51ÂÒÂ×

General Instructions

Please read these instructions carefully. If you have any questions, contact your advisor or the faculty director prior to completing this form.

• The purpose of this form is to design a plan of study that will support your doctoral work.

  - Planning ahead allows you to anticipate course scheduling issues (such as irregular
  course offerings) and balance your workload.

  - Include a one-page description, in broad terms, of the scientific question you
  anticipate addressing with your dissertation, specifying the methodology required.

• This coursework planning form should be filled out in consultation with your initial
  mentoring committee and submitted for approval to the TBS Steering Committee before the end of the first spring semester in the program.

• Post-baccalaureate credits (i.e., all credits taken after completion of the bachelor’s degree) taken towards a master’s or doctoral degree, either at 51ÂÒÂ× or at another institution, may be recognized and may result in having to take fewer credits at 51ÂÒÂ× to complete the Ph.D.

  - Those courses must be appropriate to the doctoral degree being pursued and must
  have been taken at the graduate level (see specific conditions described in the
  Graduate Catalog).

• Prior coursework (including that which was part of an earned master’s degree) can be
  considered towards achievement of particular knowledge content, even if it does not count towards credit numbers.

  - Enter those courses under Electives.

  - Remember that if the courses listed were taken over six (6) years ago, the program
  will require that the student presents evidence of competency with the academic material.

• In all cases, the program will determine the acceptability of the course, based on the
  academic discipline, the number and nature of the courses previously taken, and the
  tendency of the academic discipline to be sensitive to recent changes.

TBS Milestone 2 Requirements & Procedure

Demonstration of the Ability to Conduct Independent Research and to Communicate Effectively the Results of Said Work

As early as the first semester of graduate study, TBS program students must begin to engage in research under the supervision of a TBS graduate faculty member and register for Independent Research credit hours. During this time, the student will interact with TBS faculty open to accepting TBS students into their established, collaborative interdisciplinary research programs. Students will be exposed to potential areas of study through the faculty presentations as part of the TBS Career Development seminar.

Following satisfactory completion of the competency requirements, students in the TBS program are expected to demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research and to effectively communicate research results. This is part of the process for admission to candidacy in the TBS doctoral program. There are two ways of demonstrating these abilities. Most frequently, students will present in public the results of their independent research project, followed by a defense-style exam. In case of unsatisfactory performance, the student may make a second attempt by the end of the fourth semester of study.

Another way to demonstrate research ability is to have significant participation in the design, data gathering, and writing of a peer-reviewed manuscript accepted for publication. Students who are authors or co-authors of such a paper, or major contributors to a well-known, refereed conference, and have given an officially announced talk in the TBS Career Development seminar, may apply to the Steering Committee for a waiver of the exam.

Qualifying Exam

To qualify for doctoral status, students must register for and pass the qualifying exam (Milestone 2). Only under extenuating circumstances, extensive need for remediation courses, or substantial language difficulties, will the TBS Steering Committee grant permission to defer the exam beyond the second year in the program. For each student, the TBS Steering Committee will appoint an examining committee consisting of the student’s mentors, two TBS Steering Committee members, and the TBS Faculty Director, who will coordinate the written and oral examination.

By the deadline specified by the Steering Committee (at least two (2) weeks before the
presentation), the student must submit a written project report to the three members of the exam committee and schedule a time for a presentation. First, the student needs to demonstrate research ability and satisfactory written communication skills, as well as playing a significant role in the design, data gathering, and writing of either a manuscript sufficient for journal publication or a lengthy NIH/NSF style research proposal with preliminary data gathered by the student. Secondly, the student must also present the results of the independent research project, followed by a defense-style exam. Examples of previous Milestone 2 research projects can be obtained through the faculty director and program
administrator.

The presentation will be public, will address both completed and future dissertation work, and must be attended by the three (3) examiners and mentors. Following the presentation and questions from the public, the examiners will meet with the candidate in closed session and probe for evidence of research creativity, formal thinking, and academic rigor. The Examination Committee will determine in advance the scope of the questions, and they will address not only the research presented, but also background and related material, to assess both breadth and depth of knowledge.

The outcome of the qualifying examination will be decided by the Examination Committee and reported in writing to the Steering Committee, who will vote on admission to PhD candidacy. This decision will be based on the recommendations of the Examination Committee as well as consideration of the student’s academic record and performance in all aspects of the TBS program. If a student is not admitted, the members of the Examination Committee may direct or advise the student to make another presentation or request a second attempt at the exam.

A student who fails the qualifying exam two (2) times will be required to leave the program. A terminal masters’ degree will be awarded to students that have made a significant research contribution but are unable to complete the doctoral program at this point, or any point after Milestone 2. The student may appeal the decision to the Dean of the Graduate College, following the university’s established policies and procedures.