Transcript Slide 1
Graduate Programs
Graduate Education is a
State-Wide Program
• Tenure and Promotion requirements are the same for
faculty located on campus in Gainesville and those located
at Research and Education Centers (REC’s). This
includes the expectation to conduct strong graduate
education programs, regardless of location.
• Graduate students are advised by both on-campus faculty
and faculty located at REC’s
• Faculty at REC’s serve as primary advisors for 26% of
our current students
• If a student is advised by a faculty member located at a
REC, a campus Co-Advisor is also appointed to the
Supervisory Committee
Graduate Education
at Research and Education Centers
REC’s provide:
Graduate Student Housing
(Jay/Milton, Marianna, Quincy, Ona, Belle Glad and Ft. Lauderdale)
Assistantship Funding
(matching assistantships and other Center support)
Excellent Field Support Facilities
Involvement in Interdisciplinary Programs
Opportunities for Interactions with Clientele
Degrees Offered
Ph.D. (60 credit hours beyond the M.S.)
M.S. (30 credit hours beyond the B.S.)
• Thesis
• Non-Thesis
Minor (6 hours M.S.; 12 hours Ph.D.)
Graduate Program
Increasing demands by students
Excellent quality of applicants
Program size limited by:
• Number of faculty
• Funding
University Entry Requirements
• Baccalaureate, graduate or professional degree from an
accredited College or University, or an international
equivalent
• Grade point average of 3.0
• If English is not the native language:
TOEFL: 550 paper, 213 computer or 80 internet; 6
IELTS; 77 MELAB or documented successful
completion of the UF English Language Institute
program
Departmental Entry Requirements
• One-page vision essay indicating research interests and
background in Genetics & Plant Breeding, Management &
Nutrition, Physiology & Ecology, or Weed Science
• Minimum GRE Test Score of 1000, or equivalent in new
scoring scale
• Three letters of recommendation from scientists in the
desired field of research
Occasional conditional admission of students that fall below
the UF or Departmental requirements (usually low GRE)
The Agronomy Department does not accept any
student to the program without having first
identified a faculty member to serve as Advisor
and there is agreement on funding of the student
Supervisory Committee
Ph.D. (5 members)
M.S.
Thesis – (4 members)
Non-thesis (3 members)
A Departmental Representative is appointed to each
Supervisory Committee
Supervisory Committee monitors and approves:
• Coursework
• Research Proposal
• Progress (Final Exam for M.S.; written and oral Qualifying
Exam and oral Final Exam for Ph.D.)
Course Requirements
Core Courses (listed on page 11.44 of Review Syllabus):
One course from Each of Three Discipline Areas:
Genetics & Plant Breeding (13)
Plant Physiology & Biochemistry (8)
Plant Ecology, Management, and Nutrition (14)
Graduate Seminar (2)
Proposal
Exit
All other coursework requirements are determined by
the Supervisory Committee
(list of Agronomy graduate courses are listed on pages 11.3611.39 of the Review Syllabus)
Current Students
46 Total Graduate Students
M.S. non-thesis – 0
M.S. thesis - 20
Ph.D. - 26
74% Male
26% Female
50% Domestic
50% International (increased slightly from 43% over past 12 years)
International students are from:
India, Nepal, Bolivia, Argentina, Bolivia, Equador, Honduras,
Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Korea, Ghana
Only one minority student (Asian) among domestic students
Current Assistantship/Fellowship Funding
• UF has annually provided 1-2 Graduate School Fellowships
($22,000 with tuition payment included)
• CALS has annually provided 2-6 Matching Assistantships
($8,000 each with tuition payment for that amount). Faculty
must at least match the $8,000 with other funds and provide tuition
payment for the faculty match). 5% budget cut to CALS next year.
• Department has provided four, 1/3-time assistantships, one in each
of the four program areas (Genetics & Breeding; Physiology &
Ecology; Management & Nutrition; Weed Science with tuition
payment for the 1/3-time amount). Program area faculty determine
allocation with priority for new faculty. Students on these
departmental assistantships serve as TA’s for several courses.
• REC’s provide some matching assistantships (tuition payment as
described above) from REC teaching budgets, and some from
other REC funds.
• Faculty Grants (assistantship plus tuition payment)
Percentage of Graduate Students Supported
on Various Funding Sources
Totally on State Funds – 0%
Totally on Grant Funds – 18%
Grant/State Blend – 38% (matches and departmental funds)
University Graduate School Fellowships – 16%
Endowment or Other Unit Funding – 15%
Self-funded – 16%
Stipends
The typical, and recommended, stipend in the Department is
based on a 1/2-time appointment, although a few students
are on less than 1/2-time appointments. Current rates for 1/2time assistantships may vary across faculty programs,
depending on availability of funds, but on average are:
$17,500 for 1/2-time M.S. Assistantship
$19,400 for 1/2-time Ph.D. Assistantship
Cost of Graduate Education at UF
Assistantship
Tuition
Total
(24 hours per year)
M. S. (2 years)
$35,000
$23,568
$58,568
Ph.D. (4 years)
$77,600
$47,136
124,736
Goal: On average, two graduate students per faculty
member. Currently, 1.7 per faculty member.
Degrees Awarded (by Academic Year)
Degree
Ph.D.
M.S.
Total
20002001
20012002
20022003
20032004
2004- 20052005 2006
20062007
20072008
2008- 2009- 20102009 2010 2011
2
3
3
2
5
6
2
7
5
4
3
5
2
10
4
5
5
4
5
7
6
8
7
5
13
6
10
11
6
12
12
10
11
On average, four Ph.D. and six M.S. degrees have been awarded
per academic year
Future of Graduate Program
Growth of Program is dependent on:
Maintaining or increasing faculty numbers
(Must continue to recruit and hire excellent faculty)
More involvement of REC faculty
(40% of total faculty are located at REC’s)
Accrual of additional extramural funding and use
of those funds for graduate education
Continued funding of assistantships and
fellowships from UF, CALS and Department
(Continuing budget reductions will likely cause declines)
Faculty placing a high priority on graduate education
despite rapidly escalating costs
(tuition and operating funds)
Challenges, Opportunities and
Plans for Improvement (con’t)
Graduate Education Program will be greatly enhanced
as graduate programs of newly-hired faculty mature:
Flory
Gettys
Odero
Schnell
Wang
Leon
Improve research facilities
(laboratories, plant growth facilities consolidation into McCarty Hall)
Increased focus on basic research programs
(opportunities for more grant opportunities)
Improve diversity among faculty and students
Recruitment to increase minority enrollment
(example: discussions with faculty and students at Florida A&M
University and Florida International Universities)
Challenges, Opportunities and
Plans for Improvement (con’t)
Improve Graduate Education section on Website
Increase Distance Education course offerings
(MacDonald, Erickson, Fishel, and Bennett currently offer DE courses)
Produce more Ph.D.’s (University-wide priority)
Develop a departmental policy concerning direct entry
to a Ph.D. program without having completed M.S.
(more frequent request by students and some faculty)
Successfully implement the Agroecology program and
the Peace Corps Masters International program
Attain or surpass goal of, on average, two graduate
students per faculty member
(currently 46 students and 27 Graduate Faculty = 1.7 ratio)
Enhancing the Value of the
M.S. Non-Thesis Degree
Peace Corps Masters International Program
CALS will begin participation in the MI program beginning in Fall
2012 and will offer both thesis and non‐thesis tracks within the
Master of Science degree programs of the departments of
Agronomy, Agricultural Education and Communication, Animal
Sciences, Entomology and Nematology, Food and Resource
Economics, Forest Resources and Conservation, Horticultural
Sciences, Plant Pathology, and Soil and Water Science.
The program will provide Master’s-level training in the following
relevant Peace Corps assignment areas: applied agriculture,
agribusiness, agroforestry and forestry, business development,
and environment/natural resources.
Coordinator: Dr. MacDonald
Enhancing the Value of the
M.S. Non-Thesis Degree (con’t)
Agroecology - A concentration of courses leading to a
M.S. non-thesis (or thesis in some cases) degree in
either Agronomy or Soil and Water Science
This new concentration is the first online Agroecology Master of
Science program in the U.S. and is offered through a joint
collaboration of the Agronomy and Soil & Water Science
Departments. This program is a diverse, interdisciplinary program
with a core curriculum of crop, soil and water science courses that
emphasize sustainability, resource management, valuation of
ecosystem services, system productivity, and profitability.
The goal is to train students in agriculture through the application of
ecological concepts and principles to design, develop and manage
sustainable agricultural systems.
Coordinators:
Drs. Rowland and Bennett (Agronomy)
Dr. Hochmuth (Soil and Water Science)
Documenting Success of the
Graduate Program
Effective Mentoring
Professional Development
Retention
Degrees Awarded
Student surveys
Exit Interviews
Job Placement
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) have been developed for
graduate degree programs. Currently developing Assessment
Protocols and Methods of Data Collection