• Following admission to the graduate program in Medical Neurobiology, each student shall be assigned an interim advisor who will help the student prepare an initial program of course work.
• Within the first year of enrollment, the Master's student's Advisory Committee must be formed.  The committee should be made up of the student's major advisor and at least two (2) additional faculty members, and should be approved by the Program Director.
• This Advisory Committee will be the sole committee supervising those students seeking the Master's degree.
• For the Master's degree, a thesis and an oral examination will be required before completion of the degree.  The Advisory Committee will be responsible for these aspects of the student's Master's degree.
• Research for the Master's degree will be carried out  in the laboratory or laboratories of members of the faculty (normally that of the major professor).
• A total of 30 credit hours, including at least 17 credit hours of approved course work, and at least 3 credit hours of research are required for the Master's degree in Medical Neurobiology.

• Following admission to the graduate program in Medical Neurobiology, each student shall be assigned an interim advisor who will help the student prepare an initial program of course work.
• Within the first year of enrollment, the Ph.D. student's Advisory Committee must be formed.  The committee should be made up of the student's major advisor and at least three (3) additional faculty members, and should be approved by the Program Director.
• Before a student is accepted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, he/she must meet all requirements set by the Advisory Committee and must pass the Qualifying Examination.
• Upon admission to candidacy, a Research Committee will be formed to advise the candidate during the research project, including the writing and defense of a dissertation.
• Research for the Ph.D. degree will be carried out in the laboratory or laboratories of members of the faculty (normally that of the major professor).
• A total of 90 credit hours, including at least 36 credit hours of approved course work (for those students matriculating after January 1, 2005), and the remainder in research are required for the Ph.D. degree in Medical Neurobiology.
• A dissertation in an area of Medical Neurobiology will be required of each candidate, and must be approved by members of the Research Committee before the candidate is recommended for award of the Ph.D. degree. For a Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertaions, please see http://www.iupui.edu/~resgrad/grad/theses_dissertation.pdf

• This committee must be formed by the end of the first year of graduate study.
• Members of the Advisory Committee will include the student's major advisor, and two (2) additional faculty members.
• The function of the Advisory Committee is to advise the student regarding course work, to administer the Qualifying Examination, and to preside over the defense of the thesis.

The Advisory Committee for the Ph.D. Degree Student

• This committee must be formed by the end of the first year of graduate study.
• Members of the Advisory Committee will include at least four (4) members.  At least two (2) members should be from the Program in Medical Neurobiology, and at least two (2) members must be members of the graduate faculty.
• The function of the Advisory Committee is to advise the student regarding course work, and to administer the Qualifying Examination.

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The Research Committee (for the Ph.D. Candidate)

• The Research Committee should be formed immediately after the student is admitted to candidacy, i.e. following successful completion of the Qualifying Examination.
• The Research Committee should consist of at least four (4) members, including the candidate's major professor, a member of the outside minor department, and at least two other faculty members.  At least two (2) members of the Research Committee should be from the Medical Neurobiology faculty, and ALL members must be members of the graduate faculty, with at least half being members of the graduate faculty with endorsement.  The chair of the committee must have endorsement.
• The Research Committee may, but need not be, the same as the Advisory Committee (provided the above rules are observed).
• The function of the Research Committee is to advise the candidate during the research project, including the writing and defense of a dissertation.
• The Research Committee should meet on a regular basis.  It is the student's responsibility that regular meetings takes place.

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The Qualifying Examination

• Generally should be taken at the end of the second year of study, or during the third year.
• The examination should consist of both a written and an oral component, covering the major, and outside minor fields.
• Options for the format of the Qualifying Examination include:
1. A two day in-house written examination with questions from each member of the Advisory Committee.  This would then be followed approximately 1-2 weeks later by an oral examination.
2. A take-home examination with questions from each member of the Advisory Committee, followed by an oral examination.
3. A grant application (following the NIH format) and oral examination, by the Advisory Committee, of the material presented in this application.
• Students who fail the Qualifying Examination are normally allowed to retake it only once.
• The Qualifying Examination must be passed at least eight (8) months before the date the degree is awarded.

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Student's Major Advisor

• An individual who chairs a Ph.D. research committee and directs dissertation work must be a full time Indiana University faculty member/employee, a member of the Program in Medical Neurobiology, and must be a member of the graduate faculty with endorsement. 
• Regular members of the graduate faculty (without endorsement) may serve on Ph.D. research committees if at least half of the committee are members with endorsement.  Regular members may chair Ph.D. research committees and direct dissertations with the special permission of the Dean of the University Graduate School upon recommendation of the Program Director.

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Revised 01/08/2004
JRS