2010-2011 UF Graduate Catalog (PDF Format) - Graduate School ...

University of Florida Graduate School
Conservation, Women's Studies, and Zoology.
Master's students can earn a certificate in TCD by completing 12 credits of approved
course work: 2 interdisciplinary core courses and 1 course each in tropical ecology
and social science. Ph.D. students can earn a certificate by completing 15 credits of
approved course work (3 interdisciplinary core courses and 1 course each in tropical
ecology and social science). Students from natural science academic units must take
the social science credits outside their major. Otherwise, courses from the student's
major can count toward program requirements. Substitutions need prior approval
from the TCD faculty adviser.
To earn a concentration in TCD, students must complete the course requirements for
the certificate (as explained above) and they must focus on tropical conservation and
development in their thesis, dissertation, or final project. One member of the
student's supervisory committee must be a TCD affiliate faculty member. This person
is responsible for judging whether the student's thesis focuses on tropical
conservation and/or development. For the faculty member to make this judgment,
the student must articulate in writing how the research fits in the broader context of
biodiversity conservation and/or rural development in the tropics. This person cannot
count as the external member of the committee.
For more information on the TCD certificate and concentration program, and for a list
of approved courses, visit the TCD website (http://www.latam.ufl.edu/tcd), or
contact Marianne Schmink, TCD Director, 301 Grinter Hall, (352) 392-6548 ext. 827,
E-mail Schmink@latam.ufl.edu.
Tropical Studies
The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a consortium of 50 major educational
and research institutions in the United States and abroad, created to promote
understanding of tropical environments and their intelligent use by people. The
University of Florida is a charter member. Graduate field courses in tropical biology
and ecology, agricultural ecology, population biology, and forestry are offered in
Costa Rica and Brazil during spring and summer terms. Students are selected on a
competitive basis from all OTS member institutions.
A University of Florida graduate student may register for 8 credits in an appropriate
course cross-listed with OTS (e.g., PCB 6357C or AGG 6933). The University of
Florida does not require tuition for OTS courses. Registration is on the host campus.
However, students on Graduate Assistantships must also be registered at UF.
Research grants are available through OTS. For more information, contact University
of Florida representatives to the OTS board of directors, Dr. Robert Holt (111
Bartram Hall) and Dr. Hugh Popenoe (2169 McCarty Hall).
Vision Sciences
An interdisciplinary specialization in vision sciences is available through the College of
Medicine. The Department of Ophthalmology serves as the administrative and
logistical center. However, most of the faculty are from the IDP advanced
concentrations. Current interests include retinal gene therapy, gene expression in the
mammalian retina and lens, especially during fetal development, biochemistry of
vision in vertebrates and invertebrates, biochemistry and neurobiology of wound
http://test.gradschool.ufl.edu/catalog/current-catalog/catalog-graduate-degrees-and-programs.html[9/15/2010 4:06:33 PM]