Advisory Committee The advisory committee is responsible for planning the program of study, assisting in the direction of your academic progress, and administering the final oral examination. An advisory committee must be appointed for all MNR students before the end of the first semester of study. To do this, submit the advisory committee form signed by the committee members and deliver it to the Warnell Graduate Office. Who serves on the advisory committee? The advisory committee includes your major professor, who serves as chair, and at least two additional faculty members. All committee members must hold the rank of at least assistant professor or equivalent. Of the two additional members of the committee, one must work in a study area outside your area of concentration. This outside representative may be from another school or college at UGA. Major professor: The major professor is chair of your advisory committee and is your primary source of advice on academic, scientific, and professional matters. The major professor must be a member of the Warnell faculty (no adjunct members may serve) and work in your study area. Co-major professors (optional): A limit of two co-major professors may be appointed to an advisory committee. Both must sign all forms requiring the chair's signature and together they count as one member of the committee. Therefore, an additional faculty member must be added to the advisory committee. Advisory Committee Form Program of Study Your academic coursework is determined by your advisory committee. These classes are specified on the program of study form, which is approved by the advisory committee, signed by the major professor, and delivered to the Warnell Graduate Office for the graduate coordinator’s signature before the end of the first semester of study. We strongly recommend that the graduate program administrator reviews the program of study before getting signatures. All courses on the program of study must fall within a six-year time limit. An overall GPA of 3.0 must be maintained on all courses on the program of study, with no grade below a C on any course. The program of study for an MNR degree requires a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate-level credit, which must form a logical whole and meet the following guidelines: Course Requirements for MNR degree Hours Courses within Warnell 12 Courses outside study area (discretion of the advisory committee) 9 Electives* 12 Total 33 *3 hours of Applied Research in Forestry and Natural Resources (FANR 9200) is recommended, but optional at the discretion of the advisory committee. No more than 3 hours each of Problems or Applied Research under one faculty member, with no more than a grand total of 6 hours in these courses. MNR Program of Study Form Final Oral Examination You must submit a Notice of Examination Form to the Warnell Graduate Office at least three weeks prior to the examination. The exam includes questions related to courses on the program of study and must be administered by the advisory committee. It is open to all members of the faculty and is announced by the Warnell Graduate Office. All members of the advisory committee must be present for the entire oral examination. If a member cannot be present, the student must choose one of the following options: The absentee member may participate via a teleconference or video conference in which all participants can hear each person’s comments. In this case, the committee chair must sign the approval form for the absentee member, register their vote, and indicate their participation was by teleconference or video conference (major professor signs the absentee member's name followed by the major professor's initials). A substitution may be made with another faculty member who can replace the former member in expertise of the subject field and who has knowledge of the student’s area of interest. In this case, a revised advisory committee form must be submitted to the Warnell Graduate Office prior to the examination. The exam may be canceled or rescheduled. In any of these cases, you must notify the Warnell Graduate Office. Following the final oral examination, the advisory committee members must approve it and certify their approval in writing. The approval deadline is posted on the UGA Graduate School website three semesters in advance. Notice of Examination Form
