The Department of Biology Comprehensive Feasibility of Dissertation and Doctoral Oral Exam

Outline of Expectations for Students: • Schedule a thesis committee meeting for the exam. Scheduling includes finding a date that works for each of your committee members and finding a room to hold the exam in. • Prepare an NIH/NSF style written grant proposal on your thesis project (just the science and bibliography parts – not any of the other forms). While the proposal should include some preliminary data, the primary emphasis should be on the logic and feasibility of the project. It is also important for both the student and the committee to understand that the proposal is not a contract – the goals of the proposal may evolve over the course of the student’s graduate experience. An exemplary proposal is attached to this document. • Distribute the proposal to the committee 1-2 weeks prior to the meeting. • Obtain a copy of the Doctoral Exam Report Form (DERF) from the Biology Department’s Student Services Administrative Assistant (see attached). • Conduct the oral exam during the meeting (see below for details). • Have your committee members sign the DERF. • Return the DERF to the Biology Department’s Student Services Administrative Assistant.