General overview of schedule for graduate students



Detailed descriptions are provided by, and vary, with each program.

​Default timeline for a SFRC PhD student

First semester
  • Idea development
  • Discuss potential committee members. See committee page for specific requirements.
  • Begin adding committee members

Second semester
  • Develop study plan. See study plan page and template for specific requirements.
  • Complete core committee members
  • First committee meeting - mid to end of semester
    • discuss overall interests 
    • discuss summer research plans and objectives
    • discuss and sign off on study plan

Summer 1 - ranges from exploratory research to publishable research depending on student

Third semester
  • Second committee meeting - start of Fall semester
    • ​Discus summer advances
    • Discuss in more detail PhD research interests
  • Over semester write up a PhD research proposal per guidelines on 'students' page
  • Share research proposal with committee and have 1-2 rounds of revisions (by late mid semester)
  • Third committee meeting - late-mid Fall semester
    • Proposal defense - See 'students' page for detailed information.
      • 20 minute presentation of proposed research
      • Discussion of research proposal
  • Share revised final proposal with committee - Late-end of Fall semester

Fourth semester
  • Assign themes and format for each committee member
  • Written qualifying exams - mid Spring semester
  • Oral qualifying exam - Late Spring semester

Summer 2 - PhD research suitable for inclusion as a chapter

Fifth to sixth semester (if on a 4 year plan)
  • Field data collection, analysis and writing
  • Often conducting extensive field work or based entirely at field sites depending

Seventh semester (if on a 4 year plan)
  • Final exam / Thesis defense - late-mid Fall semester. See 'students' page for detailed information.

Eighth semester (if on a 4 year plan)
  • Complete revised version of PhD
  • Submit to UF graduate school
  • ​Graduation (typically May)

​Default timeline for a SFRC MS student

First semester
  • Idea development
  • Discuss potential committee members. See committee page for specific requirements.
  • Begin adding committee members

Second semester
  • Develop study plan. See study plan page and template for specific requirements.
  • Complete core committee members
  • First committee meeting - start of semester
  • discuss overall interests
  • discuss and sign off on study plan
  • Second committee meeting - mid to end of semester
    • discuss summer research plans and objectives
    • Over semester write up a MS research proposal per guidelines on 'students' pagE
    • Share research proposal with committee and have 1 round of revisions (by late mid semester)

Summer - MS research suitable for inclusion as a chapter (s). Manuscript format.

Third semester
  • Data analysis and write up
  • Thesis defense - late semester

Fourth semester
  • Complete revised version of MS
  • Submit to UF graduate school
  • ​Graduation (typically May)

​Default timeline for a SFFGS non-thesis MS student (NTMS)

First semester
  • Idea development for final exam.
    • Typical projects for final exams include activities such as: internships, data collection opportunities, use of existing data for new questions, and/or independent work.
  • Discuss potential second grader. See committee page for specific requirements. We need to identify a 2nd ‘grader’ well in advance who would review and participate and then sign off on the final exam form. Student suggestions for a 2nd grader name are normally provided by the student, based on coursework or involvement in their internships or experience. Typically, a faculty at UF, but could be a PhD level or higher from elsewhere if they are interested and we follow a process to make that feasible via UF.
  • Invite second grader. This might involve the student having a short meeting with the grader to discuss, or simply a nice formal email of request / invitation.
  • Minimum 1 meeting (typically Zoom) with advisor (Dr. Broadbent).

Second semester
  • Complete program of study.

Summer - Final exam research / activity.

Third semester
  • Data analysis.
  • Begin preparing the:
    • 5-6 pg. overview document, which includes key components of a peer-reviewed manuscript, as shown in the writing template, that summarizes what you did, including the normal sections of title, purpose (question or hypotheses), method, results, discussion, and references.
    • A 20-minute PPT slide presentation, with 10-minute question and answer following., which includes those same sections. Include nice visuals.
  • Update and reconfirm second grader participation.

Fourth semester
  • Schedule final exam presentation date / time with advisor and second grader.
  • Complete final exam and complete forms to Abernathy.
  • ​Graduation (typically May).
See website: https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/graduate/​ 
" *Academic programs are required to give a final examination to students as part of their MS/PhD graduation requirements. The examination format (e.g., written or oral), length, breadth, location, and subject matter will be determined by the Supervisory Committee according to program and Graduate School policies. The content will be centered on subject matter drawn from the student’s coursework and/or research focus. The examination should be taken during the last semester of enrollment by the relevant Graduate School deadlines. "