PhD Program: Requirements
At the end of the first year of their didactic curriculum course work, students will take a written Preliminary Examination to assess their comprehension of the educational concepts of this training.
At the end of all required didactic course work, the students must then pass a Graduate School Comprehensive Examination that will admit them to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree in Clinical Science.
After successful completion of required course work and a passing grade on the examination, a thesis process will commence: a thesis committee will be formed, a colloquium held with the dissertation committee, and at least one to two further years of research will follow.
Normally before completing the course work, each student will have chosen a thesis advisor and a research problem on which to focus thesis work. The Thesis Committee, which may include members of the Comprehensive Examining Committee, will meet at least once per year with the student and the student's advisor to monitor the student's progress. This committee will make suggestions regarding the student's research findings, current direction, and overall progress of the research.
We anticipate and expect students in their second to fourth year to give major seminars each year and present their work at national meetings as well as to publish their work in peer-reviewed, reputable scientific journals within their field of interest. These students will be expected to write a thesis, present the thesis research as a major seminar to faculty and students, and then defend the thesis research before the Dissertation Committee.
After completing 30 units of thesis research and submitting and defending an approved thesis, the candidate will be awarded the degree.