Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Zoology and Physiology

We rock at research. At our department you will interact with scientists with international reputations. The rate and quality of departmental publications are among the very highest in the nation. Our faculty regular publish in the top international publications. We offer both Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Zoology and Physiology. Our faculty also participate in Ph.D. programs offered through the Program in Ecology (PiE), and the Neuroscience Program. Our graduate students are supported by a variety of teaching or research assistantships. Our research is supported by state-of-the-art microscopy, macromolecular, and nucleic acid sequencing facilities. Our university is the only one in a large state that has the world's first National Park (Yellowstone) and a huge diversity of natural resources. We are one of the very few universities in the nation with a field station inside the boundaries of a National Park. Student collects samples in Polecat Creek We care about your learning experience. Our faculty often receive teaching awards from the university. At our department you will find a group of scientists committed to providing you the best possible education in the biological sciences. We are a small department, with a strong commitment to individual attention to graduate student mentoring. We are also a very diverse department - ranging from a Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit to evolutionary biologists, ecologists, cell biologists and neurophysiologists. That span from molecular to ecosystem levels of organization provides an opportunity for unparalleled breadth of expertise. This is a 72 hour program. A Ph.D. applicant must have 20 hours of undergraduate work in zoology, physiology, or other areas of biology and also have completed substantial undergraduate work in other sciences. Under exceptional circumstances, a student with an undergraduate major in a scientific discipline other than biology may be admitted. After the Ph.D. student has completed two semesters of graduate work, s/he must be approved for continued work toward the doctorate by the graduate advisory board. This board can reconsider a candidate thereafter if it so desires. A graduate committee shall be appointed for the individual student no later than the third semester. After consultation with the student, this committee will prescribe special requirements (courses, minors, research tools, etc.) that must be fulfilled. At this time, the graduate committee shall consult with the candidate on the proposed research and shall identify the subject matter areas to be included in the preliminary examination. The preliminary examination will consist of a written research proposal, its oral defense, and a written and oral preliminary examination. When training outside zoology and physiology is specified by the committee, certification of satisfactory completion of the requirement will be made by the appropriate department. In addition to the general university requirements for the Ph.D. degree, the department requires the following: The coursework program should include work in a discipline outside the department, generally in the sense of a minor, to be identified in consultation with the graduate committee. The preliminary examination consisting of written and oral portions should be taken no later than midterm of the fourth semester in residence. The graduate committee will certify satisfactory performance for the preliminary examination.