Culminating
Events:
Culminating event for the degree program
Dissertation
Dissertation Advising Committee Information
The Dissertation Advising Committee is formed to oversee the student's doctoral research and is comprised of at least three Graduate Faculty members. Two members, including the Chair, must be from the School of Pharmacy. Committee compositions must be approved by the department's graduate committee. The Chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the Committee members, and informing the student of his or her academic progress.
Dissertation Examining Committee Information
The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is comprised of the Doctoral Advising Committee and at least one additional Graduate Faculty member from outside the School of Pharmacy. The Outside Examiner should be identified no later than the beginning of the semester in which the student will defend the dissertation.
Advisor/Committee Information
If a student needs to change a member of a Committee, the new member must be approved by the departments graduate committee and registered with the Graduate Secretary and the Graduate School.
Preliminary Exam Description
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to demonstrate critical and interpretive knowledge in specialized areas of pharmaceutics. The examination evaluates the student's ability to apply specific research foci to anticipated practical problems in pharmaceutics.
Subject Areas/Major Components of the Preliminary Examination
The written examination will be carried out on three subjects out of the following: physical pharmacy (required), chromatographic separations, pharmacokinetics, biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutical manufacturing(extended release dosage forms and pharmaceutical manufacturing I).
At what point in the program is the student expected to take the preliminary examination
Students who accumulated more than 36 didactic credits are eligible to take the exam.
Writing the Questions for the Preliminary Examination
Instructors of each subject.
Evaluating the Preliminary Examination
Individual instructors assess the student's competence (pass or fail).
Administering, Scheduling, and Proctoring the Preliminary Examination
Students who are preparing to write their preliminary examinations should confirm a time and date with Director of Graduate Studeies and register with the Graduate Secretary. The student and Director will receive confirmation for the time, date, room, and proctor for the examination.
Dissertation/Monograph Philosophy
The Doctoral Dissertation is an original, theoretical and/or empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field of pharmaceutics. It should expand existing knowledge and demonstrate the student's knowledge of both research methods and a mastery of his or her primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated, uphold the ethics and standard of the pharmaceutics field, demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of pharmaceutics, and be prepared for publication in a professional journal.
Philosophy of the Proposal
The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should consists of the following: (a) the context and background surrounding a particular research problem; (b) an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem; and (c) a detailed methodological plan for investigating the problem.
The proposal should be completed and approved no more than one year after completing the preliminary exam. Upon approval, a timeline for completing the investigation and writing process will be established. Upon approval, a doctoral student is promoted to a Ph.D. candidate.
Criterion for Passing the Dissertation and the Defense.
The Committee will evaluate the student's ability to express verbally his or 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
Dissertation Defense Scheduling
Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a time and date with their Dissertation Advisory Committee and register with the Graduate Secretary at least 15 days before the defense is to be scheduled. The Graduate Secretary will arrange the time, date, and room within two working days, and forward to the student the appropriate forms.
Announcing the Dissertation Defense
After the Graduate Secretary has arranged the time, date, and room, for the defense, the student must send to the Graduate School (501 Carnell Hall) a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form at least 10 days before the defense. The Department will post fliers announcing the defense.
