Botany & Microbiology Graduate Degree Programs

Dr. Gordon E. Uno, Chair and Graduate Liaison
George Lynn Cross Botany-Microbiology Building, Room 136
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-4321 FAX: (405) 325-7619


General Information

The Department of Botany and Microbiology has a small but successful faculty committed to excellence in teaching and research. The faculty provides instruction leading to highly respected undergraduate and graduate degree programs in both Botany and Microbiology and maintains one of the most highly funded research programs on campus.

Many of the faculty members have received University awards in recognition of their teaching and research excellence. Most of the faculty have internationally recognized research programs and, as a consequence of their reputations, serve on advisory panels to federal agencies, review grant proposals and manuscripts for international journals, serve on editorial boards and hold offices in national societies in their respective disciplines.

Programs for Academic Excellence

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Graduate students are expected to conduct research projects under the guidance of major professors throughout the semester. More intensive research experience in specific laboratories is frequently available through summer assistantships.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
The O.U. Botanical Society and the OU Microbiology & Molecular Biology Club are open to undergraduate and graduate students. The Society organizes field trips and holds several meetings throughout the semester on topics of general interest to which the public and University community are invited.

Career Options

A variety of careers is available to persons with degrees in Botany or Microbiology. Employment may be with biological supply houses, pharmaceutical companies, industries, state and federal, agencies and research institutes. Microbiologists in the medical fields are frequently employed in clinical, diagnostic laboratories and medical research institutes. Increasing employment opportunities are becoming available in the biotechnology industry for persons trained in both Botany and Microbiology.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The department has scholarships and assistantships available for academically outstanding graduate students. Individuals must apply or be recommended for these scholarships by April 1 and meet any other deadlines imposed by the department

Graduate Degrees Offered:

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE

Candidates for the Master of Science in botany will be required to possess a well-balanced knowledge of the field of botany, to have mastered the technical methods in one or more areas and to have had experience in applying such methods to the solution of a problem. A thesis is required in a total program of 30 hours. A student in this program will be assigned a committee with whom to meet for determining a program of coursework and research.

Candidates for the Master's degree in microbiology will be required to show mastery of subject matter in general microbiology, medical microbiology, molecular biology, immunology and microbial physiology. In all cases satisfactory completion of a thesis and oral examination covering this subject matter and defense of the thesis will be required. A student working toward the Master of Science degree will be assigned a committee which will aid in designing the degree program.

MASTER OF NATURAL SCIENCE DEGREE

Students interested in teaching science in the secondary schools are referred to the degree of Master of Natural Science. To be admitted to the M.N.S. degree program, the applicant must hold a valid secondary school science teaching certificate. In addition, the applicant must have completed fifty semester hours of science or hold a degree in science.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE

Work leading to the Ph.D. degree is offered in most areas of botany. The program requires a satisfactory demonstration of knowledge in three of the major areas of botany which include structural botany, systematics, ecology, physiology and genetics. This proficiency will be determined by the dissertation advisory committee. The satisfactory completion and successful defense of original research as described in a dissertation is also required. Each student will, in consultation with the chairperson, select a dissertation advisory committee. A student must complete the general requirements of the Graduate College, appropriate research skills, and a minor in a related field with a minimum of six hours. Each student must attend and participate in a graduate seminar (Botany 5971). Approximately one-half of the last 60 hours should be in research, Botany 6980.

The Ph.D. degree in microbiology requires the successful completion of a dissertation and satisfactory demonstration of knowledge in the areas of general microbiology, including medical microbiology; immunology; molecular biology, including microbial genetics; microbial physiology. A minimum of 30 hours of the last 60 must be taken in research (Microbiology 6980). Each student must attend and participate in a graduate seminar (Microbiology 5971). Testing of subject matter will be administered by the dissertation advisory committee.

Each student will be assigned a specific dissertation committee whose functions are to aid in designing the degree program, provide advice on the dissertation research and conduct the oral dissertation defense examination.

GRADUATE FACULTY ROSTER

Professors: Fletcher, Lancaster, Luo, Mclnerney, Russell, Skvarla, Suflita, Tanner, Uno, Wallace
Associate Professors: Conway, Downard, Elisens, Nagle, Ortiz-Leduc
Assistant Professors: Ballard, Hofnagels, Kores, Krumholz, Molvray.
Information about the research interests of each faculty member is available through our Faculty page.

Areas of Concentration

Graduate students in the Department of Botany and Microbiology may choose to concentrate in one of the following areas. Interdisciplinary studies within the Department are available through the graduate student's committee. Interdepartmental interdisciplinary degrees are organized through the Graduate College.

Botany:

Microbiology:


PROCEDURES FOR ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM

Applicants for admission must submit an official transcript of all previous college or university work and three letters of recommendation. Submission of a report of verbal, quantitative and analytical scores from the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test (GRE) is recommended. The GRE exam is prepared by Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Information regarding times and places at which the examination may be taken may be obtained from University Counseling Center, University of Oklahoma, or similar agencies on other college campuses. These scores are to be sent directly to the Department of Botany and Microbiology at the time of application.

Each entering botany graduate student must have an advisory conference for evaluation of his or her educational objectives and previous coursework. All entering students must complete an advisory examination covering their previous botanical education. The examination will not affect admission, rather it permits the student and faculty advisers to determine levels of proficiency in the student's major area.

All entering microbiology graduate students must take an examination in basic microbiology upon entry into one of the graduate programs. In addition, each student will have an advisory conference with members of the microbiology faculty for the purpose of evaluating previous experience in microbiology. The results of the examination and advisory conferences will aid in advisement for the initial enrollment of the student and will not affect admission to a graduate program. The examination and conferences will be held during the week prior to the beginning of classes each semester.

Prerequisites for full graduate standing in botany include meeting the general requirements for the Graduate College and at least 16 hours of coursework in life sciences. Prerequisites for full graduate standing in microbiology include, in addition to meeting the general requirements of the Graduate College, the equivalent of one course in calculus; Physics 2414 and 2424; Chemistry 1315, 1415, 3053, 3153, and 3152; and 12 hours of undergraduate preparation in microbiology.


For further information about undergraduate and graduate programs, please fill out our on-line form or mail your request for information to: Dr. Gordon E. Uno, Chair, Department of Botany and Microbiology, The University of Oklahoma, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019-0425, (405) 325-4321. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.

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