PBIO GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
Graduate School procedures for obtaining a Ph.D. degree (read this first)
Specific requirements for pbio graduate students
jump to each section for more details:
PBio/NeuBeh 504: Biophysics of Nerve, Muscle, and Synapse
Pbio/NeuBeh 532: Cell Signaling Discussion
NeuBeh 501: Intro to Neurobiology
NeuBeh 502: Intro to Neurobiology
Pbio 508: Lab Rotations (x3)
-- Rotation Evaluation Form
Pbio 519: Membrane and Muscle Biophysics Seminar (x2)
6 departmental mini-courses to be completed prior to the General Exam
Pbio 513: Teaching Physiology (2 quarter TA requirement; Pbio 505/506)
Pbio 600: Independent Research (before General Exam)
Pbio 800: Doctoral Dissertation (after General Exam)
Highly Recommended Courses (not required):
NeuBeh 503: Cognitive and Integrative Neurobiology
All new students will be assigned a faculty advisor to mentor them throughout the first year. This faculty member’s research will be outside the interest area of the student. The goal of this program is to:
1. Help students to adjust to their new life.
2. Identify problems early on so that they may be dealt with promptly.
The structure of the relationship will naturally depend on the mentor and student, but faculty members should try to meet with their assigned student once a quarter, ideally towards the beginning of the quarter, especially in the Fall.
After the first year and at least 3 lab rotations (but no more than 5) have been completed the student will choose a lab to conduct her thesis research. It is expected that after completing 3 (occasionally 4 and rarely 5, both of which require permission from the graduate program director) laboratory rotations in the first year of the curriculum, a student will find a suitable faculty/laboratory match (by mutual agreement) with whom to perform his or her dissertation research. Finding a suitable faculty/laboratory match after completing 3 or 4 rotations in the first year is necessary for making adequate progress in curriculum. Failure of the student to find and agree to a suitable match after these laboratory rotations would constitute unsatisfactory progress and indicate that the UW PBIO Graduate Program is not a suitable host to foster the student's career objectives. Once a lab is chosen the student will register for Pbio 600.
--First year Student Progress Form
The Graduate School recommends that the Supervisory Committee be formed at least 4 months prior to the General Exam date. The committee needs to be composed of at least 5 members of which 3 are Pbio faculty (including the thesis advisor) and the student will also need to choose their own Graduate School Representative (GSR). The GSR may not have an appointment in any of the departments in which the thesis advisor has an appointment. Please email your committee to Tina Schulstad, and she will establish the committee with the Graduate School.
Once the student has established her committee the Department requires that committee meetings take place annually. The purpose of these meetings is to offer advice and direction to the student, monitor progress, and help identify any potential problems or issues early on. A student progress evaluation form needs to be filled out and submitted to Robert Steiner, after each meeting.
The General Exam must be taken by the last day of Autumn Quarter of the 3rd year. Instructions for the exam can be found here. In order to schedule the exam the General Exam Request Form must be completed, signed by all committee members, and at the Graduate School at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date. The Graduate School will then send the Department the warrant and the thesis advisor will pick it up on the day of the exam.
After passing the General Exam the student is advanced to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The student will register for Pbio 800 and continue working on her thesis research.
The culmination of the program is the submission of a written doctoral thesis and the presentation of this work in a public lecture attended by members of the department and the University. However, before the Final Exam can take place the Request for Final Examination Form must be filled out, signed by all committee members and submitted to the Graduate School at least 3 weeks prior to the exam. Again, the Graduate School will send the Department the warrant and the thesis advisor will pick it up on the day of the exam.
Feedback and evaluations are designed to help each student choose and meet their respective goals.
Feedback happens in many ways: during course work and exams; from lab personnel during rotations and faculty evaluation of the rotation; from first year advisor and other faculty you choose for information and advice; from your thesis advisor and thesis committee members, and finally from formal examinations of the department, e.g. the general examination. Ordinarily is it not at all difficult for each student to know if sufficient progress is being made because there are so many sources of information. And ordinarily students have little difficulty proceeding and establishing their research careers.
The department reviews progress of each student at yearly. This annual review is simply a check that milestones and grade requirements are reached. Ordinarily this occurs with the faculty with whom the student comes in contact: first year faculty advisor, faculty in rotation lab, course directors, etc. Most students proceed towards their Ph.D. degree satisfactorily with this kind of feedback and evaluation.
Rarely a student will have some difficulty in one or more steps outlined above, and will receive feedback indicating unsatisfactory progress. When such a problem arises the Student Progress Committee comes into play to evaluate the situation and confer with the student on possibly remedies, and to identify a course of action.