Requirements for students with a completed MS degree

Students pursuing the PhD in Biomedical Engineering who have already completed a MS degree must complete 24 credits of graduate study, including:

Requirements for students with a completed BS/BA degree

Students pursuing the PhD in Biomedical Engineering who have completed a BS or BA degree must complete 60 credits of graduate study, including:

Dissertation Research

After students attain ABD status they register for one credit of BME 699: Dissertation Research every semester until they are ready to graduate.

• BME 699 - Dissertation Research

Elective Courses

The BME director of graduate studies generates a list of approved electives every semester and this list is voted on and approved by the BME faculty. Elective courses are aimed at preparing students for careers in research, industry, or government, and at providing students with an introduction to the broader aspects of biomedical engineering. Students can take elective courses from either BME or other disciplines in engineering or science, if approved by the student’s guidance committee and the director of graduate studies. Up to two of the electives, or eight credits, can be outside of engineering.

Evaluation

The Biomedical Engineering PhD program has been designed to be relatively flexible, allowing students to orient their research in an area of interest as they progress in their training and to select elective coursework from a wide variety of courses available in BME or other graduate programs. To provide such flexibility and at the same time ensure adequate monitoring of progress, students go through a sequence of evaluations. This includes the identification of a primary research advisor and guidance committee, fulfillment of a learning contract, completion of a comprehensive exam, submission and defense of a dissertation proposal in an open colloquium, and submission and oral defense of a dissertation. The timing and content of all evaluations are described in the departmental Graduate Program Handbook.

Guidance Committee

In the first year of study in the PhD program, students must form an approved guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of at least two members from the BME Department, at least one member from an outside department or school, and four members in total. Students may propose faculty from other universities or professionals from outside academia, but must obtain Graduate School approval. The guidance committee advises the student and evaluates and certifies the student’s performance throughout the program of study and research.

Learning Contract

In consultation with the guidance committee, the student prepares a learning contract. In the learning contract, a program of study is specified, including the major area of research, additional course requirements, teaching requirements, evaluations procedures, and a proposed timeline for the comprehensive examination and prospectus. Although the learning contract may be modified as the research interests of the student develop, to ensure competence and depth in the major area and breadth in relevant disciplines, each modification must be approved by the guidance committee and properly documented. A copy of the learning contract is placed on file with the administrative coordinator of graduate affairs in the Watson College Dean’s Office.

Comprehensive Exam Requirement

Upon admission into a PhD program, the student must prepare to demonstrate mastery of fundamental skills to the guidance committee. All PhD students take the required BME core coursework. Students must pass a comprehensive examination as determined by the student’s PhD committee.

Admission to Candidacy

When the comprehensive requirements are accepted by the guidance committee, the student is recommended for admission to candidacy. Within a year of the comprehensive exam and no later than six months before the expected graduation date, the student should give an open presentation of his or her prospectus.

Colloquium and Prospectus

The primary purpose of the prospectus is to assess a student’s progress toward completing the PhD dissertation and specific plans for achieving their research objectives.

The prospectus should describe the motivation and justification for the selected research topic, background material and current status of the intended research area with references, specific research objectives to be achieved for the completion of the dissertation, concrete plans toward completion, and evidence of progress toward the objectives. The prospectus must be written in the format of a grant proposal and presented at an open colloquium to an audience that includes the guidance committee. A copy of the final prospectus needs to be submitted to the director of graduate studies.

Proficiency in Teaching

In addition to the coursework and research, doctoral candidates must demonstrate proficiency in teaching. Doctoral students must meet a teaching requirement in one of the following ways:

• Serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for a BME course at Binghamton University under the supervision of a faculty member
• Make at least six public presentations. The following presentations are considered acceptable public presentations:
  • Prospectus presentation
  • Dissertation defense presentation
  • Any public presentation that is announced at least one week in advance
  • Lectures (including guest lectures) given to students in a course
  • Research presentation at a technical conference, symposium, or workshop

Residency Requirement

All PhD students are required to have a minimum of 24 graded credit hours from Binghamton University.

Language Requirement

There is no formal language requirement. However, individual students may have a language requirement specified in the learning contract.

Dissertation

With the guidance of the dissertation advisor, the student completes research and preparation of the dissertation, an original written contribution demonstrating originality and competence in the chosen field of research. The guidance committee has direct charge of all matters pertaining to the dissertation, which must have the committee’s unanimous approval before arrangements are made for the final examination for the degree. The dissertation must comply with the format and filing requirements set forth in the Graduate School Manual.

In defense of the dissertation, the student is required to pass an oral examination, open to the University community. The evaluation of the student’s performance in this oral examination is made by an examination committee consisting of members of the student’s guidance committee, augmented by an outside examiner appointed by the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. The decision to recommend the candidate for the doctoral degree is made by unanimous vote of the examining committee.