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Program
Requirements
Biochemistry,
PHD
Campus
Location:
Health Science
Through permission of the advisory committee, elective courses not offered on the Health Sciences Campus may be taken at other campuses.
Full-time/Part-time
Status
Students are required to complete the degree program through classes offered before 4:30 p.m.
General
Program Requirements:
Number of Didactic credits
required beyond the Baccalaureate:
36
Required Courses:
Biochemistry 523, 502, 534, 508-511, 505-506, 550
In addition to the Biochemistry core courses, all students are required to successfully complete a total of five courses, each of which must be at least 2 credits. These courses are chosen from among advanced topics courses offered by the Department of Biochemistry, advanced topics courses offered by the Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences, courses offered by the graduate programs in Anatomy and Cell Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Pathology, Physiology, and Pharmacology at the Medical School and the Department of Biology at the Main Campus of the University. The student's course of study must include one advanced topics course in Biochemistry, one advanced Chemistry course and one Life Science course. The remaining two courses can be chosen from any of the three remaining categories with the approval of the student's advisory committee.
Internship:
False
Language Examination:
False
Culminating
Events:
Culminating event for the degree program
Dissertation Dissertation Advising Committee Information
The Academic Standards Committee will appoint a temporary advisory committee for each incoming student. This committee will meet twice a year with the student to establish an academic program and to ascertain the nature of the student's research interests. The student will select a Dissertation Advisor by the end of the second semester of the first year. The provisional advisory committee will then be dissolved and a permanent advisory committee will be appointed. The permanent advisory committee is responsible for the review of the student's research and academic progress twice yearly. The committee will decide when the student is permitted to give the first and final research seminars and will also determine whether the content of the student's research is sufficient for the Ph.D. disseration. Dissertation Examining Committee Information
The Final Examination Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and demonstration of competence within the field of the dissertation and related areas. The Examining Committee is appointed by the Academic Standards Committee and consists of seven faculty members, including the Dissertation Advisor, a member of one of the Department of Biochemistry's Graduate Committees, a faculty member from another department, and an external examiner from outside the University. The student has the right to select one member of the Final Examination Committee. Advisor/Committee Information
If a student desires a change in research advisor, or a research advisor desires to be relieved of responsibility to a student, the matter will be brought before a review committee. The review committee will consist of the student's advisory committee and the Chairperson of the Department of Biochemistry and will be chaired by the Director of the Graduate Program. Any decision may be appealed to the Academic Standards Committee. Dissertation/Monograph Philosophy
The Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry is a research degree. Research training begins with Introduction to Research Methodology (Biochemistry 508-511) in the first year of the graduate program and continues with the selection of a dissertation research advisor and development of an original research project. Ph.D. dissertation research involves meaningful, critical thinking and the execution of ideas in the laboratory through the use of the scientific method. The Ph.D. dissertation research conducted by the student should be an original contribution to scientific knowledge. The quality of the student's Ph.D. dissertation research should be equivalent to that found in reputable biochemical journals. Philosophy of the Proposal
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should describe the context and background surrounding a particular research problem and a methodological plan for investigating the problem. The proposal is a requirement for admission to Candidacy and should be submitted and approved no more than one year after completing coursework (generally in the third year in the program). Criterion for Passing the Dissertation and the Defense.
The Committee will evaluate the quality of the dissertation research and the student's ability to express (both in writing and orally) his/her research question, methodological approach, primary findings, and implications. The Committee will vote to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation and question/answer period. Dissertation Defense Scheduling
The student will submit the dissertation in complete form not less than one calendar month prior to the date of the Final Examination. The thesis must have been read and approved by the thesis advisor prior to distribution. The student should confirm a time and date for the dissertation defense with the Advisory Committee and the Director of the Graduate Program at least 10 days before the defense is to be scheduled. Announcing the Dissertation Defense
After the student has arranged the time, date and room for the dissertation defense, the Announcement of Dissertation Defense is completed and forwarded to the Office of the Graduate School, Main Campus, and the Office of Graduate Studies at the Health Sciences Campus at least 10 days before the defense. Announcements of the defense are sent to the chairpersons of all basic science departments and notices are posted.
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