Doctor's degree Biology - Boston College - Newton Centre MA

Doctor's degree Biology from Boston College - Newton Centre MA is a Campus Ph.D Biology degree that prepares you for a Science career. Ph.D. Course Requirements & Example Program Schedule The minimum curriculum for Ph.D. students consists of five Graduate Core Courses (BI611 Advanced Genetics, BI612 Graduate Biochemistry, BI614 Graduate Molecular Biology, BI615 Advanced Cell Biology, and BI616 Graduate Bioinformatics) and five additional Biology-approved Graduate Elective Courses (e.g., BI500+, BI800+), at least three of which must be Graduate Seminars (e.g., BI800+). Example of a Program for Ph.D. Students Attendance at Departmental Colloquia is expected of all full-time students throughout their program participation. Semester One: Grad Core Biology (Genetics), BI611 2 credits Grad Core Biology (Biochemistry), BI612 2 credits Biology-approved Graduate Elective or Seminar 2 or 3 credits Lab Rotation 1 Lab Rotation 2 Teaching Assistantship Semester Two: Grad Core Biology (Molecular Biology), BI614 2 credits Grad Core Biology (Cell Biology), BI615 2 credits Biology-approved Graduate Elective or Seminar 2 or 3 credits Lab Rotation 3 Teaching Assistantship Semester Three: Grad Core Biology (Bioinformatics), BI616 2 credits Thesis Research Biology-approved Graduate Seminar 2 credits Teaching Assistantship Semester Four: Biology-approved Graduate Seminar 2 credits Thesis Research Ph.D. Candidacy Exam Teaching Assistantship Semester Five: Thesis Research Biology-approved Graduate Seminar 2 credits Semester Six and afterward: Thesis Research Remaining Biology-approved Graduate Seminars Optional additional courses Completion of Ph.D. Dissertation Public Presentation of Ph.D. Thesis Defense of Ph.D. Thesis Overview of Multiple Ph.D. Committees There are several committees that shepherd a Ph.D. student through the Biology Graduate Program. While the committees have different names to reflect their different functions, there is usually a substantial continuum of faculty membership. The committees are described below, in detail. For clarity, they are briefly summarized here in their order of appearance in each student's training. Ph.D. Candidacy Examination Committee Three faculty, approved by the Graduate Program Director, who administers the candidacy examination. The student's mentor may attend with non-voting status. Thesis Advisory Committee* Three or more faculty members who advise each student in the conduct of her/his thesis research. Ph.D. Defense Committee Five faculty before whom the Ph.D. candidate must defend her/his thesis in public and private sessions. *For continuity, the members of the Thesis Advisory Committee typically continue as members of each student's Ph.D. Defense Committee; however, substitutions are allowed. Ph.D. Candidacy To advance to candidacy for the doctoral degree , the student must pass a Ph.D. Candidacy Examination otherwise known as the Comprehensive Examination. A student who has passed the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, but still must complete one or more seminar courses becomes a doctoral candidate only after completing the seminar course(s). Only students who have been admitted to candidacy are allowed to register for BI999, Doctoral Continuation. Ph.D. Candidacy Examination (Comprehensive Examination) The examination for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. will take place during May of the second year. Passing the exam on that occasion, or on the basis of a "re-take" examination held no later than end of December of the third year, will be required for continuation in the Ph.D. program. This examination will be based on a written research proposal (approximately 10 pages in length) prepared by the candidate on an appropriate topic, which may be identical to the intended thesis research project of the candidate. Should the actual thesis topic not be chosen for the defense, the candidate should select three topics to present to an examination committee for approval prior to writing the proposal. The candidate will defend the proposal in an oral examination, administered by the faculty committee. Successful defense of the proposal will be required for the student to be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. Potential topics for the written proposal will be submitted by each second-year Ph.D. student to a faculty committee, during the first week of March. The committee will inform each student of the topic of her/his proposal, based on the list submitted by the student, by March 14. Written proposals will be provided to the candidacy examination committee by April 14th or no later than one week before the date of the oral examination, and oral examinations will be completed no later than May 20. On the basis of the written proposal presentation, the candidate's understanding of the proposed project and relevant background information, the Examination Committee will vote on whether the student is qualified to advance to Ph.D. candidacy. If a student passes the examination and has completed all other requirements for the Ph.D. degree, with the exception of the thesis and its defense, the student will be considered to have formally advanced to candidacy for the degree . If the student does not pass, he or she must re-defend the initial proposal or prepare, submit, and defend a new proposal, as the Examination Committee deems appropriate. If a student does not pass the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination within the limits outlined above, she/he will be terminated in the Ph.D. program. The Examination Committee may, in such circumstances, recommend that the student be offered a transfer into the M.S. Program, with sufficient and stated time limits to allow the student to reasonably complete the requirements for that degree. Schedule and Time Limitations Students are expected to pass the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination within five consecutive semesters of entering the program. For the purposes of this time limitation: Students whose native language is not English, and who need remedial study in English, may be granted a one or two semester extension for completion of the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination. Such extensions may be approved by the Department Chairperson, acting in consultation with the Graduate Program Director and the student's research mentor. Ph.D. Thesis and Defense In addition to the original members of Thesis Advisory Committee, who serve as formal thesis readers, at least two other faculty are added as additional examiners to form the Ph.D. Defense Committee. A maximum of two persons from outside the Biology Department may serve on this committee. All members must hold a faculty appointment and a Ph.D. or equivalent degree . The dissertation shall be defended by the candidate in the public oral examination. A copy of the dissertation shall be distributed to each of the examiners at least 14 days prior to the defense. To receive the Ph.D. degree, official approval of the written dissertation by the members of the Ph.D. Defense Committee is required, in addition to a vote of pass on the public presentation and defense. Committee members certify their acceptance of the written thesis by signing the title page of the dissertation and their vote on the defense by completing the appropriate forms. The student must file two signed copies of the approved dissertation in the Registrar's Office, following the guidelines established by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Voting Rule for Thesis Advisory, Ph.D. Candidacy, and Ph.D. Defense Committees Voting options, when voting is required, are pass or fail. Committees should strive in each case to reach an unanimous decision. However, if this is not possible, the rule shall be that if more than one member of any of the above committees votes fail, then the student will be considered to have failed to complete the requirement being addressed by the committee. View more details on Boston College - Newton Centre MA . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Biology courses.