 |
||
 |
|
Programs and Degrees Admissions & Student Funding |
The Ph.D. Program Requirements of the Ph.D.
Program The Ph.D. degree requires successful completion of: COURSEWORK: 1. Core courses DISSERTATION: 6. Presentation of proposal for research including an extensive literature review After successful completion of the course work and the Qualifying Examinations, the student is advanced to candidacy and begins work on his/her dissertation. Coursework Students entering with a relevant Master's degree in Biostatistics or Statistics are likely to have completed several of the courses required for the Ph.D. program. For this reason, we outline two programs of study: one for students with a relevant Master's degree and one for students without a relevant Master's degree. Each student should determine the details of the program of study after consultation with his/her faculty advisor. The Qualifying Examinations The Qualifying Examinations are given during a two-day period and consists of one six hour theory exam and one six hour applications exam. Each exam will consist of 6 questions, all of which should be attempted. Both exams will be closed book; the problems do not require a computer. All examination questions focus on material that a person with a Ph.D. in biostatistics is expected to know, regardless of subsequent specialization. The examinations encompass material in the core mathematical statistics, probability, and applied statistics courses in the Ph.D. program in biostatistics. The general level of the Qualifying Examinations if characterized by the following reading and topics lists: Guidelines for the Theory Examination Guidelines for the Applications Examination As a rule, students must be admitted to the Biostatistics PhD program before taking the Qualifying Examinations. This rule may be waived in exceptional circumstances, subject to written consent of the Admission and Candidacy Committees. The Qualifying Examinations are not individualized to the student. They are prepared and graded by the members of the Candidacy Committee. The Qualifying Examinations are offered once each year, in June. A student who has passed neither the theory nor applied examination must take both examinations during the same two-day examination period. If a student passes one examination and fails the other, and the student wishes to continue in the Ph.D. program, then the student must retake the failed examination but need not retake the passed examination. If a student fails either the theory or the applied examination twice, then the student will not be allowed to continue in the Ph.D. program. Except for special cases, full-time Ph.D. students entering without a relevant Master's degree must take the Qualifying Examinations within two and a half years of entering the program, while students entering with a relevant Master's degree must take them within one year of entering the program. The requirements for part-time students are pro-rated, so that, for example, a half-time student entering with a relevant Master's degree will be required to take the Qualifying Examinations within two years. A student retaking a Qualifying Examination must retake it the next time it is offered. If a student wishes to delay the examinations, he/she must submit a written request to the Candidacy Committee, justifying the delay (such as additional cognate courses in the student's program, illness, or necessity of taking remedial mathematics courses). Advancement to Candidacy Advancing to candidacy requires passing the Qualifying Examinations and completing the required coursework. Once these requirements are met, the student should apply for candidacy by submitting the Candidacy Requirements form to the chair of the Candidacy Committee. The Candidacy Committee then makes the final decision regarding advancement. Dissertation Dissertation Committee In accordance with Graduate School regulations, the dissertation committee must have at least four members, with at least two from within and at least one from outside the Department of Biostatistics. A member whose research interests are closely aligned with those of the student, is the committee chair, unless this member is from outside the Department, in which case this member and a member from within the Department are designated as co-chairs. The dissertation committee is selected by mutual agreement between the student and committee members and is nominated to the Dean of the Graduate School by the Chair of the Department. The Committee directs and reviews the student's doctoral research, conducts the oral defense of the dissertation, and decides whether or not the dissertation is approved. Each candidate for the Ph.D. degree in Biostatistics is required to give a seminar presenting a proposal for the dissertation research with an extensive review of literature within 18-24 months of the date at which he/she reaches candidacy. Dissertation Content The dissertation research must be a creative and significant original contribution to the field of Biostatistics. The research may involve the development of new biostatistical methodology or it may consist of the innovative application of available procedures to important biomedical problems. |
