PhD Requirements
The course requirements for the PhD in Bioengineering include the following:
Total number of credit hours: 72 credits minimum (not including credits from foundational courses, if applicable.)
Students typically take the PhD preliminary exam after their first year in the program, and PhD proposal (comprehensive examination) is presented generally by the middle of the third year. A final public PhD defense is made by each PhD candidate based on the student’s research work.
Preliminary Exam
The PhD Preliminary Exam is given once a year, typically in early June, and is to be taken by students pursuing the PhD degree after their first two semesters of full-time course work. A student is allowed no more than two opportunities to take the preliminary examination.
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to evaluate the student’s ability to use fundamental principles of biomedical science and engineering approaches to investigate solutions to bioengineering problems. The exam tests the student’s ability to think, present, and defend in an academic environment, as well as demonstrate a sufficient background in the biomedical science and engineering aspects of the chosen problem. It explores a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and breadth of knowledge in relation to the proposal as well as assesses the student’s potential to become an independent investigator. The examinations will be coordinated within the current graduate tracks. The scheduling will be handled by the track coordinators, who will also determine the suitability of the research question (having both engineering and biomedical science components).
The basis of the examination is a specific research question (problem), chosen by the student and communicated through both written and oral formats. The written proposal conforms to the NIH R03 grant format. The oral presentation focuses on presenting and defending the proposed research question and the approach to its solution. The student is encouraged to focus on one to two experiments and note both alternatives and potential limitations in each experiment. Proper referencing of sources is required for both the oral and written components. The research proposal may be supported by preliminary data, but this is not a requirement. The student may seek assistance from their advisor or any other faculty member for choosing the question but must observe the usual strict standards on plagiarism. In addition, students must provide a written statement, signed by their advisor, that clarifies the student ‘s contribution in developing and writing the proposal.
The final result of the preliminary examination will be based on the combined evaluation of the written and oral components, with three possible outcomes: unconditional pass, conditional pass, retake (during the first attempt), and fail (during the second attempt). Conditional pass will be accompanied by specific corrective actions, such as remedial courses to be taken by the student. A minimum of B grade must be achieved in each condition-contingent course; otherwise, the conditional pass is converted to a retake or fail outcome. The retake option is available for the first exam, allowing the candidate to retake the Preliminary Exam one additional time in the following year. During the second attempt, a fail outcome is assigned in cases where a student does not meet the threshold for an unconditional pass or a conditional pass. Students receiving a fail outcome cannot continue on in the PhD program.
Dissertation Committee Selection
In addition to dissertation committee requirements specified in the Regulations Governing Graduate Study (RGGS) , the Department of Bioengineering requires that: (1) the majority of the committee must hold either primary or secondary appointment in Bioengineering, and (2) at least one committee member must have a primary appointment in Bioengineering. Regarding the RGGS requirement for an external committee member, note that industry members who are not affiliated with a graduate degree-granting institution do not count toward the external member requirement for the committee. Students are required to receive approval from the faculty Graduate Program Director of the committee, ideally 1-2 months prior to the proposal defense.
PhD students are advised to form and meet with a PhD Dissertation Committee within one year of passing the Preliminary Exam and no later than the end of their third year in the PhD program.
PhD Proposal and Comprehensive Exam
Formal admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree (typically in the 3rd year) constitutes a promotion of the student to the most advanced stage of graduate study. Note that it is a departmental requirement that students complete their proposal by the end of their third full year in the program. The student should submit the written proposal in NIH R01 format to the committee at least two weeks in advance of the oral defense to the approved committee. The approval of the proposal and defense of it constitutes passing the proposal and Comprehensive Examination.
Dissertation Defense and Graduation
Students must announce their dissertation defense at least two weeks prior per department instructions. For all other defense and graduation requirements, students should refer to SSoE guidelines .
