The Integrative and Conservation Biology PhD program prepares students for independent research and roles within industry, nongovernmental organizations, academia, or government sectors, combining biological sciences with a range of other disciplines.
The purpose of this interdisciplinary training is to produce scientists capable of doing independent research and the ability to communicate issues of biology and conservation to policymakers, the general public, and industry. This program is intended to provide the academic background necessary to begin work in academia, industry, non-governmental organizations, or government in a leadership role applying cutting-edge principles to problem-solving in integrative or conservation biology. This program embraces applied and basic research concerning ecology, evolution, physiology, genetics, behavior, and conservation.
The Integrative and Conservation Biology PhD requires 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, including a minimum of 27 hours of formal coursework. The formal coursework includes 7 credit hours of required core courses and at least 20 credit hours of graduate-level courses from Biology (or other departments) selected in consultation with the advisor and the dissertation committee (at least 12 credit hours must be offered through the Biology department). The remaining 45 credit hours will consist of 15 credit hours of dissertation (PCB 7980) and 30 credit hours of additional formal electives, doctoral research (PCB 7919), and/or independent study (PCB 6908).
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
7 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- PCB6466 - Methods in Experimental Ecology (3)
- PCB6095 - Professional Development in Biology I (1)
- PCB6096 - Professional Development in Biology II (1)
- Earn at least 2 credits from the following:
- BSC6935 - Seminar in Biology (1)
- BSC 6935 - Seminar in Biology: Students will take 1 credit hour each in two semesters.
Elective Courses
20 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 20 credits from the following:
- BOT5285L - Plant Microtechniques (2)
- BOT5505C - Advanced Plant Physiology (4)
- BSC5316 - Marine Conservation Biology (3)
- BSC5408L - Advanced Biology Laboratory Techniques (3)
- BSC5824 - Biogeography (4)
- PCB5416 - Sensory Ecology (3)
- BSC5476c - Scientific Diving (4)
- PCB6042 - Conservation Biology Theory (4)
- BSC6614 - Advanced Topics in Systematics (1)
- BSC6938 - ST: Complex Data in Biology (4)
- ENY5006C - Entomology (4)
- PAZ5235 - Zoo and Aquarium Biology Management (3)
- PCB5326C - Ecosystems of Florida (5)
- PCB5362C - Wetland Ecology and Biogeochemistry (4)
- PCB5435C - Marine Ecology of Florida (4)
- PCB5447 - Disease Ecology and Ecoimmunology (3)
- PCB5469 - GIS for Biologists and Ecologists (3)
- PCB5688 - Wildlife Genomics (3)
- PCB5935 - Population Genetics (3)
- PCB5937 - ST: Advanced Inferences in Conservation Biology (1 - 99)
- PCB6041 - Ecological Modeling (3)
- PCB6046 - Advanced Ecology (3)
- PCB6047 - Advances in Plant Ecological Research (1)
- PCB6053C - Restoration Ecology (4)
- PCB6328C - Landscape Ecology (4)
- PCB6409 - Global Change Biology (3)
- PCB6468 - Methods in Experimental Ecology II (3)
- PCB6480C - Quantitative Conservation Biology (4)
- PCB6528 - Plant Molecular Biology (3)
- PCB6556 - Conservation Genetics (3)
- PCB6655 - Advanced Invertebrate Genetics (1)
- PCB6675C - Evolutionary Biology (4)
- PCB6677 - Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics (3)
- PCB6930 - Current Topics in Ecology (1)
- PCB6939 - Topics in Genomics (1)
- ZOO5456C - Ichthyology (4)
- ZOO5463C - Herpetology (4)
- A minimum of 20 credit hours of formal graduate-level courses from Biology, or other departments, are selected in consultation with the advisor and the dissertation committee. Other courses beyond the list above require approval of the student’s advisor and dissertation committee. At least 12 credit hours must be offered through the Biology department. Common areas for courses taken outside of Biology include biomedical sciences and bioinformatics (BME, BMS, BSC, MCB, PCB, PSB, ZOO), statistics (STA), computer science (CAP, CEN, COP, COT), chemistry (CHM, CHS), and engineering (EGM, EGN, EGS, ENV, EOC, CEG, CGN, CWR). Courses taken outside of the Biology department should be primarily 6000-level, with no more than three 5000-level courses permitted.
Dissertation
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Earn at least 15 credits from the following types of courses: PCB 7980 - Dissertation
Advisory Committee- Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee shall consist of a minimum of four members, including the dissertation advisor, with at least three members coming from the graduate faculty of 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 graduate faculty.
Enrollment Requirements
0 Total Credits
- Students are required to register for 12 credit hours in fall and spring before being admitted to candidacy, and 6 credit hours in summer if enrolled. After being admitted to candidacy, minimum enrollment is 3 credit hours of dissertation each semester.
Additional Electives
30 Total Credits
- Earn at least 30 credits from the following types of courses: In addition to the above required formal coursework, elective formal coursework, and dissertation credits, the student must enroll in an additional 30 credit hours of electives. These electives may include additional formal coursework electives, doctoral research (PCB 7919), independent study (PCB 6908), or professional internship hours (PCB 6949).
Examinations
0 Total Credits
Qualifying Examination
0 Total Credits
- The written qualifying examination should be completed within the first two years of the student's program. The exam seeks to cover areas of general knowledge and discipline-specific knowledge within the student's declared track. These questions could be related to the dissertation research proposal or designed to examine general knowledge and reasoning within the field.
Candidacy Examination
0 Total Credits
- Each student will be required to generate and orally defend a written proposal outlining their dissertation research to their dissertation advisory committee no later than 12 months after passing the Qualifying Examination. The oral Candidacy Examination will cover all areas within the scope of the student's doctoral program and requires that the student demonstrate knowledge of the theory, literature, and research methodologies relevant to the proposed area of research as well as demonstrate an understanding of how their work relates to the field of biology as a whole. After passing the Candidacy Examination and meeting other requirements, the student will be deemed as having been admitted to candidacy and can register for dissertation hours. Once a student is admitted to candidacy, the focus will be on dissertation research. For most students, the research and writing of the dissertation will take two to three years after advancing to candidacy. During this time, students should remain in close contact with the dissertation advisor and advisory committee and annual progress reports must be filed with the Graduate Program Director.
Candidacy Examination - Written Proposal
0 Total Credits
- A written dissertation proposal, already approved by the advisor, must be submitted to each committee member no later than two weeks prior to the Candidacy Examination. Typically, the proposal will be in the format described below. However, in cases where this format is not appropriate, an alternative format may be used with the approval of the dissertation advisor. The proposal should be approximately 10 to 15 pages in length not including references, single-spaced and typed in 12-point font with one-inch margins on all sides. The use of figures and tables is encouraged. With rare exceptions it is expected that dissertation research will be hypothesis-driven. Specific Aims: Describe concisely the problem(s) to be addressed and the specific goals of the dissertation research as they relate to the problem(s), including clear statements of hypotheses to be tested. Background and Significance: Review background literature relevant to the dissertation topic, indicating clearly where gaps in knowledge exist. Justify the need for the research by explaining its anticipated significance. Conclude by linking gaps in current knowledge to the proposed specific aims. Methodology: Outline carefully the study design (observations, experiments, models, statistical analysis, etc.) related to, and the methodology to be used for, each specific aim. Methodologies should be explained in sufficient detail to allow committee members to assess the validity of its use in the study. Potential outcomes and alternative approaches should be discussed. Literature Cited: References should be indicated in the main body of the proposal wherever appropriate and should follow the format of a peer-reviewed journal in a field of study appropriate to the research. This section can be as long as necessary.
Candidacy Examination – Oral Component
0 Total Credits
- At least two weeks prior to the examination, an abstract describing the proposed research will be posted in the Biological Sciences Building and circulated by e-mail among faculty and graduate students. The candidate will present the research proposal in a forum open to all faculty, students, and visitors. The oral presentation should be approximately 30-45 minutes in length to be followed by a public question-and-answer period. Presentation of preliminary data is neither required nor expected, but should be provided if available and relevant. With the exception of the advisory committee and candidate, all faculty, students and visitors will leave at the conclusion of the public question-and-answer period. The committee will continue the exam in closed session with further questioning. Questions can be directed to any matter relevant to the research proposal and areas of weakness previously identified in the written (qualifying) exam. A majority vote is required to pass the examination; however, no more than one negative vote is permitted. The majority must include the dissertation advisor. Any student failing the examination must repeat the examination within six calendar months of the date of the first examination. A second failed attempt will result in dismissal from the program.
Admission to Candidacy
0 Total Credits
- The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours: Program of study submitted and approved. Dissertation Committee formed (without external member). Successful completion of qualifying exam. Completion of all coursework (except for dissertation hours). External member added to Dissertation Committee. Successful completion of candidacy exam.
Dissertation Defense
0 Total Credits
- The dissertation is expected to represent an original and significant contribution to the discipline. 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 dissertation should be in a format appropriate for publication and should be "tightened" to a readiness for submittal by use of appendixes for nonessential information. The major role of the student's advisory committee is to offer guidance on study design and interpretation of results. A polished draft must be delivered to the advisory committee for review after the student and dissertation advisor have agreed upon editorial changes; this should occur well before the anticipated date of the final defense. Committee members have the right to reject documents that fail to meet these guidelines. Committee members should be given at least two weeks to review the draft before the student attempts to schedule the final defense. The final defense is to be scheduled only after the advisory committee agrees that the dissertation is ready for defense. Committee members should return the corrected dissertation to the student two weeks after receipt and the candidate should check with committee members to ensure they have the time to review the document. For example, if the student delivers the final draft to the committee one month prior to the proposed defense date, that would allow two weeks before the scheduled defense date for the student to make recommended changes. At least two weeks prior to the defense, an abstract describing the research conducted and conclusions reached will be posted in the Biological Sciences Building, circulated by e-mail among faculty and graduate students, and posted on the College of Graduate Studies Events Calendar. The candidate will present the research in a forum open to all faculty, students, and visitors. The oral presentation should be approximately 45-50 minutes in length to be followed by a question-and-answer period. In the presentation the candidate should focus on background information, describe the research performed, and draw attention to the significance of the conclusions reached. With the exception of the committee and candidate, all faculty, students, and visitors will leave at the conclusion of the question-and-answer period. The committee will continue the defense and the candidate will answer questions about the subject matter presented and defend the conclusions drawn. The committee will ask questions of the process used and assess the candidate's level of competency with the research topic. A majority vote is required to pass the examination; however, no more than one negative vote is permitted. The majority must include the dissertation advisor.
Student Orientation
0 Total Credits
- 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 GTAs offered by the UCF Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and the College of Sciences. Students are strongly encouraged to attend the university orientation as well, held approximately one week prior to each fall semester.
Independent Learning
0 Total Credits
- The dissertation satisfies the independent learning experience.
Grand Total Credits: 72
Application Requirements
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, 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.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
A student is required to establish a program of study before the completion of twelve credit hours of coursework, in conjunction with their dissertation advisor and advisory committee. A student's advisory committee may require the candidate to take any graduate course taught at UCF if deemed appropriate for the student's area of emphasis. Students entering with a master's degree may request up to 30 semester credit hours of previous work be applied toward the requirements for this degree with approval from the advisory committee. Students who transfer 30 credit hours must still take 2 credit hours of Biology Seminar (BSC 6935) and Professional Development I (PCB 6095) and II (PCB 6096). Students may register for dissertation hours (PCB 7980) only after advancing to candidacy.
