Thesis committee:

The University stipulates that PhD students have both a supervisor and an advisory committee and the Microbiology Department extends this to all research postgraduates (MSc and PhD). “In the case of Science, a scientific advisory panel of 2 - 4 staff must be established to oversee the supervision and project. This panel normally consists of a supervisor and advisor and up to 2 additional staff members. Either the supervisor or advisor must be a permanent academic staff member. The panel is charged to meet regularly to review progress and help support the student and the project.” (from the Calendar).  

Accordingly, all postgraduates (MSc and PhD) in Microbiology must have a thesis committee, which should be formed within three months of commencement of the research. 

Annual Reports:

All postgraduates (MSc and PhD) must submit an annual report to their thesis committee. This report will form part of their training and will help with writing publications, project planning and writing the thesis. A standard format would be Introduction; Project Objectives; Methodology; Results; Discussion; Future Plans. Students should discuss the report with their supervisor before writing as alternative formats may also be acceptable (e.g. if the work in the previous year formed a paper this could be bracketed with introduction and future plans sections). Students should meet their thesis committee at least once a year and a review form for each student must be submitted by each thesis committee annually to Dr Jerry Reen, Chair SGSC. The format of this meeting is at the discretion of the student and their committee. The annual report form can be obtained in the "Frequently Requested Forms" section.

Presentations:

All PhD students are required to give a talk on their project in the School Seminar series in the final (4th) year of their research. Typically, the seminar will be sometime between October and December.