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Department of Biology

Requirements for Project and Project Presentation

  1. Biotechnology students must complete an application based project.
    1. Topics for the project are flexible and include, but are not limited to, answer to a specific research question, develop and implement quality control procedures, develop and implement safety protocols/SOPS, perform instrument validation, write a business plan for biotechnology industry, or perform extensive statistical analysis.
    2. Students may lead a group of students in the project. If this is the case, the student will identify each participant and their contributions to the project.
    3. Students must enroll in four units of Project (298).
    4. In order to define their project, students must prepare a project proposal in consultation with their project committee and research advisor. This proposal also satisfies the graduate writing requirement, see the information in the graduate writing requirement page for more information. The rubric for evaluation of the writing requirement may be found in the forms page of this web site.
  3. Students must identify a research advisor/mentor to serve as the Chair of their Project Committee. In consultation with their advisor they must identify two other members of the Biotechnology faculty to serve on the Project Committee. The roles of the Project Chair and Committee:
    1. The Project Committee under the direction of the Committee Chair is responsible for evaluating the project proposal for meeting the requirements of the graduate writing requirement, for appropriateness in meeting program requirements in terms of the scope of the project, and for scientific soundness.
    2. The Project committee supervises the project progress, providing assistance and advice when needed.
    3. The Committee reviews, edits, and approves the final project report.
  5. Completion of the Project requires a written report. The report should be written in discussion with the student's project committee, particularly the committee chair.
    1. The project report must show originality, appropriate organization, clarity of purpose, critical analysis, and accuracy and completeness of documentation where needed. Critical and independent thinking is required. It must meet standards for publication in the scholarly journals of that discipline or standards for industry reporting.
    2. If students are completing their project with an outside agency or industry, students must adhere to all confidentiality agreements in place when writing their project report.
    3. The project report must conform to the Graduate Division criteria on matters of format, documentation, and quality of writing. This information must be obtained from the Graduate Division.
    4. Students must submit their project report at least four weeks before the end of the semester. Some committee members may require more time to read the report and if they request more time the student must distribute the report to that committee member earlier. Students should expect substantial rewriting of their report in response to committee member comments and suggestions. Students expecting to graduate in the summer semester should check with their committee about their schedule.
    5. The project report must be completed and turned into Biotechnology Program directors before the last day of class in a given semester. Before it is turned in, it must be approved by the student's project committee.
    6. Students must have the completed report bound and placed in the library and department collections.
  7. Students must present their research at a symposium. This is a formal presentation of research results.
    1. The symposium must be completed seven days prior to the last day of instruction for the semester the student wishes to graduate.
    2. The date, time and place of the defense must be arranged in consultation with the project committee members and in coordination with the Biology Department staff. Only certain days and times may be available. Students must also arrange for the appropriate equipment for their presentation (projector, overhead...).
    3. Students must produce and post notices for the Project presentation. Notices must be posted at least seven days before the presentation around the Science building and other appropriate sites. Notices must be sent to all students and faculty in the Biotechnology Program.
  9. If thesis work is not completed the semester for which the student has enrolled in 298, a grade of RP is entered. If the grade is not replaced within two years, the department may require the student to re-enroll in 298.
  10. Students must maintain continual enrollment at the University while: 1) completing a grade of RP in thesis (298), or a grade of I in any other course, OR 2) during the semester in which an application for the degree is to be granted. Students may apply for an official leave of absence with the Graduate Division to be exempted from this rule.