Plan of Study

In consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, each new student formulates a plan of study to be completed before the Comprehensive Examination. This Plan is to include projected dates for completion of the Comprehensive examination as well as provision for removal of deficiencies. Before completing the comprehensive exams the normal course load is 15 hours each semester.

Required Courses

It is the intention of the department to have a curriculum allowing coursework to be largely completed within the first year, though in some instances additional coursework in subsequent years will be required. The core curriculum represents a minimum of required classes, with advice of the director of graduate studies and thesis advisor, some students may benefit from completing additional coursework.

Requests for waiver of required courses or change from course registration must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies after consultation with the faculty and the chair and DEO of the department.

Evaluation of Progress

Students must meet progress requirements of both the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics and the Graduate College. To meet Departmental requirements, Doctoral students must obtain a grade of “B” or better in Graduate Physiology and Principles Molecular & Cellular Biology (“B-” or lower constitutes a non-passing grade), a grade of “S” for Scholarly Integrity/Responsible Conduct of Research, and a grade point average of 3.0 or better for all electives (a grade below “B”, but above “D-”, is permissible for individual electives, so long as the average grade point of all electives taken during the graduate program remains above 3.0). To meet Graduate College requirements, Doctoral students must maintain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better. If a student fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, he/she will be placed on Academic Probation by the Graduate College and will be granted one additional semester in which to raise their GPA to a 3.0 or better. At the end of each semester, the Director of Graduate Studies will review the academic standing of each student and present a report to the faculty. For students who have finished their first year in the program this report will include a review of all course grades as well as evaluations from faculty members with whom the student has completed laboratory rotations.

If satisfactory progress has been made, a recommendation for continuation of the student in the Ph.D. program will be presented to the faculty for departmental approval. If satisfactory progress has not been made, a recommendation for continuation will be made to the departmental faculty either to deny the student continuation in the Ph.D. program or to allow the student the opportunity to demonstrate improvement of noted deficiencies within a time limit decided upon by the thesis advisor and thesis committee. If these deficiencies are not adequately corrected, a recommendation will be made to the faculty to deny the student continuation in the Ph.D. program.