BME PHD STUDENT HANDBOOK

Senior Progress Committee

Statement of Purpose

Important issues facing students and faculty in the period following the Graduate Board Oral (GBO) exam are:

• preparing a thesis proposal
• formation of a thesis committee
• supervision of thesis progress
• ensuring that the teaching requirement is fulfilled
• thesis defense
• timely graduation and eventual placement

Goals

The goal of the Senior Progress Committee is monitor student progress, help students through the first three steps and look into how we can help students beyond graduation.

Thesis

Thesis Proposal - The thesis proposal must be submitted within 1 year of taking the GBO (for most students this will be by he end of their third year). See the Thesis Proposal section of this manual for specific instructions.

Thesis Committee - see section at end of the Thesis Proposal section of this manual.

Thesis Presentations - Students will be asked to make a brief presentation every 6 months to the members of his/her thesis committee. The presentation can be short and informal, for example, as part of regular lab group meetings.

Thesis Defense - The student's thesis committee as well as the Senior Progress Committee should be notified 6 months before the expected date of the thesis defense and graduation. This notification should also indicate the student's plans beyond graduation.

Students' progress will be monitored every 6 months via an electronically mailed report from the student's thesis advisor (with the signed consent of the student) to the program director. A copy of the electronic form(s) to be used may be obtained from Hong Lan.