Warner, Alden H.; B.A. (Maine), M.A., Ph.D. (Southern Illinois)—1965.
Thomas, Donovan D.; B.S. (Natal), M.S., Ph.D. (Florida)—1968.
M'Closkey, Robert T.; B.A. (U.C.L.A.), M.A. (California State), Ph.D. (U. of California)—1970.
Fackrell, Hugh B.; B.Sc., M.Sc. (Western Ontario), Ph.D. (Manitoba)—1974.
Cotter, David A.; B.S. (Penn State), M.S., Ph.D. (Wisconsin)—1975.
Ciborowski, Jan J. H.; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Toronto), Ph.D. (Alberta)—1984.
Haffner, G. Douglas; B.Sc. (Queen's), Ph.D. (London)—1986. (Director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research)
Lovett Doust, Jonathan N.; B.Sc. (Queen's), Ph.D. (Wales)—1988.
Lovett Doust, Lesley; B.Sc. (Edinburgh), Ph.D. (Wales)—1991.
Sale, Peter; B.Sc., M.A. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Hawaii)—1994. (Head of the Department)
Taylor, Paul; B.Sc. (George Williams, Chicago), Ph.D. (Toledo)—1975.
Dufresne, Michael J. P.; B.Sc. (York), Ph.D. (Alberta)—1976.
Weis, Ivan Michael; B.Sc. (Syracuse), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Iowa)—1976.
Corkum, Lynda D.; B.A., M.A. (Drake), Ph.D. (Toronto)—1987.
Zielinski, Barbara; B.Sc., M.Sc. (Waterloo), Ph.D. (Manitoba)—1990.
MacIsaac, Hugh J.; B.Sc. (Windsor), M.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Dartmouth)-1992
Leach, Joseph H.; B.Sc. (Toronto), M.Sc. (Guelph), Ph.D. (Aberdeen)—1993.
Weaver, Susan E.; B.A. (Boston), Ph.D. (Western Ontario)—1987.
Metcalfe, Christopher D.; B.Sc. (Manitoba), M.Sc. (New Brunswick), Ph.D. (McMaster)—1991.
Reynoldson, Trefor B.; B.Sc. (Leeds), M.Sc. (Calgary), Ph.D. (Lancaster)—1991.
Day, Kristin E.; B.Sc., M.Sc. (Waterloo), Ph.D. (Guelph)-1994
In addition to the general requirements outlined in 1.5, the following requirements must be met by all students proceeding to the Ph.D. degree.
Applicants with an honours degree in Biological Sciences or related field and who have been judged to be outstanding students may be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. Applicants holding an M.Sc. degree or equivalent from the University of Windsor or from another recognized university or college may be admitted to the Ph.D. program with advanced standing in course work as described below.
Course Work: Students proceeding toward the Ph.D. degree will follow one of the programs given below:
1) Students proceeding directly to the Ph.D. from an Honours B.Sc. degree will be expected to:
(a) comply with the general regulations outlined in 1.5;
(b) attend all departmental seminars in Biological Sciences (formal presentations of visiting speakers; graduate student seminars, thesis defense presentations and dissertation defense presentations) each year of full-time registration;
(c) present a total of 3 departmental seminars exclusive of the dissertation defense;
(d) successfully complete a minimum of three Selected Readings courses;
(e) successfully complete a minimum of two additional graduate courses. One of the courses may be in a cognate area. Statistics 65-453 (Statistics for Life/Social Sciences) may be allowed for graduate credit;
(f) complete a dissertation embodying the results of an original investigation;
(g) defend the dissertation at a public lecture or seminar.
Students recommended and approved for transfer into the Ph.D. program after having completed 1 year of an M.Sc. degree in the Department of Biological Sciences will normally receive credit for graduate course work completed during the M.Sc. program.
(2) Students entering into a Ph.D. program with an M.Sc. degree will be expected to:
(a) comply with the general requirements outlined in 1.5;
(b) attend all departmental seminars in Biological Sciences (formal presentations of visiting speakers, graduate student seminars, thesis defense presentations and dissertation defense presentation) each year of full-time registration;
(c) present a total of 3 departmental seminars exclusive of the dissertation defense;
(d) successfully complete a minimum of three Selected Readings courses;
(e) successfully complete a minimum of one additional graduate course. This course may be in a cognate area. Statistics 65-453 (Statistics for Life/Social Sciences) may be allowed for graduate credit;
(f) complete a dissertation embodying the results of an original investigation;
(g) defend the dissertation at a public lecture or seminar.
Grading: A student must maintain at least B- standing in each course in Biological Sciences and at least a B- average in any non-Biological Sciences courses. Any student whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory in course work or research will be asked to withdraw.
Doctoral Committee: Within the first term of the student's registration, the doctoral committee will be formed except for the external examiner, who is to be appointed during the student's final year of study/research. The full committee will consist of at least five members; one must be from outside the University, one from the University faculty but outside the Department, and three must be members of the Department of Biological Sciences. The research advisor will act as chairperson of this committee. The student should meet with individual committee members on an informal basis at least twice a year.
The doctoral committee must meet for the following:
(a) to review and approve course work and the research proposal no later than six months into the program;
(b) to prepare and administer the qualifying examination within the first twelve months of the student's registration in the program;
(c) to discuss the student's progress within two months after the qualifying examination. (The extramural committee member need not participate.);
(d) to review and approve the research progress no less than six months before the candidacy examination is administered;
(e) to set the candidacy examination which must be given at least six months before the student's final oral examination. (The extramural committee member need not participate.);
(f) to discuss the student's research and dissertation at least two months before the anticipated time of the final oral examination;
(g) the final oral examination.
Research Progress: Each year from the date of initial registration, the student must submit a Research Progress Report to and meet with his or her doctoral committee. In addition, the student must review his or her research in a meeting with the doctoral committee at least six months before the anticipated date of the final oral examination.
Dissertation: At least six months prior to the candidacy examination, a candidate must submit a Research Progress Report to the doctoral committee and at least two months before the anticipated date of the final oral examination the student must review the research and dissertation in a meeting with the committee.
A dissertation embodying the results of an original investigation in the student's major field is required of all candidates. The dissertation is expected to be of a quality suitable for publication in a refereed biological journal.
(a) Qualifying Examination: The primary purpose of the Qualifying Examination is to ensure that the student has the appropriate background to successfully undertake the planned program of dissertation research. This examination must be completed within twelve months of the student's registration in the program. Prior to the examination, the student will have provided the doctoral committee with a written proposal outlining the background, approach and general expectations of the intended research project. The Qualifying Examination will normally be an oral examination administered by the doctoral committee. The results of the examination and any recommendations will be communicated in writing to the student and the departmental Graduate Committee. Following the Qualifying Examination the doctoral committee may assign the student appropriate remedial or supplementary course work. Successful completion of the examination and any remedial studies or course work recommended by the doctoral committee is corequisite to the student's continuation in the doctoral program.
(b) Candidacy Examination: The primary purpose of the Candidacy Examination is to ensure that the student has made the appropriate research progress to proceed with the dissertation defense. The Candidacy Examination should normally be completed not less than six months prior to the expected date of the dissertation defense. Prior to the examination, the student will provide the doctoral committee with a detailed written report outlining the scope of the student's research project, the work that was conducted and results of the research. This report may broadly follow the form that the student envisions for the final dissertation. The Candidacy Examination will normally be an oral examination administered by the student's doctoral committee. The student may be asked to summarize the major points of the report in a brief oral presentation. The student's oral summary and written report will typically serve as the focus for most of the questions posed as part of the examination. The results of the Candidacy Examination and any recommendations made by the doctoral committee will be communicated in writing to the student and the departmental Graduate Committee. Successful completion of the examination and any further work recommended by the doctoral committee is corequisite to the student's completion of the doctoral program.
(c) Finally, the student will be requested to defend the dissertation orally at a public lecture or seminar (final oral examination).
1) Applicants with an honours degree in Biological Sciences or a related field may be admitted into a one-year (minimum duration) Master's program.
2) Applicants with a general B.Sc. degree in Biological Sciences or a related field may be admitted to a two-year (minimum duration) Master's program.
1) Students admitted to the one-year Master's program will be expected to:
(a) comply with the general regulations outlined in 1.6;
(b) attend all departmental seminars in Biological Sciences (formal presentations of visiting speakers, graduate student seminars, thesis defense presentations and dissertation defense presentations) each year of full-time registration;
(c) present a total of 2 departmental seminars exclusive of the thesis defense;
(d) successfully complete a minimum of two Selected Readings courses;
(e) successfully complete a minimum of one additional graduate course. The course may be in a cognate area. Statistics 65-453 (Statistics for Life/Social Sciences) may be allowed for graduate credit;
(f) complete an original research project and embody it in a thesis;
(g) defend the thesis orally at a public lecture or seminar.
2) Students admitted to the two-year Master's program, besides meeting the minimum requirements of the one-year program, are expected in the first year of the two-year program to achieve a level of qualification equivalent to an honours degree through research and a minimum of four courses.
3) Grading: A student must maintain at least a B- average in each Biological Sciences course and at least a B- average in any non-Biological Sciences courses.
4) Master's Committee: Within one term of the student's registration in the program, the research committee will be formed and the names submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The full committee will consist of at least three members—the research supervisor, one other faculty member from within the Department, and one University faculty member from outside of the Department.
The student should meet with individual committee members on an informal basis at least twice a year. The committee, in turn, must meet to:
(a) review and approve course work and the research proposal no later than six months into the program;
(b) discuss the student's research and thesis at least six months before the anticipated time of the final oral examination;
(c) participate in the final oral examination.
Research Progress: Each year from the date of initial registration, the student must submit a Research Progress Report to and meet with his or her Master's committee. In addition, the student must review his or her research in a meeting with the Master's committee at least six months before the anticipated date of the final oral examination.
Research Thesis: A thesis embodying the results of an original investigation in the student's major field is required of all candidates. The student must defend the thesis orally at a public lecture or seminar, which will be the final oral examination.
All courses listed will not necessarily be offered each year.
The Department of Biological Sciences provides three classes of course, each with a different primary purpose and format.
1) Fundamentals Courses: Fundamentals courses cover subject matter that is considered central to a comprehensive knowledge of principles and theories in the department's areas of research emphasis. The scope of these courses extends beyond that provided at the undergraduate level. These courses may entail formal lectures, laboratory instruction and/or directed readings and discussion, but the onus is on the course instructor to ensure that students are exposed to balanced and comprehensive coverage of the range of topics considered to represent the field. Because of their central importance to the Biological Sciences, these courses are offered on a regular, recurring basis.
2) Special Topics Courses: Special topics courses provide detailed expertise in theory and/or techniques in areas of researchers' expertise that are especially relevant to students' thesis research. Although no less rigorous than fundamentals courses, these courses may provide greater depth of information over a narrower subject range. The scope of these courses extends beyond that provided at the undergraduate level. These courses may involve a combination of lectures, laboratories, discussion, readings and/or student presentations under the guidance of the instructor. A Special Topics course will have an explicit subtitle indicating the theme of a particular offering. Some Special Topics courses will be offered each year. The themes will vary among years to reflect the expertise of the instructors available and the current needs of the graduate students.
3) Selected Readings Courses: The primary goal of the Selected Readings courses is to develop students' skill in objective, critical analysis of scholarly work among individuals with broadly similar research interests and backgrounds. An equally important aspect of these courses is to promote interaction among students and faculty and to help participants become aware of new research across a range of subdisciplines. The role of students in selecting and presenting relevant material is central to these courses.
A course designed to introduce the student to a variety of biochemical, cellular, and molecular techniques. This course is composed of a series of topics from which students are required to participate in a minimum of four. The topics include: chromatography, electrophoresis, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, cell culture, cloning and nucleic acid analysis, computer-based protein and nucleic acid analysis, and radioisotope methods. Students should consult with their research advisors and supervisory committees in choosing the topics for study. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours, 4 laboratory hours a week for selected experiments during the year, both terms.) (One term course credit.) (Offered in alternative years.)
Discussion of philosophical and quantitative approaches used to investigate biological systems, with emphasis on design and implementation of efficient and unbiased experiments. Students will use expertise acquired in lectures and readings to constructively evaluate their own and others' research proposals through round table discussions and individual presentation. (Prerequisite/co-requisite: 55-320, or consent of instructor.) (2 discussion hours a week.)
Current publications on common themes of potential significance in students' area of study will be chosen for round table oral presentation and discussion. Multiple sections, each with enrolment of 8-12 students will be offered in the fall term of each year as required. This course is intended for graduate students in Biological Sciences only. (2 discussion hours a week.)
Current publications on common themes of potential significance in students' area of study will be chosen for round table oral presentation and discussion. Multiple sections, each with enrolment of 8-12 students will be offered in the winter term of each year as required. This course is intended for graduate students in Biological Sciences only. (2 discussion hours a week.)
An analysis at the molecular level of the growth and development of prokaryotes, lower eukaryotes, and their plasmids. (Prerequisite/corequisite: 55-454, or consent of instructor.) (2 discussion hours a week.) (Offered in alternate years.)
An analysis at the molecular level of the growth and development of plants and animals. (Prerequisite/corequisite: 55-455, or consent of instructor.) (2 discussion hours a week.) (Offered in alternate years.)
Major topics may include the evolution of mating systems, population structure and demography, population genetics and life history variation, theory of optimal resource use. (Prerequisite/corequisite: 55-324, or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture/discussion hours a week.) (Offered in alternate years.)
Major topics include niche and diversity theory, trophic complexity and community stability, assembly of guilds, ecosystem structure and function, biogeography. (Prerequisite/corequisite: 55-325, or consent of instructor.) (3 lecture/discussion hours a week.) (Offered in alternative years.)
This is a regularly offered course covering subjects that reflect current graduate program needs and departmental expertise in specific areas. The course addresses one or more theme subjects in any particular term. Students receive a course credit for each term in which they register for this course provided that a particular theme is not repeated. Where a theme parallels an undergraduate course listing, students may be required to attend some portion of the undergraduate course as a prerequisite or corequisite. Subjects that may be offered as special topics include but are not limited to the following: biology of cell transformation; electron microscopy; genetic engineering and its applications; advanced topics in immunochemistry; advanced topics in microbial physiology and ecology; advanced topics in physiology; plant hormones and development; virology. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (2-3 discussion hours and/or up to 5 laboratory hours a week.)
This is a regularly offered course covering subjects that reflect current graduate program needs and departmental expertise in specific areas. The course addresses one or more theme subjects in any particular term. Students receive a course credit for each term in which they register for this course provided that a particular theme is not repeated. Where a theme parallels an undergraduate course listing, students may be required to attend some portion of the undergraduate course as a prerequisite or corequisite. Subjects that may be offered as special topics include but are not limited to the following: animal behaviour; advanced topics in aquatic ecology; biogeography, conservation biology, ecotoxicology, quantitative ecology. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (2-3 discussion hours and/or up to 5 laboratory hours a week.)
Special Topics in the Biological Sciences courses may be used to introduce a new graduate offering, typically on a "trial" basis. Approved courses taken at Wayne State University or elsewhere, or courses offered by visiting professors may also fall into the category of Special Topics in the Biological Sciences. A limited number of these courses may be included in the program of graduate student.
Special Topics in the Biological Sciences courses may be used to introduce a new graduate offering, typically on a "trial" basis. Approved courses taken at Wayne State University or elsewhere, or courses offered by visiting professors may also fall into the category of Special Topics in the Biological Sciences. A limited number of these courses may be included in the program of a graduate student.
An original research project embodied into a concisely written thesis which conforms to the style and format of a recognized journal in the field of specialization. The student should register for this course during each term (including Summer) of residency at the University; however, this course may not be used for credit toward fulfilling the course requirements in the Master's program.
An original research investigation the results of which will be embodied in a concisely written dissertation conforming in style and format to a recognized journal in the field of specialization. The final paper should be of the highest quality possible and suitable for publication. The doctoral student should register for this course commencing the summer term of the first year of residency and subsequently for each term during which dissertation research will be carried out. In no case, however, may this course be used for credit toward fulfilling the course requirements in the Ph.D. program.