Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

Official entrance into a Ph.D. program occurs upon successful completion of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. Ph.D. degree requirements include successful completion of the following:

• approved graduate course work,
• Ph.D. language and communication requirements,
• a comprehensive examination, and
• defense, approval, and submission of a dissertation.

No University-level (Graduate Council) minimum number of courses completed or credits earned are specified for the Ph.D.; the student's Ph.D. committee will recommend the minimum requirements as appropriate for each individual student’s program of study and dissertation research. Unless previously taken for the M.S., each Ph.D. student must complete:

Required Courses

• BRS 500  -  Research Methods (3 credits)
• BRS 502  -  Human Behavior and Ethics in Mgmt and Tech (or other Ethics course from a list of approved courses maintained by the program office, unless previously taken) (3 credits)
• BRS 504    Biorenewable Systems Analysis (3 credits)
• BRS 590    Colloquium (4 credits)
• BRS 602    Supervised Experience in College Teaching (1-3 credits)
• In addition the candidate must complete 6 credits of BRS 5XX (excluding BRS 500 and 590-596) or select from a list maintained by the program office

The candidate is expected to develop a program of study and submit it to the appointed Ph.D. committee for consideration and approval. All requirements for a Ph.D. degree, whether satisfied on this campus or elsewhere, must be completed within eight years after passing the qualifying examination.

The following ethics courses may substitute for BRS 502:

• BIOET 401Q: Science, Ethics, Policy, and Law
• BIOET 533: Ethical Dimensions of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems
• BUS 515: Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
• INTAF 511: Ethical Dimensions in Food and Agricultural Governance
• LEAD 863: Ethical Dimensions of Leadership
• LHR 460: Ethics in the Workplace
• MBADM 815: Ethical and Responsible Business Leadership
• PHIL 432: Medical and Health Care Ethics
• PHIL 433: Ethics in Science and Engineering
• PHIL 573: Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research
• PHS 806: Public Health Ethics
• STS 589: Ethics and Values in Science and Technology

Except as specified above, no particular courses, total number of courses or total credits are required by the BRS program. For Ph.D. students that have completed an M.S., the typical coursework load is about 36 credits.

It is recommended that each Ph.D. student not holding an M.S. degree will satisfy the intent of the M.S. degree coursework requirements specified elsewhere in this document. For these students, the typical coursework total is anticipated to be higher than 36 credits. Students who completed the core courses as part of a PSU MS degree in BRS shall propose an alternate set of courses for their individual program, which must be approved by their advisor and thesis committee.

In addition to the above listed course requirements, every graduate student must successfully complete the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR) program. Learn more about the RECR program.

Research credits (BRS 600 or 601) are in addition to coursework credits. The Dissertation committee will determine the minimum research credits but typically the total number is 24 credits beyond the M.S. Note that research credits are normally assigned a grade of "R", though a quality grade (A,B,C,D,F) can be assigned per Graduate School policy GCAC-401.  After the comprehensive exam is completed, students should enroll in BRS 601 instead of BRS 600.  All requirements for a Ph.D. degree, whether satisfied on University Park campus or elsewhere, must be completed within eight years after passing the Qualifying Examination. 

Example Course Plan: Table 3 shows an example coursework plan for a student enrolled in the Ph.D. program of study in BRS. The proposed schedule allows full-time students to complete the courses in two years, with one additional year to complete their dissertation research.  A student's actual course schedule should be developed in conjunction with the student’s advisor, and will depend on a variety of factors such as course availability, background and interests of the student, and research project schedule.

Overall Total Course Credits - 38

Overall Total Research Credits - 34

The student's Dissertation committee will determine the minimum requirements in such supporting areas as science, technology, and business. The candidate is expected to develop a program of study and submit it to the Dissertation committee for consideration and approval at the qualifying exam.

Qualifying Examination

The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee will administer the Qualifying Examination. This committee will consist of four BRS graduate faculty members, including the Adviser, the ABE Department Head (or annually appointed designee), the BRS Graduate Program Coordinator, and one faculty member selected by the student. In cases where a member serves two roles on the committee, an additional member will be appointed by the Graduate Program Coordinator. The Qualifying Examination will consist of developing a Ph.D. research proposal following the completion of BRS 500, presenting the proposal, and defending/discussing the proposed research with the Committee. The Qualifying Examination will be completed by the student soon after s/he has completed at least 18 credits but before the end of the third semester. Successful completion of the Qualifying Examination does not mean that the student's Ph.D. research proposal is approved. Rather, final approval of the candidate's research proposal will be the responsibility of the Ph.D. committee.

Qualifying exams will be scheduled by the student with guidance from the student’s advisor.  The exam will be administered only during the month of October for Fall Semesters and February for Spring Semesters. Scheduling of these qualifying exams should be done at least two months earlier, which means no later than November 30th for Spring and July 31st for Fall semesters.

Each Ph.D. student will submit to each Qualifying Committee member a detailed written proposal for the Ph.D. research a minimum of two weeks prior to the exam. This proposal should contain justification, objectives, related literature, methodology, practical significance, resources required, bibliography, proposed program of study and a statement of possible funding sources to which the proposal could be submitted.

The student will present a 20-30 minute seminar to the Qualifying Committee. The seminar is open to all in the Department and participants may ask questions of the potential Ph.D. candidate  concerning the proposed study, science and technical aspects, business, leadership, and entrepreneurial implications, and other related items. The total seminar time will be limited to approximately 30 minutes. Upon completion of this seminar, the graduate faculty members, and members of the Committee (may) hold a discussion period (no longer than approximately 15 minutes) regarding the student, the proposed research, and the seminar. The student will not be present during this discussion period. Following this discussion, the Qualifying Committee and the student will undertake the remainder of the exam.

The Qualifying Committee will review the written proposal and discuss in detail (up to 2 hours) with the student the proposed research and related topics. The Qualifying Committee will assess the student's understanding of the research process, the student's technical expertise related to biorenewable systems and the proposed research, suitability of the proposed research relative to the BRS graduate program expectations of Ph.D. candidates, and the student’s understanding of needed resources and other pertinent topics. The Qualifying Committee will also judge the ability of the student to communicate and will complete a "Report on Departmental Assessment of English Competency" (see "English Competency Requirements" section below). The Committee will select, based on the student's performance, one of the following: 

1. recommendation that the student become a Ph.D. Candidate,
2. recommendation that the student become a Ph.D. candidate but must undertake additional activities as prescribed by the Qualifying Committee,
3. recommendation that the student undertake additional activities as prescribed by the Qualifying Committee and retake the Qualifying Examination, or
4. rejection of the student as a Ph.D. Candidate.

A student will not be allowed to take the Qualifying Examination more than twice.

English Competency Requirements

The Graduate Council and the BRS graduate program of study require candidates for the Ph.D. degree to demonstrate high-level competence in the use of the English language; including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. To fulfill this requirement, the BRS graduate program requires that all Ph.D. students undergo an assessment of English competency. The assessment will include the student's ability to read and comprehend, write, speak, and give presentations so as to effectively participate in scientific and technical discussions. The assessment will be conducted during the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination by the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee and will consist of three parts:

Writing—As part of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, the student will prepare a detailed research proposal on the topic chosen for his/her Ph.D. dissertation (see "Qualifying Examination" for further details about proposal). The written document will be judged for its organization, logical arguments in support of the hypotheses, inclusion of relevant details, and appropriate style in the use of language, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. The "Literature Section" of the written proposal containing analysis of pertinent literature will be used to evaluate the student's reading comprehension of the technical literature.

Presentation—As part of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, the student will present a 20-30 minute seminar to the Committee. The seminar is open to all in the Department. The presentation will be judged for its organization, clarity, appropriateness to the audience, appropriate use of visual aids, and effectiveness of delivery. The quality of the formal presentation should be comparable to papers presented at technical sessions of professional society meetings.

Oral Discussion—The main purpose of the Oral Discussion part of the English Competency Test is to evaluate the oral skills of the student to participate in scientific and technical discussions with other technical professionals. The Oral Discussion will follow the formal presentation of the research proposal by the student. The examination committee will conduct a discussion with the student on various aspects of the research proposal and on the scientific and technical issues surrounding the research area.

At the end of the Qualifying Examination, each member of the Committee will present an assessment of the student's English competency in the three categories: writing, presentation, and oral discussion. These assessments will be used to certify attainment of English competency or to recommend measures for improving English competency. A "Report on Departmental Assessment of English Competency" form will be completed by the Committee, shared with the student, and placed in the student's Departmental records.

If the expected level of English Competence is not demonstrated, the student must enroll in course(s) to improve English competency. The committee will recommend suitable course(s) which may include selections from the following or additional remedial courses noted in the Report on Departmental Assessment of English Competency (i.e., these courses do not count toward fulfillment of the requirements for the graduate degree):

Writing Skills

• ESL 116G – ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines

Presentation Skills

• CAS 100A – Effective Speech
• CAS 211 – Informative Speaking

Oral Language Skills

• ESL 114G – American Oral English for Academic Purposes
• ESL 115G – American Oral English for ITAs

If the student completes and passes the recommended course(s) with a B- grade or higher, then the student will be certified as having attained English competency. Otherwise, the student will have to retake the course (or another comparable course). Students judged as not making sufficient progress towards achieving competency in English will have their funding terminated.

Ph.D. Committee

The Ph.D. committee must meet all of the Graduate Council requirements, and:

1. the chairperson and at least one other member must be BRS Graduate Faculty members,
2. at least one member must be from a department other than ABE and s/he should be a Graduate Faculty member of a program other than BRS,
3. at least one member must represent any minor department(s) if the student selects a minor(s), and
4. the Ph.D. committee can be appointed only after the Qualifying Examination has been passed.

An initial Adviser will be assigned to each entering graduate student by the Department Head, in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator and the faculty member agreeing to serve as adviser. To the extent practical and commensurate with potential funding 

source(s), research interests of the student and assigned Adviser will be compatible. New graduate students are highly encouraged to visit with various faculty members concerning opportunities for dissertation research activities. After the student has decided on the preferred research area, s/he should inform the Graduate Program Coordinator or Department Head—by the middle of the first semester of study—of the preferred faculty member to serve as permanent Adviser. Each student should schedule at least a one-hour meeting each week with the adviser to ensure adequate communications.

Ph.D. Language and Communication Requirement

The purpose of the communication requirement is to strengthen the student's professional communication skills. The candidate must take a minimum of one three-credit course and receive a grade of B or better. Course selections must be approved by the academic adviser prior to registration. Courses used to satisfy this requirement must include the substantial practice of writing and/or speaking.

The selected course must be approved by the Adviser prior to registration and must meet the expectations of the Dissertation committee. A course used to satisfy this requirement cannot be a course taken as remedial for the Qualifying Examination. Examples of courses to consider are:

• AEE 413 Program Planning and Instructional Development (3)
• EDCE 530 Teaching and Learning in Ag Science (3)
• AGCOM 462W Advanced Agricultural Writing (3)
• CAS 450W Group Communication Theory and Rsch (3)
• CAS 425 Organizational Communication Theory and Research (3)
• CAS 471 Intercultural Communication Theory and Research (3)
• ENGL 417 The Editorial Process (3)
• ENGL 418 Advanced Technical Writing and Editing (3)
• ENGL 474 Issues in Rhetoric and Composition (3)
• ENGL 511 Thesis Workshop and Professional Writing (3)
• ENGL 584 Studies in Rhetoric (3)
• Any 3-credit 4XX foreign language course (Excluding 49X; and must not be candidate’s native language).

Comprehensive Examination 

When a Ph.D. candidate has substantially completed the course work, including the communication requirements, s/he is required to take a Comprehensive Examination covering the major, minor, and related areas of study. The Comprehensive Examination will be both written and oral. The nature and details of the Comprehensive Examination will be determined by the student’s Ph.D. committee. In general, the student will be required to demonstrate ability to synthesize information acquired through formal coursework and to use technical literature to find information required for solving biorenewable systems problems. A favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the committee is required for passing. If a candidate fails, the committee will determine whether another examination may be taken.

The Comprehensive Examination should be scheduled through the Graduate Program Assistant and the Graduate School at least three weeks prior to the selected date. All candidates are required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.00 for graduate work completed at the University at the time the Comprehensive Examination is given and may not have deferred or missing grades. The student must be registered as a full-time or part-time student for the semester in which the Comprehensive Exam is taken. The Comprehensive Examination must be taken at least three months before the Final Oral Examination. If a period of six years has elapsed between the passing of the Comprehensive Examination and the completion of the program, the student is required to pass a second Comprehensive Examination before the Final Oral Examination can be scheduled.

The Comprehensive Examination will consist of

1. The completion of a written examination provided by each of the Dissertation committee members prior to the oral examination;
2. A presentation of the candidate's research;
3. An oral examination that may cover content in the written examination research presentation or relevant subject matter.

Results of the examination are reported online, directly to the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services.

Final Oral Examination

Upon recommendation of the Adviser, a Ph.D. candidate who has satisfied all other requirements for the degree will be scheduled to take a Final Oral Examination. The student must be a registered full-time or part-time degree student for the semester in which the Final Oral Examination is taken. This examination is open to the public and the student should notify all departmental faculty and graduate students. The examination is related largely to the dissertation, but may cover the candidate’s entire field of study without regard to courses that have been taken either at Penn State University or elsewhere. The defense of the dissertation should be well-prepared including any appropriate visual aids. One of the aims of the preparation should be to synthesize the important conclusions in a time-efficient presentation, leaving ample time for questions and discussion. A favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the committee is required for passing. If a candidate fails, the committee will determine whether another examination may be taken.

The Ph.D. candidate must provide a copy of the dissertation to all members of the Ph.D. committee at least two weeks prior to the oral exam (the "Defense").  The oral presentation portion of the examination is open to the public, and the student should reserve a suitable venue with the Graduate Program Assistant and notify the department faculty and graduate students in advance.  

The scheduling form is completed online, with the help of  the Graduate Administrative Assistant and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the scheduled exam date.

Results of the exam are reported directly to the Graduate School.

Criteria for evaluation of the final oral examination:  The criteria used to evaluate the final oral examination are listed in the Program Assessment Form at the back of this document.

Schedule for Ph.D. Requirements:

Many of the Ph.D. degree requirements are listed in approximate chronological order on the following table. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that these and all other requirements are met in a timely manner. It is expected that Ph.D. students should complete the degree in a timely manner consistent with the research and funding program developed.

*Not all students will be prepared to complete the research proposal for BRS 500 during their first semester; Advisers have the discretion of delaying BRS 500 and completion of the research proposal until the end of the 2^nd or 3rd semester. In these cases, the student (1) should submit a plan of study to their committee at the end of the first semester and (2) work closely with the Adviser to ensure timely completion of the program of study.