Boston University Department of Biology

Graduate Student Frequently Asked Questions

1) I’m about to graduate, what forms do I need to turn in and when are they due?

A great resource is the Graduate Program Guide, which can be found in the Helpful Links section, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences also provides a calendar and a page with forms. You can also download the Thesis Preparation PDF.

2) I'm forming my committee, how many faculty do I have to have? Do they all have to be faculty in Biology?

This committee consists of no fewer than five faculty members, of whom at least three must be members of the Biology Department. It includes the major professor and four other people who hold a PhD or MD degree. The inclusion of at least one member outside of your program is encouraged. The Thesis Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, a First Reader, a Second Reader, and at least two other members (a third reader is optional). The thesis readers are those faculty members who read and approve the written PhD thesis. They are the final arbiters of this document. The Chairperson and First Reader (major professor) must be members of your program and must be present at the final thesis committee meeting/thesis defense. The Second Reader must be a Boston University faculty member and may not be the Chairperson. The fourth and fifth members of the committee may be chosen from other faculty of the Boston University Graduate School or from other institutions upon approval of the Program Committee and the Dean of the Graduate School. (A "Special Service Appointment Form" must be filled out and, with the CV of the proposed committee member, submitted to the Program Director. These forms are available from the Academic Administrator). It is suggested that the composition of the Thesis Committee remain the same for the duration of the student’s graduate program. A student cannot change the members of the thesis committee after submission of the Dissertation Prospectus to the Graduate School without approval of the Program Committee.

3) What is the Prelim? What is the Qual?

The “Prelim” and the “Qual” are your Preliminary Exam and your Qualifying Exam.

Every six months (in January and June) a Preliminary Exam is offered. This exam must be passed prior to taking the Qualifying Examination. The exam covers topics related to your program that should have been mastered by students through the required coursework. The exam covers factual materials learned in the core curriculum and tests problem solving ability and a synthesis of what students learned in these courses, as befits a potential candidate for the PhD degree. Students normally take the Preliminary Exam in January of their second year. A committee of faculty members, which includes those who are responsible for teaching the required core courses, writes the exam. A student has two chances to pass this exam. If a student fails to pass the second attempt, they are dismissed from the PhD program. The preliminary exam committee, the major professor, and the Director will then determine if the performance on the preliminary exam(s) and any additional work is sufficient to confer the MA degree.

The Qualifying Examination consists of two parts; one, a written research proposal and two, the oral defense of this research proposal. Normally, the qualifying exam should be completed within 6 months of passing the preliminary exam, and within the first 3 years of matriculation into the PhD program.