All students will need to meet the following degree requirements in order to successfully earn the PhD degree:
Complete a minimum of 72 credits, with an average grade of B or better in all required core courses (i.e., Biostatistics and Core) and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Complete at least 14 letter-graded credits of coursework
Submit and successfully defend a Thesis Proposal
Write an original dissertation that is accepted by the student’s Thesis Committee and is defended orally in front of a panel of experts.
Deposit Thesis on Proquest
Submit all required forms including student checkout form
It is crucial that students, Advisory Committees, and/or Program Directors monitor the students’ progress throughout the duration of their academic training. Continued financial support is contingent upon maintaining satisfactory progress at all times. Additionally, failure to achieve and maintain satisfactory progress, after counseling is sought from the Program, Advisory Committee and/or Dean of the Graduate School, can result in academic probation and ultimately, dismissal from the Program. Students who do not complete their degree within the maximum duration allowed will be dismissed from the program.
Under exceptional circumstances, the dissertation advisor, with the support of the student’s Advisory Committee, may petition the Dean of the Graduate School in writing to let a student continue his/her/their studies beyond the 7-year time limit for PhD students or 6 years in the PhD phase for MD/PhD students in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience and 5 years for students in the PhD in Clinical Research program. For those receiving a stipend, there is no guarantee that full stipend support will continue under these circumstances and each case will be reviewed and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Satisfactory progress is maintained in the following ways for PhD students by:
Matriculating on a full-time basis
Demonstrating the potential for research and timely progress toward the choice of dissertation advisor and training area through their rotation activities in the first year
Submitting a completed Laboratory Rotation Agreement Form and a completed Laboratory Rotation Evaluation Form for each rotation on time (see )
Maintaining of a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA and achieving of a cumulative 3.0 GPA for all of the Core Curricula (see details under General Program Requirements). For this program, the Core Curriculum consists of a year-long core course (BMS or Neuro) AND an approved biostatistics course.
Completing at least 14 letter-graded credits of coursework (see )
Completing the Thesis Proposal Exam by the end of the 4th semester in the program (see )
Reaching and passing each of the Program Milestones by the required deadlines (see details in section on ), and submitting of registration and documentation memos on time
Forming within three months of lab declaration and then meeting with the full Advisory Committee at least once per semester and submitting an Advisory Committee Meeting Form following each meeting (see )
Enrolling in journal clubs, works-in-progress, and seminars as required by the student’s MTA (see )
Demonstrating the ability to grow in research skills and moving towards project goals following the selection of a dissertation advisor (see )
Developing a research project, under the supervision of one or more faculty members, which results in a thesis that reports new findings, and is presented, defended and deposited by student (see )
Producing data equivalent to that needed for a first author publication in a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal. A manuscript need not be submitted or accepted (see )
Defending and revising within the prescribed time (5 weeks for no or minor revisions; 8 weeks for major revisions) (see )
Depositing the approved Dissertation within the time limits of the Program, i.e., (defend and deposit by June 30 of the seventh year in the Program) (see )
Successfully reaching and passing each of the Program Milestones by the required deadlines and timely submission of registration and documentation memos (see )
If the dissertation advisor is dissatisfied with the academic progress of a student and is considering removing the student from the laboratory the following steps must be taken:
The advisor will document sources of dissatisfaction.
The advisor will have direct discussions with the student to clarify the issues and to set a plan to correct the problems. A summary of the discussions should be documented by the advisor.
If dissatisfaction continues, mediation between the student and advisor should be sought by meeting with the MTA Director and the student’s Advisory Committee.
If required, a discussion between the student, the advisor, and the Dean or Senior Associate Dean should be also sought to determine whether the issues are potentially irrevocable.
The Dean may place the student on probation for a period not exceeding a semester.
If the student is placed on probation and fails to achieve sufficient academic progress during the following semester, the Committee for Academic Review will review the student’s status and may recommend dismissal from the PhD program.
The maximum registered time by which a PhD student must complete all doctoral requirements is 7 years. By the end of the 6th year in the PhD program, students must have successfully held an advisory committee meeting at which the committee has signed the Progress Form indicating that the student is planning to defend his/her/their dissertation in the next 3-6 months. If this step does not occur by the end of the 6th year, the student’s dissertation mentor must petition the Dean in writing for permission to extend the student’s status. The petition must include a written certification of progress from the student’s advisory committee that must be signed by the student. The petition must include a timetable for completing the dissertation and must also be signed by the student.
Upon entry into the 6th year of a PhD program, a student can no longer switch labs. If, at end of the 6th year, the PI, advisory committee, and CAR do not think sufficient progress has been achieved and the PI will not continue to support the student, the student will be dismissed from the program.
All PhD students will be expected to fulfill the following course requirements for the PhD degree:
Core Curriculum – According to MTA requirements.
Laboratory Rotation – At least one rotation or equivalent (except for transfer/ advanced students) must be completed. See detailed description below.
RCR: Responsible Conduct in Research – Fall semester, first-year (except MD/PhD students who take the course during the first year in their PhD phase)
Rigor and Responsibility – Spring semester, first-year (except MD/PhD students who take the course during the first year in their PhD phase).
Biostatistics – Fall or Spring semester, first-year (except MD/PhD students who take the course during the first year in their PhD phase)
Advanced Coursework – Advanced coursework is required as defined by each MTA. See the MTA chapter, for a description of the individual course requirements, typical MTA requirements, and criteria for advancement to candidacy.
Transfer Credits – Students who have completed relevant graduate courses elsewhere will be granted exemption and/or graded credits at the discretion of the Dean, in consultation with the course and MTA Directors. See corresponding policy in Chapter 3 of the Handbook for details of this policy.
After the rotation period, students are expected to:
Formally choose a research mentor.
Decide on the Multidisciplinary Training Area if he/she/they has not already done so. The MTA will be the student’s area of focus for his/her/their advanced coursework, journal clubs, and seminars.
Choose three members for an Advisory Committee with whom they will be meeting at least once each semester to assess progress.
PhD students are required to meet key program milestones, register for all required courses, and complete all general program requirements to ensure timely completion of the degree. The maximum time limit for completing all PhD degree requirements is seven years after matriculation in the PhD Program. Students can review a detailed roadmap of all essential milestones for the PhD program. Students who do not meet program deadlines will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including academic probation and expulsion.