Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree in Physiology & Biophysics is conditional on successful completion of the Qualifying Examination. The basic prerequisites for taking the Qualifying Examination are:

(1) Satisfactory completion of all research rotations
(2) Completion of required courses
(3) Passing grade in one Journal Club presentations
(4) Attendance at Departmental Research Seminars
(5) Satisfactory performance in at least 2 Student Advisory Committee Meetings, one of which must be following selection of the Ph.D. thesis advisor.

Students who have completed these prerequisites should meet with their Advisory Committee. The Student Advisory Committee is to provide written approval in the form of a letter to be placed in the student's file to indicate that the student is permitted to take the Qualifying Examination. The Departmental Graduate Student Committee, in consultation with the mentor selects the Qualifying Exam Committee. The committee should include five members. At least three members must have primary or secondary appointments in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics. At least one member must not have an appointment in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics.

The Qualifying Examination consists of an oral defense of a written research proposal (10-20 pages double spaced) based on the student's own proposed thesis research. The research proposal, written in the format of an N.I.H. grant application, (Sections A-D) should be given to members of the Examination Committee at least two weeks before the oral defense. In the preparation of the written research proposal and for the oral defense, the student's Ph.D. advisor can provide advice on the format of the written proposal, answer questions, and suggest published information sources relevant to the thesis project. The written document should represent the efforts of the student and may not contain material transcribed from grants and other documents unless these sources are properly referenced. The range of questions that students should be prepared for in the defense is quite broad. Although, the questions will naturally evolve from the proposal, they will include related information from the student's coursework.

Qualifying examinations are given grades of pass with distinction, pass, conditional pass (postponed decision), or fail. Students receiving a conditional pass are given a written report (with a copy to the Departmental Graduate Student Committee) of modifications to the proposal that are required and a deadline for correction. Students receiving a failing grade will receive a written report of criticisms of their performance (with a copy to the Departmental Graduate Student Committee). Students with an acceptable performance in all other aspects of their graduate work may be permitted to repeat the examination. Qualifying examinations cannot be taken more than twice. A form for evaluation of qualifying examinations is in the Appendix. For a grade of distinction there can be no more than one dissenting vote. For a grade of pass, there can be no more than one vote of fail.

Students successfully completing the Qualifying Examination are entitled to be awarded a Master of Science degree.