General Requirements for Postdoctoral and Graduate Students

School of Dental Medicine Policy

Program Completion

Please note that for all certificates and degrees awarded by the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (SDM), completion is not tracked by unit accumulation but by successful completion of individual courses and duration requirements.

Time Limit

Students are expected to make continuous and timely progress towards completion of the program in the time specified in their admissions offer. Departments may consider extensions of up to one additional year, without prejudice. For students who need more than one additional year, the department or program will review their individual cases. If additional time is deemed appropriate, the department or program will submit a request for program extension to the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs on behalf of the student. If the request for additional time is not approved, either by the program/department or by the Assistant Dean, the student will be discontinued from their program.

Graduation

Students must have first successfully completed each year of the program prior to their final year. During their final year, students must comply with all requirements for promotion and graduation. See Postdoctoral Promotion and Graduation Guidelines for details.

General Information & Resources for the MS, MSD, DScD, DSc, and PhD

Thesis, Project, or Comprehensive Examination

A research thesis, project, or comprehensive examination is required. The choice of this requirement rests with the major department or program. The thesis is to be based on a research project carried out by the candidate. A laboratory thesis is recommended and is required by certain departments. A field project or library thesis is accepted by certain programs. Please refer to your program of study for specific information.

Thesis and dissertation information/guidelines can be found on the Alumni Medical Library website: Dental Thesis/Dissertation Resources and Guidelines for MSD/DScD/DSc.

Course Materials – Copyright Guidelines and Best Practices

Information regarding copyright and best practices can be found on the Alumni Medical Library website Copyright, Intellectual Property & Patents.

Research Advisor

A candidate for the MS, MSD, DSc, DScD, or PhD degree is required to have a research advisor, a member of the faculty in the department of the major field. The research advisor is always the first reader of the MS or MSD thesis and DSc, DScD, or PhD dissertation. Under certain circumstances, a special faculty appointee may serve as first reader. When the first reader/research advisor has only a special faculty appointment in the school, then the second reader of the thesis/dissertation must be, as a minimum, a full-time faculty member of the major department or program. If an advisor is not assigned in advance of registration, the student should consult the Department Chair about assignment procedures.

Outline of Study

An outline of the research project, approved and signed by the major professor, shall be submitted for the approval of the student’s department or division no later than six weeks after initial registration. This program of study must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

General Information and Resources for the PhD

Qualifying Examination

Please refer to the SDM Bulletin for information about the qualifying examination.

PhD Candidacy

Applicants interested in the PhD program in Orofacial & Skeletal Biology must apply to the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS).

More information related to application and admission, program requirements, curriculum, graduation requirements, and administration can be found on the SDM Bulletin.

General Information and Resources for Students in Combined Programs

Certificate and Degree Award

Students in combined programs that offer a certificate and research degree may need to complete the requirements of each program before they are awarded their certificate and degree. Please refer to your program’s Bulletin webpage for additional information.

Transition to a Different Program or Employment within BU

Students in a research degree program, who wish to move on to another SDM program or to employment within the institution, must have written approval of the directors of each program, the research mentor, and the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. It is recommended that the student complete at least the laboratory phase of the research project before beginning a new program or employment. No degree or certificate will be awarded until the research project or thesis has been submitted, accepted, and approved and all academic requirements for the CAGS have been satisfied.