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Examination-Sequence of
Oral Preliminary Examination
Each student must take an oral preliminary examination based on a written research proposal. A "warrant" must be signed by the Certification Committee upon successful completion of the Preliminary Examination. To obtain the warrant, students must inform the METC program administrator of the date of the oral preliminary examination at least 3 weeks prior to scheduled date.
Students take the Prelim A during the summer of their first or second year. They then must pass the Prelim B in their third year, preferably by the end of their first semester of the third year.
The student must pass the Oral Preliminary Examination no later than the end of the first semester/December of the third year. In special circumstances, a 6-month extension will be granted by the Chair of the Curriculum Committee when justified in writing by the student and the major professor. Students who successfully complete the Preliminary Examination will continue work toward the Ph.D. degree. Soon after the successful completion of the Preliminary Examination, the student is encouraged to meet with each member of his/her committee to discuss in detail the student's proposal and presentation. Students who receive a "conditional" pass on the Preliminary Examination must address deficiencies as requested by his/her committee prior to continuing work toward the Ph.D. degree. Students who do not pass the Preliminary Examination will be granted a Master's degree on the basis of their successful completion of the required course work. They will not be required to deposit a thesis in Memorial Library, but two copies of Masters Thesis will be provided to the METC Program Administrator for the office and the student's advisor.
The student's anticipated dissertation research will be the subject matter of the proposal. The proposal is to be the student's own work. However, the student is encouraged to consult with the major professor and other colleagues in planning and writing the research proposal. The proposal must be read and approved by the major professor prior to circulation to the rest of the committee (at least 10 days prior to the oral examination). Failure to distribute the proposal in a timely manner may result in rescheduling of the examination.
Format for the Preliminary Examination
The written proposal should be prepared in a format similar to a National Institutes of Health grant application. The length of the proposal should not exceed 20 pages, double-spaced (12-point type, 1-inch margins), excluding title page and literature cited. Number the pages consecutively beginning with the title page. Adherence to this format will be considered in the final evaluation.
Title Page (not included in page limit)
Descriptive title of proposal. Your name. Date, time, and location of the oral defense. Names of all committee members.
Abstract (less than one page)
Summarize the research proposed clearly describing the objectives.
Specific Aims (less than one page)
State the broad, long-term objectives and describe concisely and realistically what the specific research is intended to accomplish and any hypotheses to be tested.
Background and Significance (2-3 pages)
Briefly sketch the background to the proposal, critically evaluate the existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps the project is intended to fill. Concisely relate the specific aims to the broad, long-term objectives.
Preliminary Studies
Use this section to provide an account of preliminary studies by you (and/or the members of your laboratory with proper credit) pertinent to this application and/or any other information that will help to establish the experience and competence of the student to pursue the proposed project.
Experimental Design and Methods
Outline the experimental design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include the means by which the data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Describe any new methodology and its advantages over existing methodologies. Discuss potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims. Provide a tentative timetable for the investigation.
Figures and Tables
Figures and tables (with legends) critical to the proposal must be included within the 20-page limit. The student will have the opportunity to present additional figures during the oral presentation.
Literature Cited (not included in the page limit)
Each citation must include the names of all of the authors, title, book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Make every effort to be judicious in compiling a relevant and current list of literature citations.
The student will give a 20-minute oral presentation describing the research proposal. After this presentation, the student will respond to questions by the Certification Committee. The major professor must not contribute to the student's responses unless specifically asked to by the other members of the Committee. The questions will deal with the proposal itself and any related material. For example, the student might be asked to clarify the rationale for the overall goals, to explain why one technique is better than another, to discuss relevant literature on the topic or related topics, etc. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the student has mapped out a sound approach to an important and answerable question and to assist the student in planning the project. The oral examination is usually completed within 2 hours. Following the examination, the Committee will reach a consensus on the student's performance.
Semifinal Report
Approximately 6 months before the anticipated completion of the dissertation, the student shall present a research report on the proposed dissertation to the members of the Certification Committee. The goals of this "6-month" meeting are to inform the committee of the proposed content of the student's dissertation in detail and to seek the committee's approval for that proposed content. With this approval, the student can be assured that if she/he fulfills the proposal, then the content of the dissertation will warrant a Ph.D. At least 7 days prior to this meeting, the student must distribute to his or her Committee a proposed outline of the dissertation (which has already been reviewed and approved by the major professor). It is essential that this outline of the dissertation be sufficiently detailed so that the committee can evaluate the questions addressed, the exact experiments used to address the questions, and any other information needed. This outline must be approved by the Certification Committee. The approval form, which must be signed by the Certification Committee, may be obtained from the program's graduate administrator.
Dissertation and Final Oral Examination
A dissertation that represents the candidate's original research is required. Details about formal requirements for preparation of the dissertation may be obtained from the Graduate School Office
Upon completion of the dissertation, a final oral examination will be conducted by the student's Certification Committee. This will include an open seminar by the candidate, followed by a meeting with the Committee. The oral examination covers the dissertation and the general field of the major and minor studies.
The dissertation must be distributed to the members of the Committee at least 10 days before the date of the final oral examination. Failure to distribute the dissertation in a timely manner may result in rescheduling of the examination.
Composition of Committee for Examinations
The Certification Committee, consisting of at least five members of the graduate faculty, including the major professor, will conduct the Oral Preliminary Examination and the final oral examination for the Ph.D. The oral examination will be chaired by a committee member other than the major professor (selected by the Certification Committee at the time of the meeting). For students who choose minor Option A, one member of the committee must represent the minor department.
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