Research Requirements

The doctoral program requires completion of three different research projects. All degree requirements must be completed within five years of beginning the doctoral program. Each project should demonstrate increasing independence, integration, and innovation by the student. The projects are described below:

Directed Research (4 credits)

The initial project is designed to facilitate learning of lab techniques and analytical methods, and provide familiarity with the fundamental literature in the specific research area that the student is pursuing. With the research mentor, a suitable project is planned that includes discussion of crucial experimental design issues as well as focused training in the specific methodologies of the chosen content area. The project must include data analysis and interpretation of statistical results with application to models and follow-up studies. This project is extensively mentored and must be completed before the qualifying project begins.

Qualifying Project (2 credits)

The student will complete a project and write a substantial paper that meets the standards for peer-reviewed work in speech, language, and hearing sciences. Project options can include a systematic review; research in a lab outside of the mentor’s, a meta-analysis or other significant undertaking approved by the committee.

The topic, scope, and appropriate target journal will be agreed upon by the student and research mentor in consultation with at least two other faculty members who agree to be part of the qualifying project committee. A minimum of two members of the qualifying project committee must be from within the SLHS Department.

Written Proposal for Funding (2 credits)

A grant proposal (NIH F31 or other mechanism relevant to SLHS) is an important doctoral program requirement that is strongly recommended to be completed as part of the doctoral seminar, SH 810. Submission of the proposal will be determined by the faculty mentor who serves as the primary scientific advisor on all aspects of the work. The funding proposal is designed to provide pilot data to the dissertation prospectus but may address a different goal at the mentor’s discretion.

Dissertation Research (8 credits)

All doctoral candidates must submit an acceptable doctoral dissertation in accordance with all Boston University and Sargent College departmental procedures. A maximum of 8 credit hours may be applied toward the dissertation. Completion of this requirement includes:

  • Formulation of an original and important research question
  • Construction of a careful experimental design
  • Collection and analysis of reliable and valid data
  • Preparation of a written document that is acceptable to the committee members. Either the traditional format or a series of journal articles with an introduction and a summary section may be used to fulfill the dissertation requirement.
  • Delivering a seminar and passing a final oral defense

The dissertation committee shall consist of the research mentor plus a minimum of three other members selected by the student in consultation with the mentor. The first and second members of the committee must be doctoral faculty from the Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, including the mentor. The third and fourth members should typically be doctoral-level faculty members who have an interest, and expertise, in the proposed problem area. At least one member of the committee must be from outside of Boston University. The dissertation committee is responsible for the direction of the experimental work and final decision regarding the acceptability of the candidate’s proposal, dissertation, and oral defense.

Selecting a Research Mentor

Note that if your proposed research topic is fairly broad, you can contact the faculty member whose interest seems closest. He/she may have suggestions about how you could modify your topic to fit his/her interest, recommendations for other researchers who would be better suited to you as a mentor, or agree that the topic is close enough to encourage a mutual collaboration.

There are a number of ways to identify a mentor, but the best approach is to use a combination of these:

  • Web of Science, Medline, and Google can help you to locate the scientists who are working in a topic area that interests you. Read some journal articles and form impressions of whether the research methodologies are things you would enjoy doing.
  • If you can attend a national conference such as the ASHA convention, Acoustical Society of America, Neuroscience, or the BU Child Language Conference, you’ll have good opportunities to meet potential research mentors and ask questions.
  • Use the faculty and/or department websites to evaluate the general philosophy of the program and the range of topics in which your potential mentor has expertise.
  • Your undergraduate advisor and faculty can answer questions as to who is working in a particular research area and may have a direct connection to potential mentors for you.
  • Use your personal network, too, if you have contacts through volunteer work, family, school advisors, etc.
  • Look for people who have funding from a federal agency such as NIH. Their grants may have specific funds for student research assistantships.