Graduate Student Requirements

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This section outlines the requirements FER graduate students must meet and the process that should be followed in order for a degree to be obtained.

Masters Graduation Requirements

In addition to fulfilling NCSU Graduate School requirements and individual program requirements, graduate students pursuing thesis or non-thesis Masters degrees in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources must:

Submit all outstanding transcripts showing post-secondary coursework attempted and degree(s) conferred to the Graduate School.
Sign and submit a Patent Agreement to the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP).
Submit a Plan of Work to the DGP. A Plan of Work (PoW) is an informal contract between the student and his or her graduate advisory committee and it includes the naming of this advisory committee. The PoW must be completed before half of all required courses have been taken. Once a PoW is approved, it serves as a record of what is required of the student for the duration of his or her program.
Take a one-credit research methodology course (currently FOR603/FOR803) as early in their degree program as possible.
Take the departmental seminar at least once (currently FOR601/801) - for all students starting their program in Fall 2008 or later.
Be continuously enrolled until they graduate (taking care to register for appropriate courses when it comes to upper 600- level classes).
Meet all Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources requirements.
Present a departmental seminar that summarizes their project (non-thesis candidates) or summarizes their thesis research. Seminars are normally presented as the first portion of the final oral exam.
Submit an approved thesis/dissertation (per the Thesis and Dissertation Guide) to the thesis editor of the Graduate School.
Complete all degree requirements within the limits set by the Graduate School, beginning with the date they begin courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the degree program.
Attain a GPA of at least 3.00 for graduate course work at NC State as a requirement for graduation.

For a detailed description of requirements of the Graduate School for all advanced degree programs at NC State, please review the on-line NC State Graduate Administrative Handbook. Chapter 4 is particularly important.

PhD Graduation Requirements

All PhD in Forestry students must:

Provide transcripts showing any or all post-secondary coursework attempted and degrees conferred.
Sign and submit a Patent Agreement to the Director of Graduate Programs (DGP).
Identify an advisory committee to be appointed by the Graduate Dean upon the recommendation of the DGP.
Select a dissertation subject and submit an outline of proposed research to the advisory committee for review and approval.
Submit a Plan of Graduate Work with input from the advisory committee, to be approved by the DGP and submitted to the Graduate School for approval. This must be done as soon as is feasible after completion of 12 hours of course work.
Take a one-credit research methodology course (currently FOR603/FOR803) as early in their degree program as possible.
Take the departmental seminar at least once (currently FOR601/801) - for all students starting their program in Fall 2008 or later.
Serve as a Teaching Assistant for at least one course.
Pass written examinations in all major and minor fields (if required) no earlier than the end of the second year of graduate study and no later than one semester before the final oral examination. Results are reported to the Graduate School.
Following satisfactory completion of all required written examinations, submit a Request for Approval to Schedule the Doctoral Oral Examination to the DGP at least two weeks prior to the suggested date. The student and examining committee will be notified once the Graduate School approves the request.
Be admitted to candidacy after the DGP sends the report of the exam to the Graduate School and it has been passed without conditions within six years of the start of the program.
Submit a preliminary draft of their dissertation to the chair of the advisory committee for review.
Give a dissertation to advisory committee members for review at least two weeks prior to the final oral examination.
Submit a Request for Approval to Schedule the Doctoral Oral Examination, designating the final oral examination, to the DGP at least two weeks prior to its suggested date. This request should be submitted four or more months after admission to candidacy, and after the dissertation is complete (except for revisions triggered as a result of the final exam). Approval of this request must be granted by the Graduate School.
Have the dissertation reviewed and approved by the thesis editor of the Graduate School to insure that the format conforms to the specifications prescribed in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.
Submit the dissertation in the format and time frame required by the Graduate School.
Achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 to qualify for graduation.
Complete all degree requirements within ten calendar years, beginning with the date the student commenced courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the degree program.

All PhD forms can be found in downloadable format online

Remember:

You must also meet the specific requirements of the program you are enrolled in. These requirements can be found within each program’s description:

Credit Requirements for Graduate Degrees

Program	MF, MNR, MFW	MS	PhD
Continuous Fall/Spring enrollment required?	Yes*	Yes*	Yes*
Residence Credits	one academic year in residence as a grad student at NCSU	one academic year in residence as a grad student at NCSU	two residence credit points gained in continuous semesters' residence at NCSU, 6 semesters beyond the baccalaureate at NCSU
Credit Hours	Varies - see individual program	Varies - see individual program	72 hrs beyond baccalaureate
Transfer Credits**	up to 12 credits	up to 12 credits	up to 18 from MS from elsewhere or NCSU with break between programs, < 36 from NCSU MS if no break
Minimum registration for TAs/RAs/Fellows:	9 hrs in the first 3 semesters, not including summers, and 3 hrs in the fourth and thereafter	9 hrs in the first 3 semesters, not including summers, and 3 hrs in the fourth and thereafter	with relevant MS: 9 hrs in the first 6 semesters and 3 hrs per semester thereafter, not including summers. Without relevant MS: 9 hrs in the first 8 semesters and 3 hrs per semester thereafter, not including summers

* Leaves of absence are an exception to continuous registration. Leaves must be requested at least one month before the leave is to begin, initiated by student, endorsed by graduate advisory committee, endorsed by DGP, and approved by GS. Leave time counts in total program time limit.

** Course considered for transfer must be completed in post-baccalaureate classification at an accredited graduate school with a grade of "B" or better as documented by an official transcript and approved by the student's graduate committee.

Masters Advisory Committee Requirements

As a Masters candidate, your advisory committee consists of at least 3 people who are members of the Graduate Faculty. The chair must have an appointment in FER (or be a member of the Fisheries and Wildlife faculty if you are a candidate in that area). Regardless of your degree program, your other two advisory committee members may come from other departments at NC State.

You may also choose to ask a member of the Graduate Faculty at UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro or Duke University to serve on your advisory committee as one of your three committee members. As a thesis degree candidate, your advisory committee must include a faculty member with an appointment in the curriculum stated as your minor. In the case of an interdisciplinary minor, the minor representative must have an appointment in a department in which at least one of the courses counted toward the minor is taught.

Persons outside of these universities, including a technical advisor, can also be appointed as external members to your advisory committee, but they will not count toward your three required members. Typically these external members hold credentials similar to other members and participate in all aspects of the committee, including voting. A technical consultant or advisor may also be named in addition to your required committee members. He or she may not vote on the outcome of examinations, but can participate in examinations and may sign your thesis title page.

Doctoral Advisory Committee Requirements

Your PhD advisory committee must include four faculty members with appointments to the NC State Graduate Faculty. The chair must have an appointment in your major field and must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty. If co-chairs are designated, at least one of them must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty. One member of the committee must have an appointment in the curriculum that is your declared minor. If the minor is interdisciplinary, this committee member must have an appointment in the department in which at least one of the courses counted toward the minor is taught. You may also choose to ask a member of the Graduate Faculty at UNC Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro or Duke University to serve on your advisory committee as one of your four committee members. Persons outside of these universities can also be appointed as additional members to your advisory committee, but they will not count toward your four required members. Typically these external members hold credentials similar to other members and participate in all aspects of the committee, including voting.