the student will form a guidance committee in consultation with the major advisor. Please see the graduate program director and the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section of this Catalog for further information on forming a guidance committee.
Plan of Study-Curriculum Plan
Sometime in the first year of study, the student shall prepare a plan of study with the aid and approval of the guidance committee. Students should see the graduate program director and refer to the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section of this Catalog for further information on preparing a plan of study.
Course Work Requirements
Students who do not have an M.S. degree in oceanography normally complete the 12 hours of core courses (OCEN 604, 610, 620, and 640) within the first year. However, waiving the requirement to take any of these core courses requires the approval of the graduate program director. Students must achieve a grade of B or better in each of the core courses. Any student receiving a C (2.0) or lower in any graduate course will be dropped from the program. In consultation with the advisor and guidance committee, students will plan a complete program of course work designed to meet their objectives (see the section above). Depending on the entry status of the student, the following credit hours are also required:
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a. Those entering the Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree in oceanography must complete any needed core courses (see above), 24 credit hours of lecture courses and at least 24 credit hours of dissertation research, for a minimum of 48 credit hours.
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b. Those entering the Ph.D. program with a B.S. or M.S. degree in a discipline outside of oceanography shall complete 12 credit hours of the core courses listed above, 24-42 credit hours of additional lecture courses and 24-42 credit hours of dissertation research, for a total of 78 credit hours.
For both options, two of these lecture courses (six credit hours) other than the core courses must be in specialty areas of oceanography outside of the student's major area of emphasis. A maximum of 12 graduate credit hours may be transferred into a graduate degree program from non-degree status at Old Dominion University or from another accredited institution, except in the case of an approved interinstitutional program.
Diagnostic Examination
The guidance committee shall administer a written and oral diagnostic examination during the first semester of residence (or before nine credit hours have been completed) for students entering the program with an M.S. degree in oceanography. For students matriculating with a bachelor's degree or an M.S. degree in another field, the guidance committee shall administer the diagnostic examination no later than the third semester of residence (or before completion of 27 credit hours). The diagnostic examination will be prepared by the student's guidance committee in consultation with the graduate program director. The results of this examination are used as guidance for the curriculum plan. The guidance committee may also recommend to the graduate program director, based on the student's performance in the four oceanography core courses, that the diagnostic examination be waived. This must be done in writing, in a memo signed by all members of the student's guidance committee.
Computer Language Skills
To satisfy this requirement the student must solve a substantial problem by writing an original computer program. The student's advisor in consultation with the guidance committee develops the problem and a reasonable timetable for its completion. The problem must be solved independently with no help from others. The results will be evaluated by the advisor and guidance committee who will determine whether the student has solved the posed problem to their satisfaction. This requirement should be completed before taking the candidacy exam.
Ship Time and Field Work Requirement
Each student is required to have at least ten days of shipboard experience, field work, or a combination of the two. Scheduled class field trips may not be counted toward this requirement.
Competency In Oral Communication
Competency in oral communication must be established before taking the candidacy examination. It is generally achieved by passing OCEN 691 (1 credit seminar class) sometime in the
student's second or third year of study. Exceptions will only be considered by the graduate program director when requested in writing by the student's advisor and guidance committee. In general, an exception will be granted only if the student can demonstrate oral competency based on past experience, or if the student has made two oral presentations at national scientific meetings before having taken the candidacy exam.
Proficiency In Writing
Proficiency can be established by the satisfactory evaluation of a student's refereed paper, professional paper, or dissertation by the faculty. Generally, completion of the dissertation satisfies this requirement.
Candidacy Exam
Near the completion of course work and before becoming heavily involved in dissertation work, the student shall pass a candidacy examination designed to test scholarly competence and knowledge of oceanography. The exam has written and oral portions prepared by the guidance committee. Additional details on the structure, form and content of the candidacy exam are available from the graduate program director and in the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section in this Catalog.
Formation of a Dissertation Committee
After the candidacy examination has been passed and the dissertation committee formed, the guidance committee's responsibilities are completed. The dissertation committee is a new committee and is formed to supervise the student's dissertation research. Students should see the graduate program director or refer to the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section in this Catalog for further information on the formation of a dissertation committee. Changes to the dissertation committee must be made in advance of the oral dissertation defense. Such changes are made only with the approval of the GPD and college dean.
Admission to Candidacy
Admission to candidacy is a formal step that occurs after the student has:
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a. passed both parts of the Ph.D. candidacy examination,
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b. filed a dissertation prospectus approved by the student's dissertation committee, and
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c. completed all formal course work.
The student must be admitted to candidacy at least 12 months before the time the degree is expected to be received, but usually not before the completion of one-and-a-half years of graduate work.
Dissertation Preparation
General regulations and procedures governing the submission of a doctoral dissertation are given in the Guide for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations (obtained at http://www.odu.edu/ao/affairs/graduatestudies/thesis.pdf). Students should read this guide carefully before beginning to write their dissertation. Writing the dissertation as chapters that can be submitted for publication is encouraged. Please note that the thesis and dissertation guide in place at the start of the semester will remain in force for the entire semester, and any changes made to the guide over the academic year (and the dates of these changes) will be listed on the cover page of the guide. Changes to the previous guide will also be noted on the cover page of the guide, or in a separate document that can be downloaded from the same site as the complete guide. For more information on dissertation preparation and approval in the College of Sciences see http://sci.odu.edu/sci/about/information/thesis/index.shtml.
Dissertation Defense
The format of a dissertation defense is determined by the dissertation committee with the approval of the GPD. The defense is chaired by the director of the dissertation committee. The chair will act as moderator, ruling on questions of procedure and protocol that may arise during the defense. Students should see the graduate program director or refer to the Requirements for Graduate Degrees section in this Catalog for further information on the format of the dissertation defense. Satisfactory performance on this examination (oral dissertation defense) and adherence to all regulations outlined above complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within eight calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program.
Dissertation Acceptance and Submission
Once the dissertation committee has approved the dissertation, the student and major advisor must go over the entire dissertation to ensure that it adheres to the format described in the Guide for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations before submitting the dissertation to the GPD for review. Three days should be allowed for this review. Once the GPD had approved the dissertation, the student submits the dissertation to the associate dean in the College of Sciences for approval. All approvals must be completed by the day before commencement. However, the associate dean generally requires that all dissertations be submitted prior to this deadline. Students should consult with the GPD for further details.
Request to Graduate
The student should obtain a copy of the form Application for Graduation from the Registrar's Office and complete this application. The deadline for submitting this application is listed in the class schedule each semester and usually falls near the end of the semester preceding the one during which graduation is anticipated. It is the student's responsibility to meet these deadlines and submit the necessary paperwork for graduation.
Removal of Incompletes
At least one month prior to graduation, all incomplete grades should be cleared. An Academic Record Change form is used for this purpose, and the instructor of the course and the
department chair need to sign this form.
