Seminars

[UnlikelyGrad]

After talking with grad students in my program who have transferred here from other schools, I was surprised to hear of the variety in seminar programs. What does your school require in terms of attendance? What's required of students in terms of giving a seminar?

My department:

*Requires that all grad students attend every seminar. (I think you're allowed a certain number of absences per semester, but they don't publicize this number.) Seminar may be held twice each week, so this is a bit of a load.

*Requires that master's students give one seminar, and that Ph.D. students give two (one master's level, one Ph.D. level). Master's level seminars can be on any chemistry-related topic, though most people just speak about their own research. Ph.D. level seminars have to be given on the student's thesis research.

How about your school/department?

[zilch]

we have weekly seminars. It's conducted in the form of a pass/fail course that all graduate students have to be registered for. But we only have to attend 3 per semester. I don't think my department requires giving a seminar, but if you're going for the PhD you will most certainly be giving talks during your degree but they will be to area specific audiences rather than the entire department.

However, my department is probably a little different from most, we are humongous (1200 undergrads and 400-500 grads) and many of the sub-fields and concentrations are almost un-related to each other.

[Genomic Repairman]

We have a weekly student seminar (grad students present their work) and student journal club which we must attend. There are also institutional seminars which are suggested to attend but if you are busy no one is sweating you if you cannot make.

[rising_star]

You're talking about talks, right? We have a colloquium series, which meets about once a week on Fridays in the late afternoon. While you only have to register for it for credit your first year (and it's pass/fail and no one takes attendance), attendance is expected if you are in town. We also have a series of professional development workshops that's offered on the Fridays with speakers for the two hours beforehand. So basically, no one in my department gets any work done on Friday afternoons between the two.