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Other Requirements of Ph.D. Students
Graduate School

The Department offers both Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programs that provide students with excellent preparation for a variety of challenging and rewarding careers. The degrees offered are programs in Pharmacology or Physiology. Students will not be required to choose between these tracks when they apply and a Masters degree is not a prerequisite to enter a PhD degree program.

Students are normally admitted for the fall semester. It is expected they will complete MS degree in about two years and the PhD degree within 4-5 years of matriculation. All incoming students normally enroll in the same core first year curriculum consisting of required course work, seminars and participation in undergraduate teaching as teaching assistants (the latter is not required of MS students). Students also are expected to take part in laboratory research rotations during the first year and select a laboratory and dissertation mentor after the first semester but not later than the end of the first year. At that time, they also will choose between the pharmacology and the physiology tracts, which will lead to the respective PhD degree in that program. The department faculty will conduct a thorough evaluation of students at the end of the first year to determine if they have qualified to continue in the PhD program. A qualified student will initiate thesis or dissertation research and set up his/her advisory committee during the first summer. The second year curriculum consists of advanced required and elective coursework, additional teaching and research as required by the individual degree programs.

PhD degree students are required to pass a comprehensive examination within 2.5 years of matriculation into the graduate program. The current format of the examination consists of the writing and oral defense of a research proposal on a topic to be determined by the dissertation advisory committee. This proposal is in an area distinct from the student's intended dissertation project. To facilitate the student’s research endeavor, each student submits a written dissertation research proposal to, and orally defends it before, the advisory committee within 6 months of passing the comprehensive examination.