Degree Requirements
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Although each student designs a unique degree program in consultation with a special committee, there is a set of minimum requirements for graduate degrees in Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology. These requirements include the following components:
Graduate School requirements
(Graduate School requirements are describedin detail in the Guide to Graduate Study)
Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology requirements
Summary of degree requirements
The Special Committee
Cornell graduate students develop their own programs, including coursework and independent research, through consultation with and approval by their special committees. Each student forms his or her own special committee, comprising faculty members that represent the student’s academic interests. Members of the special committee determine the courses a student must take, based on the student’s previous training, experience, and goals. They also counsel the student concerning the selection and completion of a thesis research problem, and judge whether the student’s knowledge and aptitude for, and ability to do, research are at levels commensurate with the degree being sought. A student may reformulate his or her committee at almost any time.
Each committee is composed of a chairperson chosen by the student from the major field, and others chosen from each minor field selected by the student. Minor subjects and minor advisors are typically chosen in consultation with the chairperson of the Special Committee. Ph.D. students must have a minimum of two minors, at least one of which must be outside of the Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology. M.S. students must have a minimum of one minor subject, preferably outside of the field. Thus, the minimum number of committee members is three for a Ph.D. and two for an M.S. Additional advisors, who serve as optional members, may be selected from any Field. Any member of the Graduate Faculty, however, may contribute to a student’s progress and is available for consultation.
Temporary Special Committee: New students in the Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology form a temporary special committee in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) before or soon after their arrival on campus. This committee will comprise three faculty members from the field; their role is to get the student started on her/his graduate studies, therefore, their first task is to conduct a Prescriptive Interview with the new student before the student’s first semester to determine an appropriate program of study for the first year. By the end of the second semester, each student is expected to form a special committee of his/her choice, complete with minor member(s). The new committee may include all new members, or members from the temporary committee may be retained at the student’s discretion.
Independent Thesis Research
Successful achievement of independent research is central to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, and is documented by completion of a thesis (M.S.) or dissertation (Ph.D.). Research for these degrees is typically conducted under the direction of the special committee chairperson, with additional guidance from the entire committee. The special committee judges whether the student has accomplished scholarly research commensurate with the degree sought.
Examinations
Students must successfully pass examinations for each degree. For the M.S., the student must pass a final exam based on research presented on his or her thesis. For the Ph.D., students must pass two exams. The admission to candidacy exam (the A-exam) is a comprehensive exam and is designed to test whether the student has the ability and proper preparation to continue to pursue the Ph.D. The A-exam is expected to take place sometime near the end of the fourth semester, and no later than the beginning of the fifth semester. The second exam is the B-exam. This exam is based primarily on the research in the dissertation. In all cases, the special committee judges the student’s performance; for the A-exam, additional members are appointed by the field to evaluate the student in conjunction with the special committee.
Residency
Each student is required to earn two residence units for an M.S. and six units for a Ph.D. One unit is earned for each semester of satisfactory full-time study on campus.
Coursework
Plant Pathology courses: All students in the Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology are required to take the following four Core Courses, preferably during the first year:
- PlPa 301 Biology and Management of Plant Diseases, 3 credits, Fall
- PlPa 470 Professional Skills in Plant Science, 2 credits, Fall
- PlPa 601 Concepts of Plant Pathology, 3 credits, Spring
- PlPa 602 Biology of Plant Pathogens, 3 credits, Spring
Students with prior coursework in plant pathology may petition to be exempt from taking PlPa 301 (see below).
Beyond the core courses, students are also expected to master a body of knowledge in plant pathology in a chosen Program Area. Degrees are awarded on the basis of the level of scientific competence, knowledge attained, and research accomplishments, not on the number of course credits accumulated. Active participation in discussions of current literature, e.g., in Special Topics courses, is expected of students during their degree program.
Minor subjects: Students select minor fields of study (one for the M.S. degree, two for the Ph.D. degree) to broaden their expertise. To satisfy requirements for minor subjects, students usually must take additional courses, as determined by the special committee. Minor fields chosen by Plant Pathology students vary considerably; the most common minors for Plant Pathology students are listed in the different program areas. For Ph.D. students, at least one of the minors must be in a subject in the life sciences or physical sciences outside of the Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology.
Seminar presentations
There are two different seminar-presentation experiences required in the Field of Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology. The Graduate Student Seminar (PlPa 682) is a forum for presenting research proposals and progress reports, where students develop their presentation skills. Presentations are required annually for all students except in the first and last years of study. Second-year students present their thesis/dissertation proposals in the Fall semester. During the student’s last year, she/he gives a formal presentation on finished research to the entire department, in either Ithaca or Geneva. One department seminar is required for each degree earned at Cornell. Students are expected to attend both seminar series throughout their studies.
Teaching
Each student must participate in the Plant Pathology teaching program as a teaching assistant for at least one semester for each degree earned at Cornell. Alternatively, students may satisfy this requirement by being a teaching assistant for an introductory biology course.
Annual student assessment
Near the end of the first academic year, before June 15, each student must convene a special committee meeting to evaluate her/his progress to date and to provide guidance for the summer term and following academic year. In addition to special committee members, two additional field members will be appointed by the DGS to participate in the evaluation. The committee will discuss performance on coursework, research and plans for further thesis/dissertation research.
At the end of subsequent academic years, each student is expected to complete a self-assessment form, in consultation with the special committee chairperson, describing his or her progress and plans on coursework and research. The completed assessment must be submitted to the DGS.
Exceptions or exemptions
A student may petition the DGS for exemption from any of the requirements stated above. Petitions must be made in writing, with written endorsement from the student’s special committee chairperson.
Summary of degree requirements in Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology:
| Requirement | MS | PhD |
|---|---|---|
| Prescriptive interview | X | X |
| Special committee | X | X |
| Number of minors | 1 | 2 |
| All four cores courses | X | X |
| Thesis or dissertation | X | X |
| Final exam | X | |
| Admission to candidacy exam | X | |
| B-exam | X | |
| Graduate student seminar (PlPa 682) | X | X |
| Departmental seminar presentations | X | X |
| Teaching experience | X | X |
| Residency units | 2 | 6 |
| Annual student assessment | X | X |
Potato leaf with late blight lesions.