Graduate Studies Reports Access
Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - OCE6001
Tracking Number - 5211
Edit function not enabled for this course.
Current Status:
SCNS Liaison Notified of Graduate Council Approval - 2016-04-21
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: Elective Marine Science. To GC Approved
Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2015-04-08
- Department:
- College: MS
- Budget Account Number: 25000010000
- Contact Person: Mya Breitbart
- Phone: 7275533520
- Email: mya@usf.edu
- Prefix: OCE
- Number: 6001
- Full Title: Professional Development I
- Credit Hours: 2
- Section Type: C -
Class Lecture (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: N
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?: N
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Prof. Development
- Course Online?: C -
Face-to-face (0% online)
- Percentage Online: 0
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites:
- Corequisites:
- Course Description: This 2-credit course is intended for new graduate students (or students who have only completed one year in the program). This course will cover “grad school basics” ---- everything you need to know for having a successful graduate experience here at USF
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Replacing Selected Topics with Permanent number; already listed in program
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? Every Fall the majority of our new students take this course - 15-18 graduate students.
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? Yes, 3 or more times
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) A terminal degree is required
- Objectives: Scientific Writing:
a. Students will be able to identify journals appropriate to publishing their own scientific research in
b. Students will understand and be able to explain the criteria used to rank journals (e.g., impact factors) and publishing success of scientists (e.g., H-index, Google Scholar)
c. Students will become proficient with methods for finding scientific literature (library resources, Web of Science alerts, RSS
feeds) and for preparing bibliographies (Endnote)
d. Students will learn about the details of the publishing process including topics such as: communicating with the editor, open access, responding to reviewers
Applying for Funding:
a. Students will be able to identify potential sources of funding using Community of Science Pivot and the USF Graduate School website
b. Students will become familiar with the basic components of a grant application to the National Science Foundation
c. Students will understand the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts evaluation criteria integral to the National Science Foundation
Presentation Skills:
a. Students will learn to evaluate their audience and prepare their presentations accordingly
b. Students will learn effective ways of communicating their research to various audiences (public vs. scientific audience) and in various forms (poster, oral presentation)
c. Students will become familiar with ways to publicize their research through both social media outlets and official university press releases
d. Students will learn how to critique and provide feedback on presentations given by their peers
Networking and Relationships:
a. Students will develop an outline of their professional network, with specific goals and plans for achieving a strong scientific network
b. Students will become familiar with the main research areas of the College of Marine Science
c. Students will learn techniques for successfully communicating with their major advisor and thesis/dissertation committee
d. Students will become familiar with strategies for time and stress management
- Learning Outcomes: Students will demonstrate that they have completed the course objectives by preparing a competitive application for an external graduate student fellowship (e.g., NSF GRFP, EPA STAR), giving a 12-minute presentation on their research, and providing critiques and feedbacks on the applications, CVs, and presentations of their peers.
- Major Topics: Topics covered include:
• Getting the most out of graduate school (including opportunities specific to USF-CMS)
• Optimizing your relationship with your faculty advisor
• Finding opportunities to obtain fellowships, attend meetings, and gain important experience in your field
• Networking skills, developing collaborations
• The nuts and bolts of publishing papers: how to choose journals, prepare cover letters, respond to reviewers
• Presentation skills
• Finding scientific literature (using Endnote, RSS feeds, Web of Science alerts)
• Maintaining progress with your degree program, how to properly use your committee and keep a reasonable timeline
• CV preparation
• Time management and deciding what is/isn’t worth your time and effort
• Outreach opportunities
• Media relations
- Textbooks:
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: Readings:
• Reading materials will be compiled from many sources and made available on Canvas. We will use Canvas frequently during this course – please be sure you know how to access the site.
• The textbook “Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty”, published by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is a good resource and will be provided to you free of charge at the first class meeting, but is not required reading.
• “Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or Ph.D.” by Robert L. Peters may be helpful for you, and I have a copy if you’d like to look at it.
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: Grading:
Grading for this course will be full letter grades. Grades for the course will be based on attendance, class participation, and completion of assignments. There will not be any exams for this course. Students are expected to attend and contribute to every class (shyness will not be acceptable!). If you are going to be absent, send an e-mail in advance to mya@usf.edu. Five points will be deducted from the final grade for any assignments that are not completed on time. Plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment.
Grading Breakdown:
CV 5%
Proposal 50%
Presentation 30%
Attendance/ Participation 15%
- Assignments, Exams and Tests: Date
Topic (hour 1) Topic/Activity (hour 2) Assignment (due the following week)
August 26 Dean’s welcome Advice from 2nd year students
September 2
No class on Tuesday – Class RESCHEDULED for
Thursday, September 4th 10-12 in MSL Conf Room!
September 9
Getting the most out of grad school CV preparation
September 16
*BRING COMPUTER* Your relationship with your
advisor Finding external funding
opportunities CV due next week
(bring 2 copies)
September 23 Personal statements and research plans (NSF-GRFP) CV Peer review Meet with your advisor –
talk about research plan
(& which fellowship)
September 30
*BRING COMPUTER* Keeping up with your field (literature) Endnote tutorial
October 7 Outreach and broader impacts Proposals due next week
October 14 Publishing (writing, submission, review process)
October 21 Scientific communication (oral and poster presentation skills, social media, and talking with reporters)
October 28 No class – go to career panel, 3-5 pm on Thursday 10/30 in the MSL Conference Room
November 4 Networking
November 11 No class – Veteran’s Day
November 18 PRESENTATIONS
November 25 No class – Thanksgiving Week
December 2 PRESENTATIONS
- Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,
http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)
Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Policy on Make-up Work: Communications and Emergency Procedures:
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor the Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
- Program This Course Supports: Marine Science
- Course Concurrence Information: N/A
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.