Ph.D. of Science Programme in Biology

Degree Designation Ph.D. (Biology)

Curriculum Structure / Plan 1.1 / Plan 1.2 / Plan 2.1 / Plan 2.2
Required Courses / - / - / 2 / 2
Elective Courses not less than / - / - / 10 / 22
Thesis / 48 / 72 / 36 / 48
Total / 48 / 72 / 48 / 72

Courses Description

Plan 1.1

Thesis / Credit
331 –791 / Thesis
Individual research in zoological problems under supervision of the advisory committee / 48 (0-144-0)
Required Courses / Credit
330 – 770 / Seminar in Biology I
Interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / None Credit
330 – 771 / Seminar in Biology II
Propose proposal or report his or her progress of Doctor’s thesis; interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / None Credit

Plan 1.2

Thesis / Credit
331 –792 / Thesis
Individual research in zoological problems under supervision of the advisory committee / 72(0-216-0)
Required Courses / Credit
330 – 770 / Seminar in Biology I
Interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / None Credit
330 – 771 / Seminar in Biology II
Propose proposal or report his or her progress of Doctor’s thesis; interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / None Credit

Plan 2.1

Required Courses / Credit
330 – 770 / Seminar in Biology I
Interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / 1(0-2-1)
330 – 771 / Seminar in Biology II
Propose proposal or report his or her progress of Doctor’s thesis; interesting and up-to-date scientific topics which related to biology; presentation in the class to interested audience / 1(0-2-1)
Elective Courses
Elective Courses (Plant)
330 – 501 / Paleobotany
Lectures will address biology, phylogeny, classification, taphonomy and paleoecology (e.g. plant-climate / plant-animal interactions) of fossil plants; practice includes field trips and study of paleobotanical tecniques and specimens / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 503 / Plant Geography(Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent)
Definition and history of plant geography; origin, evolution and distribution of plants relating to world geography; effects of environmental factors and human to plant distribution; vegetation communities of the world and Thailand / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 510 / Advanced Morphology of Vascular Plants(Prerequisite: Morphology of Vascular Plants or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Detailed study of organization, developmental anatomy and morphogenesis of selected groups of vascular plants by using various techniques e.g. electron microscopy etc. concerning plant morphological problems in details, focusing on the current researches of plant morphology / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 513 / Palynology (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Spore and pollen morphology, evolutionary and morphological trends of spore and Angiosperm pollen, pollen and spore morphology of some selected families, applied to the pollination ecology and biology, plant geography, geology, archeology, paleontology, forensic science and medical science including the preparation acetolysis metyhod through permanent slide for light and scanning microscope / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 520 / Advanced Plant Physiology I (Prerequisite: Plant Physiology or equivalent)
Processes and mechanisms of energy production in plant cells, carbohydrate metabolism and nitrogen metabolism / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 521 / Advanced Plant Physiology II (Prerequisite: Plant Physiology or equivalent)
Current interesting topics in plant nutrition, transport and mechanism involving growth / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 522 / Plant Metabolism (Prerequisite: Plant Physiology or equivalent)
Processes of plant metabolism, principles of metabolism, bioenergetics, metabolism of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur; metabolism of plant products and constituents / 3(1-6-2)
330 – 529 / Plant-Water Relations and Mineral Nutrition (Prerequisite: Plant Physiology or equivalent)
The relationship between water and plant, problems on water stress, mineral nutrition, principles such as absorption and accumulation of mineral salts, and analysis of elements of plant constituents / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 530 / Advanced Plant Taxonomy (Prerequisite: Plant Taxonomy or equivalent)
Development of philosophy of classification systems of plants, plant taxonomic problems and the solution techniques, taxonomic revision works and current researches in plant taxonomy focusing on flowering plants in the peninsular Thailand and the Malesian regions / 3(2-3-4)
330 - 540 / Plant Growth and Development(Prerequisite: Plant Physiology or equivalent)
Plant physiology under environmental stress, such as drought and frost; factors controlling plant growth and development, and their applications / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 561 / Plant Molecular Genetics (Prerequisite: Molecular Genetics or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Gene structure, function and types of reproduction in higher plants; genetic variation in population; mutation, changes in structure and number of chromosomes and their roles in plant evolution and breeding; transfer of chromosomes and genes from plants to plants; genetic engineering and its potential for plant breeding / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 572 / Algal Culture (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Biology of algae, especially on economic algae, methods of cultivation and site selection, environmental effects and factors affecting growth, production, harvesting, discussion on progress and problems in algal culture, field study included / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 573 / Protoplast Technology (Prerequisite: Tissue Culture and Plant organs or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Enzymatic isolation of protoplasts, protoplast culture, cell wall regeneration, fusion, selection, fusion products and plant regeneration from somatic hybrids / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 575 / Research Methods in Botany
Development of concepts and theories in botany, botanical questions, literature review, techniques in botanical research, research planning, data analysis using computer, research presentation and publication / 2(2-2-2)
330 – 589 / Coastal Botany (Prerequisite: Plant taxonomy or equivalent and Plant Ecology)
Distribution patterns, phytosociology, morphological and physiological adaptations of native plants in various plant communities along the coast in Peninsular Thailand and the Malesian region together with identification techniques, current researches in taxonomy, phytogeography and plant ecology of the plant communities along the coast, focusing in peninsular Thailand and Malaysia, including field surveys / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 601 / Plant Evolution (Prerequisite: Morphology of plants)
Evolution in various groups of plants including green algae, bryophytes, and tracheophytes; evolutionary trends in various groups of plants; coevolution; relationships between plants and their habitats / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 641 / Plant Morphogenesis(Prerequisite: Physiology of plants or equivalent)
A detail study of the origin of plant form including the controls of growth and development of plant parts / 3(2-3-4)
Elective Courses (Animal)
330 – 502 / Zoogeography (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent)
Distribution of animals from an evolutionary and ecological standpoint; structure of the earth and mechanisms of continental drift; biogeographical consequences of continental drift; the influence of physical, climatic and biotic factors; biomes; the biogeography of islands, oceans and man / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 512 / Aquatic Insects (Prerequisite: Entomology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
General biology of aquatic insects, evolution, collection and preservation for identification, family identification, relation between aquatic insects and environments / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 514 / Teuthology
Morphology and morphometry; behaviour, growth; life history and life strategy; roles in food chain; origin and evolution; phylogeny; identification and classification; fossil and recent forms; ecology and distribution; aquaculture and utilization / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 515 / Palaeoteuthology (Prerequisite: Teuthology orby the instructor’s approval)
Fossil morphology; origin and early evolution of cephalopods; taxonomic classification of fossil forms; phylogeny; palaeobiology and life strategy; marine paleoecological context and palaeozoogeography; hypothesis on mass extinctions of Ammonoidea and Belemnoidea / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 523 / Insect Morphology and Physiology (Prerequisite: Entomology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Morphology of structure of insects; comparative study and functional aspects of organs and organ systems of various representative insects / 4(3-3-6)
330 – 527 / Physiological Ecology of Marine Animals (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Physiological adaptation of organisms to their habitats; searching for food and foraging, energy allocation for food, development rate, control of body size, reproduction plan, adaptation to temperature and response to environmental stress / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 531 / Herpetology (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
General characteristics of amphibians and reptiles, evolution of food selection, habitats, adaptation and distribution, reproduction and development, population and identification; field trips / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 532 / Biology of Mammals (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
General characteristics of mammals, adaptation in physiology and morphology, identification, evolution, food, habitats and distribution, growth development and behavior, population and conservation; field studies in natural situations / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 534 / Biology of Molluscs (Prerequisite: Invertebrate or equivalent)
Morphology, anatomy, physiology, embryology, ecology and taxonomy of molluscs, with emphasis on medical and economic importance; special topics, such as the relationship between host and parasite, pests and cultivation are also included; methods of collection, identification and curation; field trips / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 536 / Biology of Crustaceans (Prerequisite: Invertebrate or equivalent)
Detailed study of morphology, anatomy, physiology, embryology, ecology and taxonomy of crustaceans; stress is especially laid on the economic importance of decapods; field trips / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 537 / Biology of Fish Larvae (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Biology, taxonomy and ecology of fish larvae, effects of environmental factors on survival of fish larvae / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 541 / Biology of Animal Development (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Animal development from gametogenesis, fertilization, embryo development till adult emphasized on biochemical changes, cell processes, internal control, induction and environmental factors / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 542 / Insect Growth and Metamorphosis (Prerequisite: Entomology or equivalent)
Reproductive system, embryonic development, metamorphosis and environmental controlling of insects / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 550 / Coral Reef Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology and Invertebrate or equivalent and should Swim)
General biology of coelenterates; taxonomic survey of true corals; types and formation of coral reef; general features and distribution of coral reefs; interrelationships among coral associated organisms and reefs; productivity, nutrient cycling, utilization, coral reef degradation and conservation are also discussed; field trips and special projects / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 551 / Animal Population Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent)
Estimation of population parameters, survivorship, natality and mortality; the examination of age distribution and formation of life tables; reproduction and logistic growth, the interaction of organisms, including competition, predation and parasitism; fluctuations in animal populations including cycles and irruption; various theories of population regulation and a case study of one animal in detail; the application of population dynamics to practical problems / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 553 / Primate Ecology (Prerequisite: Animal behavior or Ecology Animal Population Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Detailed study of primate biology; evolution, social behavior, ecology and conservation and management of primate populations; field studies / 4(4-0-8)
330 – 554 / Insect Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Evaluation of environment factors affecting distribution and abundance of insects; analysis of insect population oscillation; application of ecological principles to integrated control measures / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 581 / Plant - Animal Interactions (Prerequisite: Basic Biology or equivalent)
Interaction between plants and animals emphasized on the relationship of plants and herbivores, mutualism, ecology and evolution of herbivores / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 583 / Principles of Sociobiology (Prerequisite: Ecology and Animal behavior or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Evolution and phylogeny of behavior in various social animals, including man, functions of social behavior, grouping and spacing behavior, ecology of mating systems, sexual selection, the theory of kin selection, group selection and population selection, social organization in insects, vertebrates, and primates, summary of the four principles of the evolution of social systems and their prime movers; field studies in natural situations / 4(3-3-6)
330 – 585 / Behavioural Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Hypotheses about adaptation and evolution of behavior; hypothesis on behavioral ecology; decision making process in economics of animal behavior; evolution between prey and predator; resource competition for reproduction in food, habitat, mating pair; conflict of sexes; sexual selection; group selection and individual selection; parental care and mating system / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 653 / Human Ecology
Human population, habitat, food production and agricultural system; impact of environment, social and culture on human; disease control, parasites, pollution, conservation of biotic resources and advantage and disadvantage on development and quality of life / 3(3-0-6)
Elective Courses (All)
330 – 504 / Biogeography (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Living organisms in a spatial and temporal context, concerning with the analysis and explanation of pattern of distribution both in the past and present time; cause of the varying pattern of occurring of different species over the surface of the planet and the interaction of physical change such as plate tectonics and the response of the biological world by means of evolutionary change; seeking the general framework of understanding the impact of human activities to ecology and distribution of living organisms / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 505 / Systematics Biology
Principle of systematics biology; evolutionary of classification; psychology; classification of microbe, animal and plant; case study / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 506 / Introduction to Philosophy of Science
The growth of knowledge of science through the Hypothetico-deductive Model as refined by Karl Popper, the status of scientific theories and their relationship to observational data, the extent to which scientific theories rest on unprovable paradigms, and the nature of scientific explanations, probability, universal causality and Paticcasamuppada, scientific reduction, the relationship between science and technology, and the relationship between scientific and other values / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 552 / Mangrove Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology and Invertebrate or equivalent)
Environmental condition of mangrove forests; structure, species composition and distribution of mangrove flora and fauna; interrelationships among organisms and their environment; energy flow, nutrient cycling with emphasis on detrital food chains; utilization and conservation of mangrove forests; field trips and special projects / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 556 / Plankton Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Life history, interaction of population dynamic and primary production of phytoplankton and zooplankton; evironmental factors controlling distribution and abundance of phyto- and zooplankton, food web and fisheries production; technique in plankton sampling, enumeration, identification and culture including field trip / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 558 / Management of Terrestrial Ecosystems (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Community structure, factors controlling community structures, nutrient cycling and energy flow in tropical terrestrial ecosystem; the comparison between natural terrestrial ecosystem and managed ecosystem (agroecosystem, silvicultural system) / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 559 / TropicalForest Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Tropical forest formations, components of tropical forest ecosystems, population biology, nutrient cycling, community structure and functions, plant and animal relationships, wildlife ecology, ecological techniques, important, problems, threats, conservation and management of tropical forests / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 560 / Advanced Genetics (Prerequisite: Genetics or equivalent)
Complex structure of gene, in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes; advanced techniques and recent research on genes such as genetic engineering and its application in details / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 570 / Photographic Techniques in Biological Research
Theory and practice of photography as applied to biological research, including photomacrography and photomicrography / 3(1-6-2)
330 – 571 / Histochemistry
Methodology of analysis of the chemical components and enzyme activities of cells and tissues under the microscope / 3(1-6-2)
330 – 574 / Computer Programming and Modelling Techniques in Biology
(Prerequisite: Basic calculus least 8 Credit and Statistics)
Application of computer programming and modelling techniques in ecology, genetics, population and taxonomy using synthetic mathematics, statistics and simulation / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 577 / Advanced Plant Tissue Culture (Prerequisite: Tissue Culture and plants Organs or by the Departmental approval)
Tissue culture of economic tropical trees e.g. fruit trees and forest trees; techniques of in vitro culture for rejuvenation and for prevention and solving problems of explant browning and contamination. Tissue culture of economic ornamentals and vegetables; use of tissue culture techniques for rapid mass propagation of desirable and selected plants / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 578 / Techniques in Plankton Identification
(Prerequisite: Algology and Plankton or by the Departmental approval)
Basic knowledge on morphology of plankton, techniques in plankton identification, preparation of permanent slide for reference collection, plankton preparation for species identification and plankton preparation for electron microscope / 3(1-6-2)
330 – 582 / Ecotoxicology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Influence of contaminated substances on living organisms, on environment and on ecosystem; physiological function change of organisms under contaminated environment / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 586 / Application of Statistics for Biological Research
Sampling techniques, data collection, data analyses, interpretation and statistical citation for publication; application of descriptive, predictive and inferential statistics in biology especially for describing destribution patterns, abundance and response of populations to biological parameters; analysis of frequency, simple linear correlation and regression, application of linear model and multiple linear regression, univariate and non-parametric statistics; introduction to multivariate statistics will be explored and discussed in relation to biological questions; exercises and special problems in biology / 4(3-3-6)
330 – 587 / Principles of Scientific Inquiry
Principles of epistemology and philosophy of science, sources of knowledge, limitation to an understanding of natural phenomena, modes of acquisition of knowledge, scientific method and attitude, principles of causality, scientific explanation, research process and the use of elementary statistics in research design and the analysis of biological data, statistical packages, publication of research finding, ethical issues in scientific research / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 588 / Evolutionary Ecology (Prerequisite: by the Departmental approval)
Adaptation of organisms to their environments, including their interactions with members of their own and other species (the biotic environment) as well as the physical environment; principle of natural selection; the selective pressures imposed by the environment and the evolutionary response; predictive and optimization models; the comparative method; and direct measurement of natural selection; problem-based learning, group discussion, seminar presentation and essay writing / 4(3-3-6)
330 – 602 / Advanced Cell Biology (Prerequisite: Cell Biology or equivalent by the Departmental approval)
Light microscopes and electron microscopes; ultrastructures of cells and organelles; differentiation, specialization and cell aging and death, cancer cell; methods for cytological and cytochemical analysis and cell/tissue culture / 4(3-3-6)
330 – 651 / Systems Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Dynamics, destruction and development of ecosystem; mathematical analysis and modelling of ecological phenomena; application of computer modelling on ecological studies / 3(2-3-4)
330 – 652 / Global Environmental Change (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Influence of human activities on chemical in atmosphere; sources and produce of carbondioxy, freon, sulfure dioxy and others gases; evidences and causes on atmospheric change in the past; fluctuation of atmosphere, green house effects, and influence of ozone layer and acid rain / 2(2-0-4)
330 – 683 / Applied Ecology (Prerequisite: Ecology or equivalent or by the Departmental approval)
Influences of ecology on environmental solving in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; ecological application in decision making of environmetal planing, conservation in multi-purpose, analysis and evaluation on impact of environment, special study cases and research problems / 3(3-0-6)
330 – 780 / Special Topics in Biology I
Special topic in biology; lecture by a guess scientist or an expert from other country or Thailand / 1(1-0-2)
330 – 781 / Special Topics in Biology II
Special topic in biology; lecture by a guess scientist or an expert from other country or Thailand / 1(1-0-2)
Thesis
331 – 793 / Thesis
Individual research in zoological problems under supervision of the advisory committee / 36(0-108-0)

Plan 2.2