Biochemistry, Ph.D

Ph.D Candidates

A candidate for the Ph.D. degree must comply with the School of Graduate Studies Regulations for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy. In the Biochemistry graduate progeram, there are no formal course requirements for the completion of the Ph.D. degree, unless the student’s supervisory committee has made a specific recommendation for additional course work to supplement the student’s knowledge in their area of research. The candidate will be required to participate in the Departmental seminar program and meet at least annually with their Supervisory Committee. All Ph.D. candidates must pass a Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, consisting of a written research proposal representing the student’s own original proposed work for PhD studies, followed by an oral examination by the PhD Candidacy Examination committee.  This committee will consist of members of the candidate’s supervisory commtitee, as well as the examination chair, who will be a member of the BBS Graduate Curriculum and Recruitment Committee. The supervisor will verify the originality of the proposal at the outset of the examination. Details of the PhD Candidacy Exam are outlined in the Program Handbook available from the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences.

The PhD Candidacy Examination is designed to test students for breadth of knowledge and the ability to integrate ideas. The PhD Candidacy Examination typically takes place at 12 months after the student has begun Ph.D. studies, with an upper limit of 20 months. Candidates must present a thesis that embodies the results of original research and high scholarship. This thesis must be defended in a Final Oral Examination as outlined in the School of Graduate Studies Regulations for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy.