The General Examination
The major examination in a doctoral student's career, the General Examination is meant to assure the student's potential to become and independent investigator. The skills demonstrated in this examination are those necessary to obtain funding for research and development in academia, government, and industry; these skills are therefore expected to be highly developed. The General Examination is used to determine the soundness, significance, and originality of the student's research project, as well as test the clarity and thoroughness of the student's understanding. It provides an opportunity for the student to justify his/her research vision, describe the initial experimental plan, and present preliminary data demonstrating feasibility of the project. The General Examination affords an opportunity to correct deficiencies in the student's overall educational program that become evident during the course of the exam. As an open examination, the General Exam also reflects on the quality of research (and academic advising) in the Department of Bioengineering. Passing the examination advances the student to Ph.C. or doctoral candidacy status.
The General Examination should be performed no less than three quarters before the Final Examination, but it is strongly advised that it be scheduled as early as possible, preferably about one year after passing the Qualifying Examination. It is expected to that by the time of the examination, the student will have performed sufficient preliminary work to allow the Supervisory Committee to assess the likelihood of successful completion of the proposed PhD