Steps to Fulfill Ph.D. Degree Requirements

If you have any questions, please arrange for a meeting with the graduate academic advisor or your faculty chair. Deadlines occur earlier than students often expect!

Plan courses for first semester

Complete prior to the start of classes.

Meet with your faculty advisor(s) to discuss research interests and coursework needs.
The Graduate Academic Advisor can provide general guidance but final coursework approval will always come from your faculty advisor(s).

Confirm your committee chair

Must be completed before the end of student’s first semester.

Complete Research Lab Agreement form and submit with student and committee chair signatures to the Graduate Academic Advisor.
- Failure to submit the required form(s) will result in the student being placed on probation.

Submit degree plan

Finish before completion of 36 hours.

Meet with faculty advisor(s) to discuss research interests and coursework needs. List all previous, current and planned courses for the degree, as well as all committee members.
This plan needs to be approved by the graduate academic advisor, committee chair and members, director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.
Submit via the Document Processing Submission System.
Failure to submit the required degree plan by the stated Grad School deadlines will result in a registration hold being placed on the student’s account.

Expected Timeline: Degree plans can take upwards of two months for full approval.

Complete qualifying exam

Must be completed by the end of the student’s first academic year (occurs every May).

Written exam composed of a critical evaluation of a research article.
More information is provided in March-April during BMEN 674.
Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Expected Timeline: QE occurs in May, results published by late June.

Complete coursework

Coursework must be completed within two years and one semester.

Ensure coursework completed matches the degree plan and make changes if necessary via the Document Processing Submission System.

Complete preliminary exam and proposal

Ph.D. students entering prior to fall 2022: are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of the 8^th semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Ph.D. students entering fall 2022 and after: are required to complete the preliminary exam and proposal by the end of the 7^th semester in the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Must be completed before the end of the student’s 7^th or 8^th semester, depending on the term that the student entered the biomedical engineering program (summers are included, please see note above).

Scheduled when no more than six hours of formal coursework remain uncompleted on the degree plan.

The preliminary exam is the oral defense of the proposal.

The proposal must be given to the committee at least two weeks before the exam date.

You will schedule this exam internally and turn in the appropriate forms to the graduate academic advisor.

Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, all members of the student’s committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Submit preliminary examination checklist and report

Must be initially submitted at least two weeks prior to the preliminary exam date (see below for more details about the preliminary exam and proposal).

Form to be completed via ARCS.
Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, all members of the student’s committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School. Form is due, in fully approved format, to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 business days of the preliminary exam.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School preliminary exam approvals, once received in that office, can take several weeks for full approval.

Submit research proposal approval form

Submitted after the successful completion of the preliminary exam.

Form to be completed via ARCS.
Must attach full .pdf of proposal.
Must include a timeline for all aims, publishing, defending and graduating. The department requires that the student use NSF/NIH guidelines for formatting. Information on these formatting requirements can be found at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/format-and-write/format-attachments.htm.
For more details, the student should speak to their faculty advisor before writing the proposal.
Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, all members of the student’s committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Ph.D. students are required to complete the proposal by the end of the 7^th or 8^th semester, depending on the term that the student entered the biomedical engineering program (summers are included). Failure to meet the required deadlines will result in the student being placed on probation.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School research proposal approvals, once received in that office, can take several weeks for full approval.

Complete residence requirement

Before scheduling final defense

Complete all graded coursework on degree plan.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Apply for graduation

During the first month of final semester.

Visit your Howdy portal or the Graduation homepage for more information and pay graduation fee.

Schedule and advertise final defense

Request must be received by the Graduate and Professional School, in fully approved format, at least 10 business days before requested defense date.

Submit request and announcement of the final exam via ARCS in the student’s Howdy portal.
Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, the committee chair, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.
Approvals can take several weeks so plan accordingly.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School final exam request approvals, once received in that office, can take at least 10 business days for full approval.

Submit final defense results

Votes due within 10 business days after final defense.

Voting is completed via ARCS in the faculty’s Howdy portal by each committee member.
Students will not be able to access results until the entire form is submitted and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.
Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, all members of the student’s committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Graduate and Professional School.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Graduate and Professional School final exam votes approval, once received in that office, can take at least 10 business days for full approval.

Submit dissertation and Written Dissertation Approval form

Submitted after the successful completion of the final exam.

Approval form completed via ARCS in the student’s Howdy portal.
The final dissertation document must be uploaded in Vireo and per the Thesis Office requirements.
Must be approved by the graduate academic advisor, all members of the student’s committee, the director of Graduate Programs and the Thesis Office.

Ph.D. Deadlines

Expected Timeline: Thesis Office dissertation approvals, once received in that office, can take several weeks for full approval.

Graduation

Arrange for cap and gown. Visit the Graduation website.

Additional Information

Arrange for cap and gown. Visit the Graduation website.

Requirements listed above are for biomedical engineering and in some cases, are stricter than the university minimum guidelines. Failure to meet any of the above requirements could result in dismissal from the program.
Students must be continuously registered every fall and spring semester until all degree requirements have been met.
All documents (e.g., proposal, dissertation) must be submitted to your advisory committee at least two weeks prior to milestone completion.

Additional Information

Requirements listed above are for BME, and in some cases, are stricter than the university minimum guidelines. Failure to meet any of the above requirements could result in dismissal from the program.
Students must be continuously registered every fall and spring semester until all degree requirements have been met.
All documents (e.g. proposal, dissertation) must be submitted to your advisory committee at least two weeks prior to milestone completion.