PROGRESSION OF EVENTS TO THE PH.D. DEGREE

For Graduate Students in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology

Effective for students entering the program after July 1999

Orientation and Introduction to the Graduate Program

Prior to the beginning of the fall term, the new student will receive an orientation to the graduate program which will include registration procedures, financial aid procedures, receipt of this document and an overview of its contents, an orientation to the School of Medicine Library and a series of brief descriptions of their research programs by the Graduate Faculty.

The student will be assigned a temporary graduate advisor. The advisor will develop with the student a course schedule for the fall term and later for the spring semester. Each new student will also be assigned a senior student to act as a mentor for the first year.

During the first semester the new student will begin a series of research rotations. These rotations will consist of eight weeks of full time work in each of three faculty research laboratories. At the completion of the three rotations the student will ordinarily select a major advisor. This selection requires the mutual consent of the student and advisor and implies acceptance into the research program of the advisor. Some students may require a fourth rotation before a selection is possible.

1. Route to Ph.D.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The major advisor will appoint an Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will include the major advisor, at least two associates from the major department, and a representative from the student's outside minor department. The Advisory Committee for combined degree candidates (M.D. or D.D.S. - Ph.D.) must include an appropriate representative from the Clinical Faculty.

It is the responsibility of the Advisory Committee to counsel the student both in coursework and in research, to determine academic deficiencies and to suggest corrective measures for such deficiencies including appropriate coursework. The Advisory Committee also will recommend for approval by the Graduate School the transfer of academic credits earned at another institution (see Graduate Bulletin for limitations). The Advisory Committee will determine satisfactory completion of the Qualifying Examination.

THE QUALIFYING EXAMINATION. The Qualifying Examination will be administered within 25 months of matriculation. The Advisory Committee may petition the faculty for a delay not to exceed 4 months. It is anticipated that a student who enters the program with a Masters Degree will take the Qualifying Examination within 18 months of entry. Students must have completed requirements of the minor and the majority of requirements of the major.

The Qualifying Examination is to consist of two parts. The first part is a comprehensive written examination on the fields of Microbiology and Immunology, on a minor subject, and on related areas. The second portion consists of an oral examination covering: a) questions in follow-up of answers on the written portion of the examination, and b) presentation and defense of a grant proposal submitted at least one week in advance to the members of the Advisory Committee. The grant proposal will be written following the requirements for a 3 year NIH RO1 grant. The topic of the grant proposal must be approved in advance by the Advisory Committee.

Depending on the Advisory Committee's evaluation of the performance on the Qualifying Examination the student will either be (i) admitted to Doctoral candidacy, (ii) recommended for a Masters degree upon submission of a thesis typically composed of appropriate parts of the papers submitted for the Qualifying Examination (iii) dismissed from the program. Students who are admitted to candidacy may, thereafter, opt to submit a thesis and receive a Masters degree. At the discretion of the Advisory Committee, students will be allowed to retake all or part of the qualifying examination once, within 2 months of the first examination.

Advancement to candidacy must occur at least 8 months and no more than 5 years preceding the award of a Ph.D.

Effective for Combined Degree Students entering the program after July 2003: The qualifying exam for combined degree students will be given within 18 months of matriculation n the Ph.D. portion of their training.   The Advisory Committee may petition the faculty for a delay not to exceed 4 months.

THE THESIS. A Research Committee, the composition of which is similar or identical to the Advisory Committee, will be formed for the Ph.D. candidate immediately following passage of the qualifying examination. The Research Committee will assist the student in thesis research and in thesis preparation and will determine satisfactory completion of the thesis and the thesis examination. The Research Committee and a summary of the proposed research must be approved by the Graduate School at least 8 months prior to the thesis examination.

2. Route to M.S.

The Advisory Committee will include the major advisor and at least two associates from the major department. The Advisory Committee for combined degree candidates (M.D. or D.D.S. - M.S.) must include an appropriate representative from the Clinical Faculty. The activities and responsibilities of this committee are as described above for the Ph.D. students except that this committee determines satisfactory completion of the first year qualifying examination and defense of thesis.

A qualifying examination will be given in the summer session following the first two semesters of study, in a form determined by the Advisory Committee. Satisfactory completion of a research thesis and thesis defense will also be determined by the Advisory Committee, ordinarily at the end of two years of studies.

All students should consult the Graduate School Bulletin for general requirements of the Graduate School and for detailed requirements of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Effective for students entering the program after July 1999:

Teaching Requirements for Graduate Students

M.S. Degree: At least one semester as an instructor in Nursing Microbiology Laboratory - J210 or equivalent.

Ph.D. Degree: At least one semester as an instructor in Nursing Microbiology - J210 or equivalent. This requirement is usually finished before the student passes the qualifying exam. Addtional teaching experiences can be arranged as desired by the student and approved by his/her Advisory/Research Committee.

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