BMS 9304 Dissertation Research

Research is a requisite part of the curriculum. After three rotations have been completed, students will choose a laboratory in which to do their dissertation research with the consent of the faculty member that heads the laboratory and with approval of the department chair and consultation with the Dean. Students will devote the remainder of their graduate career conducting their dissertation research under the guidance of their chosen Dissertation Advisor and a Dissertation Committee. During this time, students will be continuously enrolled in Dissertation Research. The goal of the dissertation research is for students to develop and execute a research project that addresses a significant biological question to satisfy the requirements of a PhD degree. Evaluation of student progress will be done continuously by the students primary advisor and at least once per year formally by the students dissertation committee at the time of the annual committee meeting when an official Progress Report is submitted. It is expected that the student will publish, have in press, or have accepted at least one first author or co-first author primary research manuscript based on original findings in a peer-reviewed journal prior to scheduling their final dissertation defense.