SES_GradStudentHandbook

The OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

School of Earth Sciences

Guidelines for Graduate Students

Earth Sciences Graduate Degree Programs

*Coordinated with OSU Graduate School Handbook (GSH)

Goals and Objectives:

The goal of the Graduate Degree Program in the School of Earth Sciences is to

provide students the opportunity to develop advanced professional skills in the

Earth Sciences. The program includes providing students opportunities to

participate in advanced classes and seminars and to conduct independent

research on fundamental issues in the Earth Sciences. The product of both M.S.

and Ph.D. research projects are expected to be suitable for publication in the

refereed scientific literature, and after graduation a student should be prepared to

begin a career in the Earth Sciences.

Table of Contents

0. Revision History

1. Admission Criteria

2. Funding your degree

a. Teaching Associateships

b. Research Associateships

c. Fellowships

3. Program Requirements

a. Thesis and Dissertation Committee

b. Course and Credit requirements

c. Thesis (M.S.) or Dissertation (Ph.D.) Proposal

d. Candidacy (Ph.D.)

e. Thesis (M.S.) and Dissertation (Ph.D.)

f. Application to graduate

g. Final Oral Exam

h. Reasonable Progress

4. Transfer between the M.S. and Ph.D. programs

a. Transfer without completing the M.S.

b. Transfer after completing the M.S.

c. Transfer from the Ph.D. to the M.S.

5. Terms and Acronyms and links references in this document

6. Appendices

a. Guidelines for the Thesis or Dissertation Proposal

b. Guidelines for M.S. to Ph.D. transfer

0. Revision History:

July 2021: Complete reorganization, with significant changes to section 1,

Admission Criteria. This version is incomplete: it only addresses the

thesis/dissertation Earth Sciences degree programs. To do: incorporate the

professional M.S. and both M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Geodetic Science

Admission Criteria:

Normal Admission Evaluation

(GSH Sec. 2)

A committee of faculty in the School of Earth Sciences evaluates all applicants for

graduate study on their likelihood to succeed in their objectives and benefit from their

time at The Ohio State University in the School of Earth Sciences. Students that are

successful in the application process generally have:

1. A minimum of 3.0 cumulative point-hour ratio on the 4.0 scale in all previous

undergraduate work, with a completed B.S., B.A., or M.S. at the time of

matriculation.*

2. Demonstrated likelihood to succeed in the graduate program as

communicated by the totality of the application package, including the

applicant’s coursework, letters of recommendation, GRE scores (only if

included, not required by SES), resume or CV, and statement of purpose.

3. An identified faculty mentor who agrees to mentor and advise the applicant.

As of Autumn 2020, The School of Earth Sciences does not require GRE scores.

Submitted scores are considered only when submitted; applicants not submitting GRE

scores are not penalized. As part of the admission decision, the Graduate Studies

Committee (GSC) weighs and ranks students according to the availability of funding, so

it is strongly recommended that students communicate with potential advisors prior to

completing the application. See Section 2 for more on funding.

All Master’s degree aspirants are expected to have a Bachelor’s degree, and they

normally will have a degree in an Earth science field. However, students with non-

geology backgrounds commonly make significant contributions to the Earth sciences,

and they also are encouraged to apply to the M.S. program.

Admission to the Ph.D. program does not require an M.S. degree. Students may enter

the Ph.D. program in one of three ways: 1, with a completed M.S. degree from another

university; 2, directly from a completed B.A. or B.S. degree; or 3, as a transfer from the

OSU-SES M.S. program to the Ph.D. Program (see Section 4).

A Ph.D. applicant who matriculates into the Ohio State program with an incomplete

Master’s degree may be admitted conditionally, but the M.S. degree must be completed

within two semesters to remain in the Ph.D. program.

A student admitted to the M.S. program in Earth Sciences may transfer to the Ph.D.

program in Earth Sciences with or without completing the M.S. following the procedures

in Section 4.

* Prospective students who do not meet the GPA guidelines may be admitted to the

graduate program when the totality of the application demonstrates the student has a

high likelihood to be successful. For example, such circumstances might include

extensive professional experience. Applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0

will need to work with their prospective faculty advisor and the Graduate Studies Chair

for a petition to the Graduate School.

1.a Additional requirements for international students:

International applicants whose first language is not English are required to take to

establish English proficiency (GSH Sec. 2.4.5; additional information:

https://gpadmissions.osu.edu/intl/additional-requirements-to-apply.html).

On arrival, an international student from a country in which English is not the first

language must also take the ESL composition Placement Essay assessment and satisfy

all provisions outlined in GSH Sec. 2.7.

Admission of international students whose first language is not English requires

guaranteed support for the first twelve months of residence (including support for the

summer semester).

Further requirements must be satisfied for GTA assignments (Section 2a).

2. Support:

Upon admission, graduate students may receive an offer of funding support, covering

tuition and a stipend for living expenses. This support comes in the form of a Graduate

Teaching Associateship (GTA), a Graduate Research Associateship (GRA), a

fellowship, or a combination of these. All such appointments have minimum credit-hour

enrollment criteria that the student must meet (Section 3c).

Some students may be funded by external fellowships or the sponsorship of their

employer.

In addition to funds to cover tuition and living expenses (below), students are

encouraged to apply for small grants (e.g., Friends of Orton, Sigma Xi, AAPG, GSA) to

cover research expenses and conference travel in consultation with their research

advisor. Students are responsible for watching their email for deadline announcements.

2.a Graduate Teaching Associates (GTA):

GTA Qualifications

Students with GTA support are expected to have mastery above and beyond the course

material taught in the assigned course. Demonstration of mastery includes an

undergraduate background in relevant course material, sitting in on the course in

previous semesters, by examination, or holistic assessment. GTA duties include, but

are not limited to, participation in annual GTA training and orientation, teaching

laboratory and/or recitation sections, attending GTA meetings, grading homework and

lab assignments, administration of grade books, proctoring exams, and holding weekly

office hours.

There are a limited number of GTA positions available in the summer, awarded by

separate application during the preceding spring semester.

An international student for whom English is not their first language may be offered GTA

support, if the following conditions, in addition to those outlined in Section 1, are met:

1. The student has either achieved a score of 28 or higher on the speaking section of

the TOEFL or has passed the Spoken English test (GSH Sec. 2.8) administered here at

Ohio State by English as a Second Language (ESL). More information about the

Spoken English test, including cost and possibility of taking the exam prior to coming to

campus, can be found at https://esl.ehe.osu.edu.

2. The student has demonstrated a proven ability in writing, reading, and speaking the

English language. This ability may be demonstrated through personal contact with

faculty in the School of Earth Sciences or by having already obtained a degree (B.S.,

B.A., M.A. or M.S.) at another university in the U.S. or an English-speaking country.

2.b Graduate Research Associates (GRA):

An GRA is generally funded by a faculty member’s grant, and the duties of a GRA are

agreed upon between the advisor and student before awarding the GRA.

An international student may be admitted with Graduate Research Assistant (GRA)

support if the applicant satisfies the criteria required for admission to the program. Such

admission requires prior agreement with an individual faculty member. This support also

must cover the first twelve months of residence for an international student.

2.c Fellowships

Some graduate students may be funded on a fellowship as awarded by Ohio State. All

students whose applications for graduate study are complete prior to the fellowship

deadline are eligible for fellowship consideration with no additional application needed.

These fellowships may be 1, 2, or 3 years in length.

Students are also encouraged to apply to external fellowships to fund their graduate

study.

2.d Duration of Support.

Students who are offered support when first accepted into the graduate program, are

conditionally assured support for four academic-year semesters (M.S.) or eight

semesters (Ph.D. with prior M.S. degree) or ten semesters (Ph.D. with B.A./B.S. only).

This support does not guarantee summer support. Support is conditional on maintaining

reasonable progress (Section 3h), on maintaining good standing in the Graduate School

(GSH Sec. 5.1), and satisfactory performance of GTA or GRA duties. Support is also

conditional on availability of funds. Slightly longer time-to-degree may occur, at which

point additional support is conditional upon availability and reasonable progress towards

a degree (Section 3h).

Restrictions on Outside Work

School support, in the form of GTA and GRA stipends, is intended to help graduate

students complete their studies in a timely fashion, as described by reasonable

progress (Section 3h). Thus, all students supported as GTAs and GRAs are expected to

devote full time to the assigned duties of their associateship, their course work, and

their thesis/dissertation research. It is expected that students supported by University

funds WILL NOT hold other regular employment during their appointments as GTAs or

GRAs. Agreeing to this stipulation is considered a condition for accepting a GTA or

GRA appointment.

3. Program Requirements

All students must meet credit hour requirements as defined by the graduate school,

graded credit/course requirements as defined by the School of Earth Sciences,

complete a written thesis (M.S.) or dissertation (Ph.D.), and defend their work orally.

Ph.D. students much also pass candidacy exams. A summary of all University degree

requirements, including credit hours, is provided in the Graduate School Handbook

(GSH Sec. 6 (M.S.) or Sec. 7 (Ph.D.)).

3.a Advisors and Thesis/Dissertation Advisory Committees

M.S. Program

An M.S. student should seek an advisor during the first semester of residence and no

later than the end of the second semester. Until the student has an advisor, a member

of the GSC will act in that capacity. If necessary, the Chair of the Graduate Studies

Committee will provide advice on coursework and help in the selection of a research

area and an advisor.

The advisor and M.S. student will choose two additional faculty members to serve on

the M.S. Advisory Committee (GSH Sec. 6.2). At least one committee member is

recommended from outside the student’s immediate area of research, as determined by

the advisor and student. This committee is expected to serve in a capacity to advise and

approve the thesis proposal, the thesis, and the final oral exam. Substitutions are

permitted when it becomes necessary.

Ph.D. Program

A Ph.D. student will usually have identified an area of proposed research and contacted

potential faculty advisors at the time of application to the program and no later than the

time of initial registration. A student has until the end of the second semester of

registration to select an area of research, by which time they also should have obtained

the consent of a faculty member to serve as their Ph.D. advisor.

The student’s Dissertation Advisory Committee should be established by the advisor

and the student before the end of the second semester of registration. The student’s

Dissertation Advisory Committee is composed of at least four authorized Graduate

Faculty members at Ohio State, who will also serve as the student’s formal Candidacy

Examination Committee as recognized by the Graduate School at Ohio State (GSH

Sec. 7.3.5). It is recommended that the fourth member shall be from outside the

student’s immediate area of specialization (as determined by their research advisor).

Note that the School of Earth Sciences requires an additional member not required by

the Graduate School. This committee is expected to serve in a capacity to advise and

approve the dissertation proposal, administer the candidacy exam, and advise and

approve the dissertation. This committee, together with an external member as

assigned by the Graduate School will administer the final oral exam. Substitutions are

permitted when it becomes necessary.

Membership of Committees

Graduate Faculty Eligibility is determined by the Graduate School and may include

tenure-track faculty and emeritus faculty who have retained Graduate Faculty status

(GSH Sec. 12). Associated Faculty (e.g., adjuncts at Ohio State, or faculty at other

universities) can serve on the Candidacy Examination Committee upon approval and

petition to the GSC and Graduate School, but do not count as 1 of the 4 required

Graduate Faculty members for the Candidacy Examination (GSH Sec. 7.3).

For Ph.D. committees, the Graduate School rules for the student’s formal Dissertation

Committee (GSH Sec. 7.8) requires only 3 members with Graduate Faculty status, and

the 4

member may be an External Member (GSH 7.9) by approval of the Graduate

School (adjunct appointments are not needed).

Meetings with Committees

The Graduate Studies Committee recommends that each student meet with their

committee members individually prior to submission of the proposal. Annual committee

meetings are recommended, and additional individual or committee meetings may be

scheduled as appropriate, especially if the focus of the research proposal changes.

3.b Course and Credit-hour Requirements

A minimum of 30 graduate semester credit hours is required for the Master’s degree

(GSH Sec. 6.1) and 80 graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree for the

Ph.D. (GSH Sec. 7.1). Ph.D. students who have earned a M.S. degree at another

institution may be able to transfer a total of 30 semester credits earned as part of a

Master’s degree toward the 80 hours, leaving a total of 50 credits needed (GSH Sec.

7.1).

Graded credit hour requirements: Of the Graduate School’s credit hour requirements,

the School of Earth Sciences requires that at least 20 credits be relevant graded

coursework (not S/U). A Ph.D. student’s coursework must include at least 4 graded

credits of 8000-level seminars at Ohio State, counted as part of the 20-minimum graded

hours.

Ph.D. students who have earned a M.S. degree at another institution may transfer a

total of 10 graded credits earned as part of a Master’s degree (included in the 30 total

credits hours transferred; see above paragraph) toward the 20 graded hours, leaving a

total of 10 graded graduate credits needed.

Under exceptional circumstances, the Graduate Studies Committee will consider

petitions requesting modifications to the required number of graded credit hours.

In consultation with the student’s advisor and the student’s committee, a student will

design a course of study appropriate to the field of specialization. An informal planning

tool, The Program Approval Form, found on the GSC Carmen site, is recommended to

help in this process. This will serve as a guide for the completion of the credit-hour

requirements of the graduate program.

For graduate credit, courses must be listed at the 5000-level or above within the Earth

Sciences, or 4000-level or above if the course is listed outside of the student’s home

program and is taught by a faculty member. Note that courses numbered 4000-4999

must be approved before the student begins taking the course (GSH Sec. 4). Courses

numbered at the 3999-level or below, or courses offered at the 4000-4999 level in the

student’s own academic unit do NOT count as graduate credit

Course loads for full-time graduate students (GHS Sec. 3.1):

Grad student status

Minimum per semester

Maximum per semester

50% or greater GTA or

GRA AND M.S. or pre-

candidacy Ph.D.

8: Autumn and Spring

4: Summer; 0 if unfunded

for the summer.

18*: Autumn and Spring

12*: Summer

Fellowship/trainee AND

M.S. or pre-candidacy

Ph.D.

12: Autumn and Spring

6: Summer

18*: Autumn and Spring

12*: Summer

International M.S. and pre-

candidacy Ph.D. without

GRA, GTA, Fellowship or

Trainee Appointment

8: Autumn and Spring

4: Summer

18*: Autumn and Spring

12*: Summer

Students without GRA,

GTA, Fellowship or

Trainee Appointment

during the semesters: of

the General Exam, the

Final Oral Examination,

and expected graduation

(GSH Sec. 6.2/7.1.6).

3: Autumn, Spring,

Summer

18*: Autumn and Spring

12*: Summer

All post-candidacy Ph.D.,

including international,

regardless of funding

status

3: Autumn and Spring

3: Summer if on a GRA/

GTA

3**: Autumn and Spring

3**: Summer if on a GRA/

GTA

We recommend all students enroll in the maximum number of credits each term to

ensure they meet minimum credit hour requirements for graduation. When graded

course credit are less than the maximum, students should enroll in additional credit of

EARTHSC 7998 (M.S.) or 8998 (Ph.D.) prior to proposal approval or EARTHSC 7999

(M.S.) or 8999 (Ph.D.) once the proposal is approved.

*Graduate students may not enroll in more than 18 credit hours per semester (12 in the

Summer semester) without Graduate School approval.

**Post-candidacy Ph.D. students may register for more than the minimum of 3 credit

hours only if approved in advance by the advisor (if a GRA) or the Graduate Studies

Committee (if a GTA) because of the budgetary resource implications of higher tuition

for enrolling in more than 3 credit hours

Minimum and maximum course loads for other situations can be found:

https://gradsch.osu.edu/pursuing-your-degree/course-registration

3.c Thesis or Dissertation Proposal

All students must submit a written proposal of their thesis/dissertation research to be

approved by their advisor, the members of their Advisory Committee, and the GSC.

The proposal must briefly outline an original research problem (3 to 5 pages for the

M.S.; 5-9 pages for the Ph.D. not including title page and references). The M.S.

proposal is due before the end of the second semester. The Ph.D. proposal must be

completed before the candidacy exam, which must be complete before the end of the

second year of enrollment.

The proposal must include: (1) title page, which includes the list of Advisory Committee

members and their signature upon document approval, (2) a statement on the nature

and significance of the research and hypothesis statements to be tested, (3) description

of the procedures to be employed, (4) projected timetable for completion of the project,

and (5) estimated budget (including total stipend and tuition; fieldwork costs; analytical

costs and technician time; computer hardware and software costs, etc.). Anticipated

and/or potential sources of funds for the research must be identified for all budget

categories. See “Guidelines for M.S. Thesis & Ph.D. Dissertation” in Appendix A.

It is normal for the student and their advisor to work together to develop a proposal and

that the advisor approves the proposal for circulation to the remainder of the committee.

Other members of the Thesis (M.S.)/Dissertation(Ph.D.) Committee will review and

approve the proposal with their signature, and the approved proposal will be submitted

to the Graduate Coordinator via the GSC Carmen site. One member of the GSC will

review the proposal with respect to science plan, timetable, and budget, and if the

proposal is acceptable to the GSC, then it will be included in the student’s advising file.

Significant changes to the approved proposed research should be approved by the

Advisory Committee and the GSC.

3.d Candidacy (Ph.D. Only) GSH Sec. 7.3-7.5

Following approval of the Dissertation Proposal, a Ph.D. student must then pass a

Candidacy Examination to be admitted to candidacy for the Doctoral degree. The

Candidacy Examination is administered by the student’s Advisory Committee

(Dissertation Committee) composed of at least four authorized Graduate Faculty

members at Ohio State as described in Section 3a.

The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination includes both a preliminary written portion (GSH

Sec. 7.4) and an oral part (GSH Sec. 7.5). The Ph.D. Candidacy Examination should be

completed no later than the end of the second year of enrollment in the Ph.D. Program

for students who earned an M.S. prior to doctoral studies (after approval of the

Proposal). A student who entered the doctoral program directly from a Bachelor’s

degree or transferred to the doctoral program before completion of the M.S. degree

should also take the candidacy examination at the end of the second year, but this

could potentially be delayed to the start of the 3

year if the student has not yet

completed the required 20 graded credit hours. A part-time student should complete the

Candidacy Examination once their graded credit hour requirements have been met.

The student must be in good standing during the semester of the Candidacy Exam, and

the student becomes a Ph.D. candidate on successful completion of the oral Candidacy

Examination (GSH Sec. 7.3.4).

3.d.1. Ph.D. Candidacy Examination Format

The Candidacy Examination shall test the student in the chosen field of dissertation

research and related fields. The School of Earth Sciences process is as follows (GSH

Sec. 7.3-7.5):

(1) A preliminary written Candidacy exam: The written portion of the Candidacy

Examination is determined by the student’s advisor in consultation with the Advisory

Committee and can vary from open or closed book/note exams on campus (typically on

the order of 4 hours in length) to take home exams. Typically, each member of the

Advisory Committee will provide the student’s advisor with a list of questions for the

written exam and instructions for completing the exam.

(2) An oral exam. The oral Candidacy Examination adheres to the format, principles and

policies those of the Graduate School as set out in the Graduate School Handbook

(GSH Sec. 7.5).

If the written or oral portions of the Candidacy examination must be repeated, it should

be retaken during the semester following the first examination.

3.d.2 Post-Candidacy Credit Hours and Continuous Enrollment

After advancing to Candidacy a student must maintain continuous enrollment of 3

credits each semester until graduation not including Summer (GSH Sec. 3.1.3 and

7.7.3). Note that this 3-credit requirement for full time student status is lower than pre-

Candidacy minimums, and thus has the benefit of allowing the student, advisor, and/or

unit to conserve budget resources used on tuition.

3.e Thesis/Dissertation (GSH Sec 6.4 (M.S.); Sec. 7.8 (Ph.D.))

Each M.S. student must complete a Master’s thesis (GSH Sec. 6.4), that describes the

results of an original research project. Each Ph.D. candidate must complete a

dissertation that presents the results of an independent, original research project that is

a scholarly contribution to the sciences (GSH Sec. 7.8).

The student must submit a draft of the completed dissertation to the student’s

Thesis/Dissertation Committee (GSH 7.9) for review at least two weeks before the final

oral exam. Approval of the thesis/dissertation draft means that the members of the

committee judge it to be of sufficient merit to warrant holding the Final Oral

Examination. Committee members submit their approval via Gradforms

(http://gradforms.osu.edu/).

The final document must be prepared according to the guidelines described in the

“Graduate School Guidelines for Formatting Theses, Dissertations, and D.M.A.

Documents”.

3.f Application to Graduate

The Graduate School maintains a checklist of Final Semester Procedures

(https://gradsch.osu.edu/final-semester-procedures-and-timelines). The Application to

Graduate form, for example, must be submitted to the Graduate School using

http://gradforms.osu.edu/ by the Graduate School deadline, which is generally the third

Friday of the semester in which a student wishes to graduate (GSH Sec. 6.5; 7.12).

Submitting this application signals that the student plans to complete all degree

requirements that semester or summer term. If requirements are not met, the form can

be re-submitted in a subsequent semester. There is no penalty if a student submits the

Application to Graduate but does not actually graduate; in other words, students should

submit an Application to Graduate if there is a chance that they will graduate during a

particular semester. The form must be submitted by the student and approved by the

advisor and the Graduate Studies Committee Chair.

3.g Final Oral Examination

After completion of the M.S. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation, candidates must complete a

Final Oral Examination, which may include questions on both the research and other

aspects of the graduate training not related to the thesis (GSH Sec. 6.2). The Final Oral

Examination Committee is made up of the candidate’s Advisory committee (Sec 3.a).

Ph.D. exams committees also include a Graduate Faculty Representative (GSH 7.9), as

assigned by the Graduate School.

3.g.1 Scheduling the Final Oral Examination

Students are encouraged to schedule their exams with all members of their committee

as soon as possible, usually several months before their anticipated defense. The

student should meet with each committee member at that time to establish that the

thesis/dissertation is far enough along to schedule the exam. To schedule your defense,

you should contact your committee and propose several dates that would work for your

defense. When you have identified a date, you should submit the proposed date

through Gradforms (http://gradforms.osu.edu/). You also should book a room (a 3-hour

block, starting half an hour before the scheduled time) in SES for your exam

(https://earthsciences.osu.edu/internal/room-reservation).

Ph.D. Students only: The Graduate School requires that the Dissertation Advisory

Committee has approved the dissertation document two weeks before the final oral

examination (GSH Sec. 7.9). Therefore, members of the Dissertation Committee

should ideally be given three weeks to read the thesis prior to the final oral

examination. The reading copy of the dissertation should be complete (i.e., with table

of contents, illustrations, references, etc.). In addition, the Graduate Faculty

Representative must receive a copy of the exam for review and approval no less than

one week before the final oral examination (GSH Sec. 7.9).

Masters students only: Members of the Advisory Committee must be given at least

two weeks to read a final version of the thesis or dissertation prior to the final

oral examination (GSH Sec 7.9). The reading copy should be complete (i.e., with table

of contents, text, illustrations, references, etc.).

For all Graduate Students: Approximately one week before the Final Oral Examination,

you (or your advisor) should send an open invitation for the public portion of your

dissertation to all faculty and students of the School of Earth Sciences and other

interested individuals. The announcement should include the time, place, the title and

the abstract of the thesis/dissertation. Two days before the defense, you should remind

your committee about the location, day, and time of your defense in an email.

3.g.2 Conduct of Final Oral Examination

The presentation of the research at the Final Oral Examination in the School of Earth

Sciences is open to all faculty and students, but only the Final Oral Examination

Committee is present for the formal examination, discussion of the student’s

performance, and the decision about the outcome of the exam. The advisor chairs the

examination (GSH Sec. 6.2/7.9), and the duration of the final oral examination is no

more than 2 hours (GSH Sec. 6.2/7.9).

The final oral exam enables the student to present research results and engage in

discussion of these and other topics before an audience of mentors, teachers and the

student’s peer group, as well as responding to formal questioning by the Final Oral

Examination Committee.

All members of the Final Oral Examination Committee must be present (in person or via

video) during the entire examination. All committee members are expected to participate

fully in questioning during the course of the examination and in the discussion of, and

decision on, the result (GSH Sec. 6.2/7.9).

Format for the M.S./Ph.D. Final Oral Examination:

1. Brief introduction of the degree candidate; the candidate’s committee; the Graduate

School Representative (Ph.D. exams only); and a welcome to all other faculty, students,

and guests. The introduction and welcome shall be conducted by the candidate’s

advisor.

2. A 20- to 30-minute brief synopsis of the thesis/dissertation research will be presented

by the candidate.

3. Questions addressed to the candidate by non-committee members shall take no

more than 15 minutes. All but the candidate, the Final Oral Examination Committee, and

the Graduate School Representative (Ph.D. exams only) are excused at the conclusion

of this portion of the Final Oral Examination.

4. Questions are addressed to the M.S./Ph.D. candidate by the Exam Committee,

including the Graduate School Representative (Ph.D. exams only). The candidate is

excused at the completion of this portion of the exam (2 total hours from the start of

introductions).

5. A brief meeting of the candidate’s committee, with the Graduate School

Representative (Ph.D. students only), to consider action on the Graduate School Final

Oral Examination and Thesis/Dissertation forms. Decisions taken are then immediately

announced to the candidate.

3.g.3 Final Approval

Each examiner indicates judgment by electronically signing the Final Oral Examination

Report form using gradforms.osu.edu that must be submitted to the Graduate School no

later than the posted deadline for the semester or summer session of graduation.

All students must submit an approved final copy of the thesis/dissertation to the

Graduate School (GSH Sec. 6.4/7.11).

Good Standing and Reasonable Progress

Completion of the M.S. is expected within two years. A Ph.D. student is expected to

complete all requirements for their degree within five years of the semester following

successful completion of the Candidacy Examination (GSH Sec. 7.7.7). If the final oral

exam is not taken within five years of admission to Candidacy, the Candidacy

Examination must be retaken (GSH Sec. 7.7.9). Reasonable progress for completion of

the Master’s degree is two calendar years (six semesters including summers) after

initial registration in the graduate program.

Reasonable progress and good standing include:

1. Maintaining a 3.0 grade point average.

2. Meeting the course load requirements of the Graduate School (GSH Sec. 3.1).

3. Having an M.S. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation proposal approved by the Advisory

Committee and GSC by the end of the second semester (M.S.) or second calendar year

(Ph.D.) of enrollment.

4. Submitting your annual report to the GSC.

5. (Ph.D. students only) Takes the Candidacy Examination within the prescribed time.

6. Making appropriate progress on the thesis/dissertation research.

See the section “Reasonable Progress” in the Graduate School Handbook (GSH Sec.

5.4).

A student must remain in good standing and register for at least one credit hour (not

including summer), to maintain office space and to use University facilities.

Monitoring Student Progress (M.S. and Ph.D.)

A student must submit an annual Student Activity Report to their advisor for approval.

The form will be made available on the Graduate Student course on Carmen. The due

date, generally late February, will be communicated annually by the Graduate Studies

Chair. This will give the GSC time to review reports prior to conclusion of the Spring

Semester. Only students who have submitted a report by the deadline are eligible for

Spring Banquet awards.

Leave of Absence:

Graduate students are eligible for a leave of absence without forfeiting their progress to

degree should circumstances arise that a student requires time off. Please consult with

the GSH (Appendix F) and the Grad Studies Chair as soon as possible.

3.g.4 Lack of Reasonable Progress (M.S. and Ph.D.)

Initial Letter (internal to SES)

Any graduate student who fails to meet a deadline for reasonable progress will

receive a warning letter from the GSC after the deadline has passed. A copy of

this letter will also be sent to the student’s advisor. This letter will state the

following:

1. The student is not making reasonable progress according to the guidelines.

2. The Graduate School may be notified that the student has failed to make

reasonable progress.

3. The Chair of the GSC may request an immediate meeting with the student and

the advisor to determine the reasons for lack of reasonable progress.

Formal Warning (involving Grad School) (GSH 5.4)

If the GSC determines that the student and advisor are unable to address the lack of

reasonable progress, the GSC will issue a second letter to the student and the advisor.

The purpose of this letter is to:

1. Issue a formal warning to the student that the student is not making reasonable

progress according to the School’s guidelines, and specify a definite deadline (usually

the last day of that semester) by which the student must complete the required action

(e.g., submit a thesis or dissertation proposal or take the Candidacy Examination).

2. Inform the student that a formal request will be made to the Graduate School to

block further registration unless the student completes the required action by the

specified deadline.

The Graduate School can place a hold on registrations of students who fail to make

Reasonable Progress as defined by these guidelines (GSH Sec. 5.4). Under University

Rules, a student denied registration cannot be employed as a GTA or a GRA. According

to the rules of the School’s Graduate Program, such students also may neither maintain

office space nor use any facilities.

Reinstatement

Graduate School rules require that a student who has received formal warning about

lack of reasonable progress, as described above, must apply to the GSC to be

reinstated in the graduate program after the requirements for reasonable progress have

been met (GSH Sec. 5.6). The GSC further requires that such an application should

include a formal letter from the student’s advisor supporting the petition.

Variances and Exceptions

A student may have valid reasons for not making reasonable progress (e.g., serious

medical or mental health disruptions, unexpected lengthy absence of the advisor from

campus, pregnancy). A non-traditional student may not be able to take a normal course

load for reasons of full-time work or other commitments outside the University. In such

cases, students cannot be expected to meet the guidelines for reasonable progress,

and the student should petition the GSC in writing for an extension of the deadlines.

This petition should give the reasons why such an extension is needed. The petition

must be accompanied by a planned timetable for completion and also be supported in

writing by the student’s advisor. Variances from the policies over which the graduate

faculty in the School of Earth Sciences has control, may be granted by the GSC in

response to a petition from a student and faculty advisor, as outlined in the GSH.

4. Transfer to the Ph.D. program from the M.S. program

4.a Without completion of the M.S. degree

Students who initially enroll as M.S. students in the School of Earth Sciences may

petition the GSC committee to transfer to the Ph.D. program without completion of the

M.S. degree. This process is reserved for students who make an exceptional start in

their graduate research and can establish their ability to do Ph.D.-level research early in

their time as a graduate student. A petition to the GSC must occur within 18 months of

starting the M.S. program. The petition must include a letter from the student requesting

the conversion, including a description of their research and a CV listing of their

accomplishments (papers, meeting abstracts, awards). The petition must be

accompanied by a letter of support written by the student’s research advisor outlining

the evidence for Ph.D.-level abilities, and letters from 1-2 additional faculty who can

comment on their abilities.

Students granted a conversion from the M.S. to the Ph.D. program will be expected to

submit a dissertation proposal on the same schedule as other Ph.D. students based on

matriculation date, not their M.S. to Ph.D. conversion date. The qualifying examination

should be taken when sufficient coursework is completed that a student can reasonably

graduate if they adhere to the 3-credit post-candidacy minimum (more than 3 credits

can be taken post-candidacy, but this must be approved after discussion with the

advisor if a GRA and the GSC if a GTA).

If a student converted to the Ph.D. program or entered the Ph.D. program directly from

the B.S. and either fails to take the candidacy examination or fails the candidacy

examination, the student may reapply to the Graduate School to the M.S. program

(GSH Sec. 7.6.6). A M.S. thesis will remain a requirement for the M.S. degree.

If a student converted to the Ph.D. program or entered the Ph.D. program directly from

the B.S. and passed the candidacy examination but decides to terminate the doctoral

course of study, they may petition the Graduate Studies Committee, as described in the

Graduate School Handbook, to enter the M.S. program (GSH Sec. 7.6.6).

4.b With completion of the M.S. degree

Upon completion of the M.S. degree, a student is not automatically considered to be in

the Ph.D. program. Application to enter the Ph.D. program in the School of Earth

Sciences does not require re-application to the Graduate School for admission. Rather,

application is made in the form of a formal letter to the Graduate Studies Committee by

the student including a statement of progress in the M.S. program and plans for

completion of the M.S. degree; a statement of goals and career objectives; identification

of the anticipated area of Ph.D. research; and the name of the Earth Sciences Faculty

member in that area who is willing to serve as the Ph.D. advisor. In addition, the student

must submit three new letters of recommendation forwarded to the Graduate Studies

Committee. The letters may be from either the same or different recommenders as the

initial application and should comment on growth and achievements during the M.S.

program. The Graduate Studies Committee may decide to hold the application until

January/February when it will be judged along with other new applications for admission

during the subsequent Autumn semester.

Addressing Graduate Student Concerns

Personal communication between the Graduate Studies Committee members, advisors,

and students is strongly encouraged. Four graduate student representatives are non-

voting members of the GSC. New ideas, concerns, and compliments can be transmitted

to the GSC through the student representatives. Meetings between the Graduate

Studies Committee members and graduate students will be held if requested. When

such attempts at communication are not productive, students should seek advice from

the Office of Ombuds Service, https://ombuds.osu.edu/ and/or follow the Graduate

School’s Grievance review process (GSH Appendix D).

5. Terms, acronyms, links

GRA: Graduate Research Assistant

GSH: Graduate Studies Handbook (gradsch.osu.edu/handbook). Applies to all graduate

students at Ohio State.

GTA: Graduate Teaching Assistant

GSC: Graduate Studies Committee. The School of Earth Sciences graduate studies

committee, made up of a Chair, 4 faculty members, and 4 graduate students

Grad studies Carmen course:

osu.instructure.com/courses/77396

Course registration instructions: https://gradsch.osu.edu/pursuing-your-degree/course-

registration.

Checklist of Final Semester Procedures: https://gradsch.osu.edu/final-semester-

procedures-and-timelines.

Forms for candidacy, graduation, oral exams, petitions: http://gradforms.osu.edu/

Appendix A: Guidelines for Master’s Thesis and Ph.D. Dissertation Proposals

Graduate students should begin investigating potential research areas and discussing

the feasibility of possible topics with appropriate faculty as soon as is practical after

beginning their graduate careers. The ideal situation would be for a student to have

chosen the general research area and to have received an indication from a faculty

member that they would be willing to serve as advisor to the student before the end of

the first semester in residence. It is recognized that commonly this will not occur until

the second quarter in residence.

Under the guidelines for “Normal Progress”, a M.S. student must have an approved

Thesis Proposal completed by the end of the

second semester

or, for a Ph.D. student

a completed Dissertation Proposal by the end of the

second year

(4 semesters) at

OSU.

Only members of the Graduate Faculty (Status M (M.S.) or P (M.S. or Ph.D.)) can serve

as advisors. All regular faculty in the School of Earth Sciences qualify, as well as

Emeritus faculty who have petitioned to retain Graduate Faculty status. Associated

faculty, including adjuncts, may serve on master’s and doctoral examination committees

upon petition by the Graduate Studies Committee of the student’s program and

approval by the Graduate School; however they do not count towards the Graduate

School minimum requirements for Graduate Faculty (2 for the M.S. Examination

Committee, 4 for the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam, and 3 for the Final Ph.D. Oral

Examination).

To formalize this agreement between the student and faculty advisor, the School

requires that a Thesis/Dissertation Proposal be submitted to the Graduate Studies

Committee for its approval.

The procedure for preparing and submitting the proposal is given below. It is expected

that the text of the M.S. proposal will be approximately 3 to 5 pages, not including

references. The Ph.D. proposal is expected to be approximately 5 to 9 pages, not

including references.

1. The student develops a proposal that meets the approval of their advisor and

addresses the following points:

a. nature and significance of the problem;

b. hypotheses to be tested

c. description of the procedures the student will use to test the hypothesis;

d. timetable for the work; and

e. estimated budget which shall include; i) stipend, tuition and its duration and

anticipated source of funds (GRA, GTA); ii) analytical costs and technician time; iii)

computer hardware and software costs; iv) fieldwork costs; v) conference costs etc.

2.The student in conjunction with their advisor selects two additional faculty members

for an M.S. (note that this minimum of 3 Committee members is 1 greater than the

Graduate School minimum of 2), or three additional faculty members for a Ph.D., who

are willing to serve on the committee and who approve the written proposal. All faculty

committee members must approve the proposal by either (i) signing the cover page of

the proposal or (ii) indicating approval on the Graduate Student course page on

Carmen. The student submits the proposal on the Grad Studies Carmen site for the

Graduate Studies Committee to approve.

3.The Graduate Studies Committee will review the proposal, after which they may a)

return the proposal to the student for clarification, amplification, or rewriting, or b)

approve the proposal as written. Approval of the proposal is accompanied by filing of

the proposal in the student’s folder in the School’s Graduate Records Drive, and

notification of the student of these actions. It shall be incumbent upon the Graduate

Studies Committee to take action on Thesis/Dissertation Proposals as quickly as

possible when they are submitted during the regular academic year.

For a student in the M.S. program, the committee will serve as the Master’s

Examination committee. The Ph.D. student’s committee will serve as the Ph.D.

Candidacy Examination committee, and typically the Ph.D. Final Examination

committee (although changes can be made between candidacy and the final thesis

defense). If a member of such a committee cannot be present for any Examination, the

Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee should be informed and in consultation with

the student’s advisor, a substitute for the Examination will be appointed.

Appendix B:

Guidelines for Entering the Ph.D. Program with completion of the School of Earth

Sciences M.S. Program

Except for “special” and “non-degree” graduate students (who do not intend to pursue a

graduate degree), students admitted to the Graduate School have graduate standing in

a particular degree program of an academic unit. In the School of Earth Sciences, this

means either the M.S. or the Ph.D. degree program. In its review of new applications for

graduate study in the School of Earth Sciences, the Graduate Studies Committee

considers the stated degree program before making a recommendation on admission.

A graduate student admitted to the Master’s degree program in the School of Earth

Sciences is expected to work towards the M.S. degree. Upon completion of the M.S.

degree, a student is not automatically considered to be in the Ph.D. program even

though continued course registration is permitted by the Graduate School. Program

status is changed by notification of the Graduate School by the Graduate Studies

Committee that the student has been admitted to the Ph.D. program. Requests for

admission to the Ph.D. program in the School of Earth Sciences must be made through

the Graduate Studies Committee, as described below.

Application to enter the Ph.D. program in the School of Earth Sciences does not require

re-application to the Graduate School for admission. Rather, application is made in the

form of:

1. a formal letter to the Graduate Studies Committee by the student. The letter also

should include: a statement of progress in the M.S. program and plans for completion of

the M.S. degree; a statement of goals and career objectives; identification of the

anticipated area of Ph.D. research; and the name of the Earth Sciences Faculty

member in that area who is willing to serve as the Ph.D. advisor.

2. new letters of recommendation forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee which

should comment on growth and achievements during the M.S. program. The applicant

must request recommendation letters from three School of Earth Sciences Graduate

Faculty, one of whom is the potential Ph.D. advisor.

In its evaluation, the Graduate Studies Committee will consider these new materials and

the applicant’s graduate work and performance in this school, along with the other

credentials required of all applicants (e.g., prior or updated GRE scores if submitted,

undergraduate transcripts) previously submitted for entrance into the M.S. program.

The Graduate Studies Committee may decide to review the student’s application in

December/January along with all other new Ph.D. applications for Autumn semester.

This is because the M.S. student from SES may wish to be considered for GTA support

just like the other applicants.

After review of the application, the Graduate Studies Committee will inform the applicant

by letter of its decision to recommend, or not to recommend, admission to the Ph.D.

program. In the former case the Committee will recommend by letter to the Graduate

School that the student be recognized as a Ph.D. student. This letter may indicate

certain “conditions” to be satisfied, such as successful completion of the M.S. before

admission into the Ph.D. program or other requirements, as is done for all “external”

applications. Additionally, this letter will inform the Graduate School whether credits

earned as a Master’s student should be counted toward the Ph.D. credit-hour

requirements.

It is inappropriate to apply for entrance to the Ph.D. program until significant progress

has been made toward completion of the M.S. requirements (e.g., coursework and

progress on thesis research).