TO:        Students Applying for Candidacy

FROM:  Dr. Dorian Coppenhaver
               Associate Dean for Student Affairs

The following information is provided to assist you as you prepare for admission to candidacy and write your thesis or dissertation. Most of the information in this document is equally applicable to doctoral and masters students. Differences or exceptions will be indicated by the applicable degree abbreviation. It would be prudent for you to read an entire section to be certain you are familiar with the rules and regulations that apply. Note that "dissertation" always refers to doctoral students, "thesis" to masters students. There are three different masters-level degrees awarded by the graduate school: (1) the Master of Science (MS) degree, (2) the Master of Arts (MA) degree, and (3) the Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree. In addition, a link to UMI Dissertation Services is provided above to aid you with answers to other questions you might have concerning your dissertation preparation.

Click below for section of choice

1. Qualifying Examination

2. Application for Admission to Candidacy

3. Supervisory Committee

4. Dissertation/Thesis

5. Final Oral Examination (Defense)

6. Submission and Publication of Dissertation/Thesis

7. Thesis Option/Use of Publication in Lieu of Thesis

8. Faculty Endorsement

9. Suggestions for Proposal Preparation

The official forms/documents can be downloaded (from the Forms section). The checklist form is for your use and convenience in tracking the completion of all required actions and documents in preparation for graduation.

As you approach completion of degree requirements and arrange for your postdoctoral position, please be aware:

• beginning a post-doctoral position before completing all degree requirements, even if the hiring agency will permit it, could be costly. Graduate school academic policies require you to be registered each term including the term the degree is awarded. Non-residents of Texas who pay tuition at the resident rate because of having a graduate assistantship or pre-doctoral fellowship, lose the qualification to pay resident tuition when they cease to be employed by UTMB with one of those titles.

• International students should apply for practical training three months before they anticipate completing all degree requirements, including submission of the final, approved copy of the dissertation. Depending on the type of visa you have, you should check with Roxanne Delaney in the Office of the Registrar or with Maggie Pinson in the International Office in Human Resources.

If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding the above, please contact me through email or by phone at 409-772-2665.

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• Ph.D.
  Each doctoral program administers a written qualifying examination to determine the student’s mastery of his/her chosen field. Some programs also may have an oral component of this examination. This examination is ordinarily taken after the major portion of the course work has been completed. Part of the qualifying examination may include the student’s demonstration of familiarity with and preparation for an independent research project on which the dissertation will be based. Successful completion of the qualifying examination is prerequisite to application for candidacy. Ordinarily, this examination should be completed no later than two years after matriculation. The student’s program director certifies successful completion of the qualifying examination by signing the application for admission to candidacy form.
  After successful completion of the qualifying examination, students will be allowed to register for Research (6097) a maximum of three (3) terms. Failure to be admitted to candidacy by the end of the third term after successfully completing the qualifying examination is grounds for dismissal from the graduate school.

• MA, MS, MPH, MMS
  Qualifying examinations are not required by the graduate school for masters degree-seeking students. If a program wishes to utilize a qualifying examination for masters students, notice of the requirement shall be given to the student on admission to the program.

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Admission to candidacy for all students requires the removal of all academic deficiences; no student may be admitted to candidacy with an I, NR or failing grade (F, WF or U) on the transcript unless the deficiency has been resolved; the student may not be on probation. Each student must have an overall 3.0 grade point average or better at the time of admission to candidacy.

Doctoral students apply for candidacy after the qualifying examination has been successfully completed and the program faculty recommends his/her admission to candidacy.

• MA, MS, MPH
  Ordinarily, MA and MS students should be admitted to candidacy no later than two years after matriculation. Programs may require a minimum number of credit hours of course work before a student is eligible to apply for candidacy.
  MD-degreed students seeking the MMS degree typically apply for candidacy half-way between the time they enter the program and the projected time of completion.
  An  application for admission to candidacy form is completed and submitted with a research proposal to the dean of the graduate school. The research proposal must follow the format given. (These forms can be found online for both Masters and PhD students.)  Concurrently, students should distribute copies to the proposed supervisory committee members. This should be done well in advance of the first date that the student wishes to register for dissertation or thesis. Admission to candidacy is prerequisite to registration for dissertation or thesis and the written agreement to serve from the full supervisory committee is prerequisite to admission to candidacy. All applications for candidacy must be approved by the dean of the graduate school.

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The supervisory committee is a small group of graduate faculty assigned to advise, monitor and review the research of a student. This committee is chaired by the supervisory professor, ordinarily the faculty member in whose laboratory the student will perform his/her research.

The supervisory committee and particularly the supervisory professor have the responsibility for directing the student’s research, ensuring its quality and timely completion, and for supervising the writing of the dissertation or thesis.

Customarily, a student will spend the first one or two years after matriculation becoming acquainted with the faculty of his/her program through course work, laboratory rotations, private interviews, counseling with the program director, etc., and will eventually select a faculty person with whom he/she wishes to do the research leading to the doctoral or masters degree. This selection may take place before or after the qualifying exam, but is normally done before the student prepares the research proposal that accompanies the application for admission to candidacy. This faculty person effectively becomes the unofficial supervisory professor. As the time approaches for applying to candidacy, the student, the faculty person and the program director will develop a suggested membership list for the full supervisory committee.

The application form for admission to candidacy includes a place to list the suggested members of this committee. When the student applies for candidacy, the dean contacts the proposed committee members and asks if they agree to serve. When the full committee agrees to serve, candidacy can be approved.

• Ph.D.
  For doctoral students the supervisory committee will be composed of at least five members or special members of the graduate faculty, one of whom will be from another institution and one of whom does not have an appointment in the program of the student. The supervisory professor and the supervisory committee shall ensure that the student satisfies all the requirements for the doctoral degree. The on-campus members of the supervisory committee shall meet with the student at least two times before the defense of the dissertation. However, the student should take advantage of every opportunity to consult with all members of the supervisory committee.

• M.D.-Ph.D.
  M.D./ Ph.D. students shall have a supervisory committee like that for regular Ph.D. students, but in addition, one member of the supervisory committee shall be an MD-degreed faculty person having a primary appointment in a clinical department of the UTMB medical school. This person may be one of the five original supervisory committee members or may be added as a sixth committee member.

• MA, MS
  The supervisory committee for MA and MS students is composed of at least three regular or special members of the graduate faculty, two of which are from the student’s program (one being the supervisory professor) and one of which has a primary appointment in a program different from the student’s.

• MMS
  For MMS students the supervisory committee is composed of five members, one of whom is the supervisory professor. At least two members of the committee must be from basic science departments and two shall be from clinical departments. No more than two members shall be from the department of the student. The supervisory committee for MMS students will meet with the student at least once approximately half-way through the training period and provide a brief written statement to the program steering committee as soon as possible after this meeting describing the progress of the student.

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The basic time frame for completing the thesis/dissertation and scheduling the final oral examination applies to all doctoral candidates and to masters degree candidates who will take a final oral examination. Other masters degree candidates should consult sections IV and V of the document for appropriate schedule.

The way to "start" is by finding out from the published term calendar what the deadline is for submitting the final approved copies of the thesis/dissertation. Plan everything backward from this date. Schedule the defense of the thesis/dissertation at least two weeks before this deadline. Most students need more than two weeks after the defense to make revisions, duplicate and submit the formal, completed copies. The graduate school requires a two week period to publicize the defense after you submit the "Request for Final Oral Examination" form. Before the supervisory committee signs this form, they must have had adequate time to review the dissertation and determine that the student is prepared to defend it at the final oral examination. The student is required to provide a copy of the thesis/dissertation to each member of the committee at least three weeks before the committee signs this form. The copy of the thesis/dissertation presented should be in reasonably final form so the supervisory committee can thoroughly evaluate the work. Commonly, serious revisions are required by the committee after they have read the thesis/dissertation; prepare the draft very well and make sure to allow adequate time to rewrite.

Thus, from the deadline date for submission of the final copies of the thesis/dissertation, the student must have a completed version of the document ready at least six weeks earlier. To facilitate the entire procedure, it is most important that the student and the supervisory committee stay mutually informed and up-to-date on the research and writing progress, and that the student check frequently with the graduate school office for input about deadlines and about proper format and style of the thesis/dissertation.

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The dissertation or thesis must be an original contribution to scholarship and must be based on the student’s independent investigation. The student should read carefully the Instructions for Preparation of the Doctoral Dissertation and Masters Thesis before preparing draft copies.

• Ph.D.
  Copies of the dissertation, unbound, shall be made available to the supervisory committee not less than three weeks prior to the final oral examination (the defense of the dissertation) to enable the members to evaluate its contents.

• MA, MS
  For masters programs which require a final oral examination (see section 5 below) copies of the thesis, unbound, shall be made available to the supervisory committee not less than three weeks prior to the final oral examination (defense of the thesis) to enable the members to evaluate its contents. If no final oral examination is used, copies of the thesis must be presented to the supervisory committee at least four weeks before the deadline for submission of the final bound copy of the thesis.

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• MA, MS
  Typically, a final oral examination (defense of thesis) is not given to MA or MS students, but a program may require such an examination. Notice of this requirement shall be given to the candidate on admission to the program. If a final examination is given to MA or MS students, it shall be conducted under the same guidelines as for doctoral students, as specified below.

• MMS
  MMS students will take a final oral examination, and this defense of the data (either manuscript or thesis) will be considered an obligatory part of the degree requirements and must be completed before final preparation of the document.

• Ph.D.
  When the supervisory committee is satisfied that the dissertation represents an original scholarly contribution to knowledge in the student’s field, the student and the supervisory professor will arrange for the final oral examination. The form, Request for Final Oral Examination (form attached), accompanied by the student’s vita and a summary of the dissertation must be submitted to the dean of the graduate school not less than two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the final oral examination. Format for the vita and dissertation summary is attached. If approved, the dean will circulate an announcement of the examination with the vita and dissertation summary to the graduate program directors and the members of the supervisory committee. An announcement of the examination also will be sent out to students and faculty via e-mail.

• MS, MA
  Any masters student taking a final oral examination does not submit a Request for Final Oral Examination form or the accompanying documents.

• Ph.D.
  The final oral examination must be scheduled far enough in advance of the deadline for submission of the final copies of the dissertation to permit the student to make any corrections in the final form of the dissertation that may be required by the supervisory committee. Experience has shown that an absolute minimum of two weeks is necessary.

The office of the dean of the graduate school must review the form and illustrations for conformity with published instructions by this same deadline and prior to duplication of the dissertation.

The final oral examination will cover the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation and such other parts of the student’s program as the supervisory committee may determine.

The supervisory committee will sign the signature page of the dissertation and the report of the final oral examination (form attached) when they are satisfied that the student has:

• completed the work assigned by the committee,

• passed all examinations required by the program including the final oral,

• completed a dissertation which gives evidence of ability to do independent investigation and itself constitutes a scholarly contribution to knowledge, and

• prepared for publication in Dissertation Abstracts International, an abstract which meets the approval of the committee.

*see section VII for thesis option

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Before the final form of the dissertation or thesis is typed, the student should carefully read the Instructions for Preparation of the Doctoral Dissertation and Masters Thesis and feel free to consult the graduate school office about acceptable format.

The graduate school has developed a template for the preliminary pages of the dissertation or thesis and a copy is available at the GSBS home page.  For any questions you may have on intellectual propery or copyright, please click here. 

Also, note that a doctoral student may not take more than five years after admission to candidacy to complete the dissertation; MA and MS students must complete all requirements for this degree four years after matriculation; and MMS students, one full-time equivalent year after matriculation.

A student must be enrolled in the graduate school at the time of submission of the dissertation or thesis. After the final form of the dissertation or thesis has been approved by the supervisory committee, the student should submit to the graduate school office a letter-perfect copy, including all illustrations, for final approval of form before the dissertation or thesis is reproduced.

Students should consult the Instructions for Preparation of the Doctoral Dissertation and Masters Thesis for information on format, style, and number of copies required for the dissertation and thesis.

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• MA, MS, MMS
  For MA, MS and MMS students the supervisory committee may accept an in-press or published manuscript(s) in lieu of the conventional thesis. The manuscript(s) must have been accepted in a high-quality refereed journal approved by the supervisory committee, and the student’s contribution must include most of the writing and principal/senior authorship. In addition, the work reported in the publication must have been carried out at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Galveston or under the supervision of a member of its faculty.

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• Ph.D.
  The dean of the graduate school will present the credentials of

• MA, MS, MMS
  Ph.D., MA, MS and MMS students to the graduate faculty as a body for their certification if the dean has received by the published deadline a positive recommendation on the report of the final oral and one unbound copy of the dissertation, or for MA, MS and MMS students, has approved for duplication the final copy of the thesis, or has received certification of the acceptance of a manuscript (thesis option).

The student must be registered in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Galveston at the time of the faculty certification. Therefore, if the student does not meet the published deadline for submission of the dissertation or thesis, he/she must register in absentia for one additional term for the purpose of graduation. Degrees are awarded at the end of the fall, spring and summer terms, but public commencement is held for the graduate school only in the spring. Summer and fall graduates are invited to participate in the spring commencement.

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• General Suggestions
  The proposal should be organized to answer the following questions:

1. What do you intend to do?

2. Why is the work important?

3. What has been done already?

4. How are you going to do the work?

• Format
  This research proposal should be typed single-spaced.

1. Title Sheet

   1. Title of the research project followed by your name and a 200 word summary of the proposed thesis/dissertation research. One page.

2. Research Plan

1. Specific Aims or Problem Statement: State concisely and realistically what the research described in the proposal is intended to accomplish. What hypothesis is to be tested or what question is to be addressed? Do not exceed one page.

2. Significance: Briefly sketch the background (or literature review) to your thesis/dissertation proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps which the proposal is intended to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in the proposal by relating the specific aims to longer term objectives. Do not exceed three pages.

3. Research Accomplishments to Date: If you have conducted any research pertinent to your thesis/dissertation proposal, briefly describe your results. Also, list relevant courses or other experiences which enhance your competence to perform the proposed research. Do not exceed four pages of written text. (Additional pages may be used for figures, graphs, tables, etc.)

4. Methods: Briefly discuss the research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the proposal. If any new methodology is being used, describe its advantage over existing methodology. Include the kinds of data to be gathered (when applicable) and the means by which the data will be analyzed and interpreted. The discussion should provide sufficient evidence that the specific aims are attainable. It is not necessary to include detailed methodological/technical protocols. Do not exceed ten pages.

5. Literature Cited: Cite the pertinent literature in the text and provide the complete reference list in the Literature Cited section. Each citation must include the names of all authors, the name of the book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication.

   Although no page limitation is specified for this part of the proposal, make every attempt to be judicious in compiling the bibliography. It should be relevant and current. It need not be exhaustive.

6. Supervision and Facilities: Name the person(s) proposed to be immediately responsible for supervising your thesis/dissertation research and laboratory (or other facilities) where most of your proposed research will take place. If the proposed project involves collaboration with another institution, give evidence that the collaborator(s) agrees to participate.

7. Human Subjects: Include all human research-related instruments to be used in this study, sample of subject consent form(s), and instructions to subjects as appropriate.

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