Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Major, PhD

Requirements

In addition to general requirements of the Graduate Council, aspirants for the Doctor of Philosophy degree are expected to

• Complete course requirements as determined by the department and the student’s faculty dissertation research committee. 
• Pass a written and oral comprehensive examination designed to test for adequate knowledge in those areas essential to the student’s research program. 
• Satisfactorily complete and defend a dissertation.

The department does not require a reading knowledge of a foreign language, but this may be imposed by the student’s faculty dissertation research committee. If so, the student has the option of demonstrating reading knowledge of the prescribed language by either (a) passing the official reading examination given by the language department or (b) earning a grade of at least a B in the second semester of a special language reading course for graduate students.

Energy Science and Engineering Concentration

This concentration is offered in collaboration with the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education (CIRE). The CIRE is a joint effort between University of Tennessee colleges and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The students who wish to pursue this concentration will normally have completed 6 credit hours of the ESE Core for CIRE students, 8 credit hours of the Core for EEB students, and 1 credit hour of CIRE seminar.