Biological & Agricultural Engineering Graduate Manual
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INTRODUCTIONThe following information has been prepared to guide students in planning their graduate study in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE). The information contained herein is intended only to supplement and not to replace general requirements set forth in the Graduate Catalog and the NC State Graduate Handbook published by the Graduate School. It would be beneficial to seek guidance from the Director of Graduate Programs or the Graduate Services Coordinator whenever confusion arises as to which set of rules (or guidelines) applies.
ADMISSION TO BAE GRADUATE PROGRAMS Admission to graduate study in BAE is granted by the Graduate School upon recommendation of the BAE Director of Graduate Programs (DGP). The MS, MBAE, and PhD programs each have their own admission requirements. You must apply through The Graduate School. MBAE, MS, and PhD, The BAE Graduate Studies Committee reviews all applications and makes a recommendation to the Director of Graduate Programs of BAE regarding admission. Factors considered by the committee include, but are not limited to,
The specific qualifications required for each degree are outlined in the sections and paragraphs in this document (see below). Meeting the qualifications is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for admission. Admission is also contingent upon space available in the desired program and the match between student interest and the expertise of the faculty. BAE reserves the right to directly contact the references named by the applicant, and to solicit input from sources other than those identified by the applicant, if deemed appropriate. MS and PhD only Because the MS and PhD require a research project, and because that research project must be sponsored by a faculty member in this department, admission into the MS and PhD programs requires that a faculty member agree to work with the applicant. It is up to the applicant to obtain that approval. The DGP may offer advice and provide some assistance in the form of communication with the faculty, but no applicant will be admitted without a commitment from a faculty member. Transfer into BAE Graduate Programs While transfer into BAE graduate programs from another graduate program is possible, as a general rule we do not encourage it. Transfer between graduate programs should be undertaken only with careful assessment of the goals and objectives to be accomplished in doing so. It is not always possible to transfer in all of the courses previously taken by a student, and thus it is possible that the student may lose a great deal of work. Nevertheless, recognizing that circumstances occasionally favor such transfers, we require, as a minimum
Qualifications for transfer are the same as those for admission to full status (see below). BAE will not accept transfers from students on provisional status. As with admissions, meeting the minimum qualifications is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for transfer. The student must also be in good standing in his or her current program in order to be considered, and transfers to MS or PhD programs will only be approved if a BAE faculty member has agreed to work with the student. The responsibility for obtaining that agreement lies solely with the student. Specific Qualifications Full graduate standing is granted to applicants that have a four-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university with a GPA o f3.00 / 4/00. Full graduate standing implies that the student has the potential to succeed in graduate school without the need for remedial course work or proof of academic potential. The Graduate School has additional information in the NC State Graduate Handbook. For admission to full graduate status, the department requires an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in an accredited engineering program. For admission to full graduate status in the PhD program, the department requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 in an MS program in an engineering field and a demonstration of the ability to conduct research. Exceptions will be considered after deliberations by members of the Graduate Faculty in the field of interest, the Graduate Studies Committee, the Director of Graduate Programs and the Department Head. Under normal circumstances students are not admitted to the PhD program on provisional status. In exceptional cases, students may be allowed to enter a PhD program without having obtained an MS degree. Although this may sometimes be a shorter path to the PhD, it should not be embarked upon without serious consideration. Only mature, well-motivated students with overall undergraduate GPAs greater than 3.5, accompanied by exceptional rankings from their references, should pursue this alternative. A specific request from the student with support from his or her prospective advisor is required. Each such situation will be considered on its own merits by the Director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate Studies Committee. Although not directly bearing on admission, the issue of support must be considered when requesting entry (or transfer) into a PhD program without an MS. Assistantships are normally granted for a two-year period for MS study and a three-year period for the PhD (see Financial Support below). Support for students entering a PhD without an MS will be for an initial period of two years, with a continuation of that support for the remaining three years being contingent upon the student having demonstrated satisfactory maturity and motivation during the initial two-year period to warrant that continuation. Applicants not meeting the requirements for full admission are sometimes granted provisional admission to make up academic deficiencies. The general requirements for admission to provisional status are established by the Graduate School. Students with GPAs less than the minimums for full graduate standing may also be considered for provisional admission if extenuating circumstances can be shown to have affected performance or if a clear trend of improvement in academic performance with time is obvious. The GPA criteria for admission are presented in tables in the Administrative Handbook of the Graduate School Full status is generally granted when all of the remedial coursework is completed with a GPA of 3.0. University regulations prohibit students on provisional status from holding assistantships Applicants Without an Undergraduate Engineering Degree Because our graduate degrees are engineering degrees we normally require an undergraduate engineering degree for admission to those programs. However, we do make allowance for admission for non-engineers with the provision that they acquire sufficient engineering fundamentals to sit for the Engineering Fundamentals exam (see http://www.ncees.org/Exams/FE_exam.php) In addition to the remedial courses listed below, the equivalent of two semesters of engineering physics and four semesters of mathematics (through differential equations) are required if the applicant’s background does not include them. These courses must be taken prior to taking the remedial engineering courses. Prerequisite Engineering Courses
Applicants with BS degrees from non-engineering or non-accredited programs who possess undergraduate GPA’s greater than 3.5 may be admitted to provisional status while taking a minimum the four remedial engineering courses listed above. The decision to admit provisionally rests with the BAE Graduate Studies Committee. Non-engineering applicants and applicants who hold BS degrees from non-accredited programs who do not have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 will generally not be considered for provisional status until the applicant completes some (or perhaps all) of the remedial coursework in Post-Baccalaureate (PBS) status (or at another institution). Applicants in either category should contact the Director of Graduate Programs prior to submitting an application. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Although we do not require GRE scores for admission, high GRE scores may be considered as potentially useful supplemental information. Students wishing to be considered for assistantships and fellowships should also consider submitting GRE scores because some awards require it and competitiveness for those that do not can be significantly enhanced by high GRE scores. MATRICULATIONEach new student should plan to arrive on campus at least a week before first day of classes and contact his/her major professor (advisor) to assist in selecting course work for the first semester. If the student’s advisor has not been identified, the Director of Graduate Programs will serve in this capacity. Students should plan to attend the Graduate School Orientation session and the BAE New Graduate Student Orientation. Both sessions will provide useful information. Students can search the entire Course Catalog of approved courses and find current and past course schedules using Class Search. Note that past course schedules may not be repeated in future semesters. It should be noted here that continuing students must register for the upcoming semester during the current semester; if registration is not completed by the deadline, a late fee will be charged. GRADUATE ADVISORY COMMITTEEEach MS or PhD student, working with his or her major professor, is responsible for the formation of a graduate advisory committee and for the timely completion of all requirements. If a major professor has not been identified upon the student’s arrival on campus, the Director of Graduate Programs will function in this capacity until the advisor is selected. The student must have a regular advisor with whom to consult at the first pre-registration period, which occurs halfway through the first semester.. If the student has not selected his or her major professor before arriving on campus this must be done as early as possible and prior to pre-registration for the second semester of study. The major professor will serve as the MS or PhD advisor and chairman of the student’s advisory committee, or in the case of the MBAE, the student’s advisor. Students are encouraged to confer with a broad spectrum of faculty before making this choice. The type of research topics of interest to the individual faculty member and the prospects of research funding should be addressed directly in these discussions. After the student has identified a faculty member whom he/she would like to serve as the major professor, the student should notify the Director of Graduate Programs. A Graduate Advisory Committee should be formed after one semester of course work has been completed, but no later than the student’s second semester. This should be done by the student in consultation with his or her major professor. A MS committee must consist of the major professor as chair and at least two other members. One member must represent the student’s minor, if one has been specified, and must come from the minor field. Usually, the other members are from the major department. A PhD committee must consist of the major professor and at least three other members, plus a Graduate School representative if desired. One of the members must represent the student’s minor and must come from that field. The purpose of the Committee is to advise the student on the Plan of Graduate Work, to advise the student on questions relating to the student’s research, to evaluate the student’s progress, and to conduct all required examinations. PLAN OF GRADUATE WORKThe Plan of Graduate Work for the MS and PhD represents a study plan designed in collaboration with the major professor and advisory committee. In the case of the MBAE, it is a study plan agreed upon by the student and his or her advisor. In all cases, it represents a definition of courses to be taken, when they are to be taken, and in the case of the MS and PhD, the research effort and level which the committee deems to be appropriate for the degree and specialty. It can be considered to be the curriculum for the graduate program, and as such every effort should be made to file the plan as early as possible in the program. Prior to the completion of the first year of study, MS and PhD students must submit to the departmental Director of Graduate Programs at least a draft of the Plan of Graduate Work. As with all “plans”, the courses selected on the Plan of Work can be updated as a graduate program develops. A complete Plan of Work must be submitted by the completion of 18 hours but no later than the third semester of a program. The Plan of Work includes the expected courses, research hours, the committee chair(s), committee members, and title of the thesis/dissertation. The Plan of Work is to be completed in SIS (through MyPack Portal). Things to keep in mind:
It is strongly encouraged that courses listed on the Plan of Work be grouped by department. BAE courses should come first, followed by courses from other departments, in no particular order. Minor coursework should be listed under the appropriate heading. These groupings will greatly aid the Student Services Assistant with the entry of the information into the on-line database, thus minimizing the possibility of error. It must be understood that the BAE department does not have a “common” or “core” graduate program, and that every student’s degree program is customized to meet his or her goals. Hence, technically a student cannot legitimately exist as a student in the BAE graduate program without a major professor, an Advisory Committee and a Plan of Graduate Work. The Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department offers the Master of Science (MS) degree, the Master of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (MBAE) degree (an option B program) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Engineering (PhD) degree. The primary difference between the MBAE and MS degrees is that the MBAE is a coursework degree, as opposed to the MS which is a research degree. While the MBAE program is primarily intended for those intending to terminate study at the masters level, a student may, with departmental approval, develop a plan of study under this program which leads to study for the doctorate. There may also be cases where a student having completed the MBAE degree decides to pursue the PhD. Such cases will be handled on an individual basis in both the decision to admit to the PhD program and in designing a PhD program of study. The PhD should be pursued only by outstanding students with an intense interest in independent study and research. It consists of advanced course work beyond that taken for the master’s degree, a written and oral comprehensive Preliminary Examination, extended and in-depth research, a written research dissertation, and a final oral defense of the research. The focus of the PhD is to demonstrate the ability to do independent research Masters (Thesis Degree)The Master of Science requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit, at least 20 semester hours of which must come from courses at the 500 level and above. The program must include two (2) hrs of Research Methods (a.k.a, Seminar) and no more than six (6) hours of S/U graded courses unless the total program exceeds 30 hours. Stating the latter requirement another way, each program must contain at least 24 hrs of A,B,C graded coursework. Please note that this is more stringent than the Graduate School requirements. Each MS program must include a minimum of 6 semester hours of mathematics, statistics, and/or biomathematics at the 400-level or higher. All candidates for the Master of Science degree must prepare a thesis. Particulars as to style and organization are described in the Graduate School’s Thesis and Dissertation Manual. The thesis research (BAE 695) is directed by the student’s advisor and represents an individual engineering research effort. It should represent a graduate-level application of engineering principles to research on a biological or agricultural system. The thesis is prepared by the student and submitted to his/her advisory committee. The Graduate School strongly encourages electronic submission of the thesis. Work on the thesis should begin as soon as possible after enrolling at NCSU. Upon approval by the major adviser, the student may submit the thesis to the other members of the advisory committee for their evaluation, at which time the final oral examination may be scheduled. In the final oral examination the student is expected to defend the thesis and to answer questions on course work included in the program. A Request for a Permit to Schedule the Master’s Oral Examination must be filed with the Graduate School least 10 working days before the examination is scheduled, and the student’s committee must have the thesis in final form at least two (2) weeks before the oral. The student is responsible for arranging the examination time, date and location and notifying the advisory committee. A minor is not required in BAE MS programs; however, one may be specified if the student or advisor wishes it so. Normally, the minor will be in a single discipline or field which, in the judgement of the advisory committee, provides relevant support to the major. In some situations it is determined that the student’s needs can best be met with an interdisciplinary minor. Requirements for the minor are specified by the minor department or program. Students in BAE select minors from a broad range of disciplines, some examples of which are shown below:
If a discipline specific minor is not appropriate, but a minor is still desired, an interdisciplinary minor can be chosen as an alternative. An interdisciplinary minor consists of 12 hrs of coursework taken from one or more departments outside BAE. These 12 hrs may be double counted with the 6 hrs of math/statistics required of all MS programs. An interdisciplinary minor requires that one of the advisory committee member come from one of the departments offering the coursework in the minor.
MBAE (Non-Thesis Degree)Option B Master’s The MBAE is an option B master’s program. Advisory committees, minors, and final exams are not allowed. Students must complete at least 30 semester hours of graduate credit, at least 20 semester hours of which must at the 500-600 level. Up to 3 hours of Special Topics (BAE 610) or Special Problems (BAE 620) will be allowed, but research hours (BAE 693 or BAE 695) will not be allowed. Plans of Work that include more than 6 hrs of S/U coursework must be approved by the BAE Graduate Studies Committee. Additional requirements outlined by the Graduate School may come into play All MBAE programs must include a minimum of 3 hours of mathematics, statistics, and/or biomathematics at the 400-level or higher. Moreover, each MBAE program must show 15 hours of 400-level (or greater) engineering courses, either on the undergraduate transcript or the Plan of Work. These courses must have engineering content and must be taught from an engineering perspective. At least 60% of the hours shown on the Plan of Work must be BAE courses. Admission to the MBAE is governed by the rules outlined above. Transfer from the MS to the MBAE MS students who were supported via assistantship but have not been able to complete their thesis are discouraged from transferring to the MBAE. Assistantships are provided with the understanding that the result will be a thesis; however, it is recognized that unusual circumstances may occasionally preclude the completion of a thesis. In these cases, transfer to the MBAE may be allowed provided that the student submits a request to the Director of Graduate Programs, in writing, to be acted upon by the BAE Graduate Studies Committee. The committee will consider the nature of the circumstances, the amount of thesis work completed, and the harm to the project forgiving the thesis . The committee may require a written summary of the work accomplished to be submitted for the advisor’s approval before granting the transfer. General Masters InformationAt least eighteen (18) semester hours of graduate credit must be unique to a Master’s program. Up to 12 credit hours may be transferred from any of the following sources or any combination thereof:
More specific information on this subject is available in the Graduate Administrative Handbook (section 3.1). Each Master’s program (MS or MBAE) must show 15 hours of 400-level (or greater) engineering courses, either on the undergraduate transcript or the Plan of Work. These courses must have engineering content and must be taught from an engineering perspective. PhDThe Graduate School requires a total of 72 hours beyond the BS for a PhD program. If the Master’s was completed at NCSU (without a break between the master’s and PhD), 36 hours may be counted from that program toward the total, provided that they are applicable to the PhD program, leaving a requirement for 36 additional hours. If a relevant Master’s was completed elsewhere, only 18 hours from that program may be counted, leaving a requirement for an additional 54 hours. At least two (2) hours in the plan must be Research Methods (a.k.a. Seminar).. PhD programs must include a minimum of 6 semester hours of advanced mathematics, statistics, and/or biomathematics either in the PhD Plan of Work or the previous MS program. If taken as a part of the PhD program they must be at the 500-level or above. If in the MS program the requirement may include advanced 400-level math courses. In addition, each PhD program must show 15 hours of 400-level (or greater) engineering courses, either on the undergraduate transcript, MS coursework or the PhD Plan of Work. As is the case for the MS, these courses must have engineering content and must be taught from an engineering perspective. Please note that the Graduate School will not permit 400-level coursework to count as a part of the 72 hr requirement. A minor is required in all PhD programs administered in the department. Normally, the minor will be in a single discipline or field which, in the judgement of the advisory committee, provides relevant support to the BAE major. In some situations it is determined that the student’s needs can best be met with an interdisciplinary minor. Requirements for a discipline specific minor are specified by the minor department or program. Interdisciplinary minors consist of 12 hrs of coursework from one or more departments outside BAE. These 12 hrs may be double counted with the 6 hrs of math/statistics required of all PhD programs. Students in BAE may select minors from a broad range of disciplines, some examples of which are shown below:
Information Transfer Requirement All PhD students will be expected to participate in some form of information transfer experience as part of their degree program. It will be left to the students advisory committee and the departmental Graduate Program Director to determine what type of experience is most appropriate for a particular student. Evidence of this effort is to be denoted by inclusion of at least (1) hr of Doctoral Supervised Teaching (BAE 885) on the Plan of Work. Potential activities may include, but are not limited to, one of the following:
A proposed method for fulfilling the requirement must be described on the ‘PhD Information Transfer Requirement’ form and attached to the Plan of Work. While students may actually obtain credit for an information transfer activity, it is not intended that such credit substitute for the nominal thirty credit hours of formal academic work beyond an MS degree normally expected. Such credit would, however, satisfy the requirement for continuous enrollment and count toward the overall Graduate School credit hour requirements. Each PhD student is expected to present a written proposal of the proposed dissertation topic to the advisory committee prior to the preliminary examinations. During the oral examination, the committee will discuss the proposed work with the student and determine it’s feasibility and appropriateness. During this oral examination, the student will be expected to demonstrate more than a superficial understanding of the research topic. Also, questions on the written exams sometimes originate from the research proposal. It is expected that the dissertation proposal will present a significant amount of preliminary research on the part of the student. All PhD students are required to take a comprehensive preliminary examination covering all graduate course work and the proposed area of research. The examination will consist of written and oral parts, each administered by the student’s major professor and advisory committee. The committee will grade the examination and make the decision of pass or fail on each part. The decision is then submitted to the Graduate School. All matters relating to the written examination such as the schedule, type of questions, areas to be included, numbers of parts, etc., are to be decided by the student’s major professor in collaboration with the advisory committee, and not by the student. Normally, the student receives written questions from each committee member covering the various fundamental subject areas which comprise the major. These questions can be either of a textbook or research nature, but shall be such that a student’s breadth of knowledge and research capability can be determined. Some minor departments or programs require comprehensive written preliminary examinations which are given only once or twice a year. The oral examination covers course work taken in both the student’s major as well as minor subject areas, and often relates to questions posed in the written exams. A major portion of the oral examination is also devoted to questions on the student’s proposed research. The purpose of the oral examination is to clarify weaknesses and strengths which may have been made apparent in the written exam, to ascertain the adequacy of the student’s understanding of his or her research topic, and to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed research and it’s appropriateness as a PhD Dissertation. The preliminary oral examination should be scheduled soon after the preliminary written examinations are completed. A Request to Schedule the Doctoral Oral Examination should be submitted to the Graduate School at least 5 working days before the examination (10 days if the Graduate School representative has not yet been assigned and one has been requested). The student is responsible for arranging the examination time, date and location and notifying the advisory committee. The preliminary examination results, if favorable, must be transmitted to the Graduate School at least six months before the anticipated date of graduation. Thus, it is expected that each student will be engaged in active, full-time research for at least six months after admission to Candidacy. Normally, students are expected to pass the preliminary examinations in their first attempt. However, a second attempt may be allowed under extenuating circumstances. The dissertation should be an original contribution to the literature in the field of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The Graduate School’s Thesis and Dissertation Manual provides a style and organizational guide that must be followed. The dissertations must be complete, in final form, and submitted to the members of the student’s advisory committee at least two weeks before the anticipated defense. The final oral defense must be scheduled through the Graduate School by the chairman of the student’s advisory committee or the departmental Director of Graduate Programs at least two weeks before the anticipated date. Electronic submission of the final version of the dissertation is strongly encouraged by the Graduate School. Each PhD candidate must pass a final oral examination which is primarily a defense of the dissertation. It will be administered by the advisory committee and other members of the University faculty who may have an interest in the work. The final oral defense must be scheduled through the Graduate School in the same way as the preliminary oral examination. The student’s actual record must comply with his/her Plan of Graduate Study at this time. The final oral examination must be scheduled at least two weeks prior to the date on which it must be held. A notice announcing the examination is published in the University Bulletin.
In addition to the above deadlines, the Graduate School provides a summary of all of the procedures and deadlines required for a PhD program. This summary should be consulted on a regular basis to insure prompt compliance with all policies and procedures. FINANCIALGraduate students in full standing may be appointed to a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA). The majority of GRA’s are associated with individual research projects and carry a service obligation associated with the funding project. GRA’s funded by the department require a student to have a 3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA) in their undergraduate program and carry a service obligation to the teaching program of BAE. The normal service obligation for Master’s students is 1semester while the normal obligation for PhD students is 2 semester. Duties vary, but generally consist of grading and/or assisting with classes or labs. A 1/2-time appointment carries a 20 hour per week commitment to the department whereas a 3/4-time appointment requires 30 hours of service per week. The student’s major professor determines how and when these requirements are met. If the student’s work performance is not satisfactory, upon formal notice, the student’s financial support may be discontinued. In addition, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 on all course work taken, whether a part of the plan of work or not. Any time the cumulative GPA drops below 3.0, the student must give up the assistantship. GPA’s are calculated on graduate coursework only. Research assistantship appointments may begin at any time during the year. The initial appointment will end the following June 30, and one year reappointments made, effective July 1, as long as the student is in good standing until the end of the maximum term of appointment. Students on a research assistantship are paid at the end of each month. All graduate students at NCSU who are not on assistantships or fellowships pay tuition and fees appropriate to their residence status and current rates as determined on an annual basis. Those who are legal residents of North Carolina pay in-state tuition rates. Those who are not legal residents of North Carolina must pay out-of-state tuition rates. Students who have been awarded an assistantship or fellowship are eligible to participate in the Graduate Student Support Plan. The rules for this plan are complex and will not be repeated here; however, in general, out-of-state tuition is covered by the plan for a period of two years for Master’s students and three years for PhD students. To participate, students are required to enroll for a minimum number of hours each semester of their program. In addition to having out-of-state tuition covered by the program, students are also automatically enrolled in a health insurance plan at no cost. Students who have been awarded an assistantship or fellowship will also have their in-state tuition covered by the source of the assistantship funds. Fees are not covered and are the responsibility of the student. US citizens who are not legal residents of North Carolina are strongly encouraged to take the steps necessary to acquire NC residence status as soon as possible after arrival on campus. An explanation of requirements and the steps necessary to accomplish NC residence have been made available by the Graduate School. Students who do not obtain NC residence status are responsible for out-of-state tuition rates for any courses taken after exhausting eligibility under the Graduate Student Support Plan. Other Financial Responsibilities of the Student Graduate students should be aware of other financial responsibilities that they will incur as a graduate student at NCSU and while living in the North Carolina/Wake County/Raleigh area. Students must pay state and federal income taxes on all income earned from assistantships and fellowships. Students who are awarded fellowships may deduct all educational expenses but those on assistantships cannot deduct these expenses. The defining line between an assistantship and a fellowship from the perspective of the IRS is the requirement for a service obligation. To be considered a fellowship, a service obligation may not be imposed. Graduate students are expected to list all personal property, including automobiles, in Wake County/Raleigh and pay property taxes per property valuation. Automobiles should be registered with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and city of Raleigh (if residing therein). There is a fee associated with each of these. OTHER GENERAL REQUIREMENTSThe academic standing and research progress of each graduate student is reviewed at the end of each semester by the student’s major professor (committee chairman). In the case of deficiencies, any necessary action is taken by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the student’s committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. A graduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 is issued an academic warning if he/she has accumulated less than 18 hours. If the student’s cumulative GPA is below 3.0 after 18 hours of credit, the Graduate School will terminate the student’s enrollment at NCSU. The student may be reinstated upon recommendation, with strong justification, of the advisory committee chairman and the Director of Graduate Programs and approval by the Graduate School. The department can recommend termination prior to the completion of 18 hours when it is deemed appropriate to do so. In the event of unsatisfactory work performance on an assistantship, the student will be given notice of this in writing. If the work performance does not then improve, the assistantship may be terminated with written notice. It is the policy of North Carolina State University that all graduate students read the Patent Copyright Policies of North Carolina State University and sign a declaration wherein the student agrees to abide by the Policies. This an agreement is included on the student’s Plan of Graduate Work. A copy of the Policies document is issued to each student along with their first issue of this BAE Graduate Manual. GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATIONThe North Carolina State Graduate Student Association (GSA) functions as a voice for graduate students in dealing with problems concerning graduate education. All graduate students are members of GSA. The GSA Council consists of elected representatives from each department. The BAE representative also serves as president of the BAE GSA Chapter. All graduate students are encouraged to participate in activities of both the GSA and the BAE GSA Chapter. RESPONSIBILITIESAll BAE Graduate Students and Graduate Faculty are expected to be knowledgeable of, and to comply with, all university and departmental graduate regulations as stated in the Graduate Catalog and this manual. Specific responsibilities are included in the appendix of this document. MEMBERSHIP IN THE BAE GRADUATE FACULTYPer the Graduate School rules, full-time tenure track faculty will be granted Graduate Faculty status upon a vote of the department’s graduate faculty. Emeritus faculty and those on phased retirement retain their Graduate Faculty Status. APPENDIXForms that are not generated by the Graduate School are available on their website. Responsibilities of the Graduate Student All Graduate Students
Additional Responsibilities of the Student on Assistantship Research Assistants are expected to contribute their professional effort to the research program of the department as determined by the major professor in consultation with the department head and Director of Graduate Programs. For example, a Research Assistant appointed as a one-half time assistant would be expected to provide effort at a rate equivalent to 50% of a professional person year. While the contributions needed to meet this requirement may be related to the topic of the thesis or dissertation research, it must be understood that the dissertation research is above and beyond this contribution. While measurement of professional contribution is not simply made in terms of time in the office or lab, it is expected that the norm would be that the student would be “on duty” in university facilities, or acting as agent in other facilities, for at least 20 hours per week. Engagement in taking courses and in intensive thesis or dissertation research will, of course, require most of the rest of the student’s professional effort. Vacation time will consist of approximately ten (10) days per year, with the length and timing of the vacation time being arranged with the major professor. Students with teaching assistant responsibilities must meet their obligations before vacation time can be taken. Other times off are limited to official state holidays which occur during the appointment period. These DO NOT INCLUDE CLASS HOLIDAYS WHICH ARE NOT ALSO STATE HOLIDAYS (for example: spring, fall and portions of Christmas breaks).
Responsibilities of the Major Professor
Responsibilities of the Director of Graduate Programs
Responsibilities of the Student Services Assistant The Student Services Assistant provides administrative assistance to the Director of Graduate Programs. Specific responsibilities are as follows.
Questions see graduate Director of Graduate Programs |