Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is taken very seriously at Rutgers and in the Microbial Biology Graduate Program for both Ph.D. and M.S. students. In both coursework and independent research all work including essays, papers, proposals, data, analyses, etc. must be the original work of the student. Please see the Academic Integrity PDF document on the SGS web site for more information and for examples of unethical practices. All Microbial Biology graduate students are required to take 16:682:530 (Fall) Scientific Conduct and Ethics. Students supported on research grants may be required to take additional ethics courses. Faculty are also required to take ethics training and periodic refresher courses.
Tripartite Program: A graduate degree is a partnership between the student, faculty mentor, and the graduate program. Please read the Best Practices in Mentoring PDF document on the SGS web site which describes the important roles of each of the three partners. Every year students must update Individual Development Plans ensuring a dialogue of goals and expectations between the student and the research mentor and the graduate program director.
Reminder: Quoting from the SGS web site: "The Ph.D. is a research degree that prepares students to become independent scholars. It signifies that the holder is capable of original and ethical research in a particular field and of making a significant contribution to that field. To attain this degree, graduate students, guided by their own interests and by the expertise of the graduate faculty, develop an individual plan of research within the context of a broad general structure. The goal of the graduate program is to assist students in becoming scholars who are skilled in the research practices of the discipline and are aware of its ethical and professional standards."