By mutual consent of the student and faculty member concerned, a member of the faculty of Genetics and Developmental Biology Program will serve as the student's major advisor. The advisor, in conjunction with the student, will make sure that the student has met requirements for basic courses. The faculty advisor in consultation with the graduate student will propose an advisory committee of at least three faculty members for masters and five for Ph.D. track. Committee members should represent diverse backgrounds, and a majority of the graduate advisory committee must be from the faculty of Genetics and Developmental Biology. A conference shall be arranged between the advisory committee and the student within the first year of graduate study. This session shall explore the student's competence and interests and plan future courses and direction of study. For M.S. or Ph.D. track, a plan of study (blue or green papers, respectively) should be completed by the student and agreed upon by the advisory committee. The plan of study will list the advisor, advisory committee, completed and proposed course work, and research area, and must be submitted to the Director of the Division of Plant & Soil Sciences for approval.
