An incoming IMB student is advised by a GEC member in the programmatic requirements and in the selection of courses for the first semester, and for the second if a committee has not yet been formed and coursework approved. All IMB students have a common set of requirements. In addition to these, each emphasis has its own pre-requisites and programmatic requirements (coursework, comprehensives, etc).
The course work program for the PhD degree will be prepared by the student and permanent advisor in consultation with the student's Advisory Committee and must be approved by the Advisory Committee. Among the courses commonly taken by students in this emphasis are:
| End of semester 1 |
Select research advisor and assemble committee In addition to the research advisor, the committee must include at least one IMB and one outside member. If the "research advisor" is not primarily affiliated with IMB, the committee must include an IMB committee member to serve as the permanent advisor; the "research advisor" is referred to as the "research director." |
| End of semester 2 |
Committee meets and approves curriculum. Any course waivers are documented and forwarded to the GEC Complete any missing prerequisite coursework Submit research proposal to committee for approval The research proposal is a description of the work completed, in progress, and to be completed for the fulfillment of the research component of the MS degree. |
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End of semester 4 |
Complete IMB and emphasis coursework |
|
1 semester prior to graduation |
Apply for graduation |
|
2 weeks before defense |
Send thesis to committee |
|
1 week before defense |
Public notice of defense Committee-approved draft sent to dean of the graduate school |
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Within 5 weeks of passing defense |
Signed copies and abstract to Graduate school |
| End of Semester 2: |
Select research advisor and assemble committee In addition to the research advisor, the committee must include at least three IMB and one outside member.If the "research advisor" is not primarily affiliated with IMB, the committee must include an IMB committee member to serve as the permanent advisor; the "research advisor" is referred to as the "research director." Complete any missing prerequisite coursework |
| End of semester 3 | Committee meets and approves curriculum. Any course waivers are documented and forwarded to the GEC. |
| End of semester 5 |
Pass the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive exam consists of two parts: the written portion and the oral portion. |
| End of semester 6 |
Complete IMB and emphasis coursework
Submit research proposal and schedule to committee for approval. |
| 1 semester prior to graduation | Apply for graduation |
| 2 weeks before defense | Send thesis to committee |
| 1 week before defense |
Public notice of defense Committee-approved draft sent to dean of the graduate school |
| Within 5 weeks of passing defense | Signed copies and abstract to Graduate school |
The Examination Committee will consist of 6 faculty members. For the written exam, each member of the Committee will submit questions designed to probe both depth and breadth of knowledge in microbiology and cognate areas depending on the students goals. The written exam will take place over a two day period. Each day the student will be given 7 questions and asked to choose 5 to answer. (Before giving the student the written exam, the Examination Committee Chair will consult with the other members of the Examination Committee to insure the exam is relevant and fair to the student.) A total score of 80% will be needed to pass the exam. If the student fails, they can take the exam one more time.
After passing the written exam, an oral exam, that will last no longer then 3 hours, will be conducted to orally examine the student's depth and breadth of knowledge in microbiology and cognate areas. The student will pass with no more than one negative vote. If the oral exam is not satisfactory, the student should meet individually with each Committee member to discuss possible improvements. A second oral exam may be scheduled no sooner than one month and no later than three months after the first oral exam. An extension of the three-month limit may be made only on the request of the Examination Committee and by the majority vote of approval by the IMB faculty.
Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, and with the recommendation of the student's Advisory Committee, three copies of the Graduation form must be filed with the Graduate School. This should be done within five weeks after passing the comprehensive examination. Failure to pass either the written or oral portions of the comprehensive examination after a second attempt will necessitate dropping the student from the program. If the student fails the exam, they can take it one more time.
A student should meet with his/her committee once a year. Annual evaluations forms that monitor student progress are mandatory and are to be completed each January.
A GPA of 3.0 or higher must be maintained or the student will be placed on academic probation. The student has 1 semester to raise the GPA to a satisfactory level or he/she will be expelled from the program.
PhD students who already have MS degrees in a related field may apply some of the MS coursework toward the PhD degree (as determined by the advisory committee).
