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OSBP Handbook
Financial
Aid
The OSBP is committed to providing financial support
for its Ph.D. students. In the
first year, each student admitted to the Ph.D. program receives a
graduate appointment that carries a stipend and waiver
of tuition and fees. This financial
support is provided by the OSBP administration. After
the first year, students are financially
supported by their research advisor and the
nature of the appointment (either
a Research Associate or Teaching Associate) is the decision
of the advisor. Students may expect continued support from their
research advisor as long as they meet the following criteria:
- Fellows must carry a total of at least 15 graduate credits each
quarter, both before and after passing the Candidacy Examination.
- Graduate Research Associates and Graduate Teaching Associates
carry different course loads,
depending on whether or not they have taken the Candidacy Examination.
- BEFORE passing the exam: GRAs and GTAs must carry a minimum of nine
graduate credits each quarter except summer quarter, when the minimum
is seven.
- AFTER passing the exam: GRAs and GTAs must register for at least
twelve graduate
credit hours each quarter, including summer quarter.
- Students must remain in good academic standing by maintaining
a grade point average of at least 3.0.
- Students must be making satisfactory progress toward their degree,
as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee and/or their
research advisor. (See Appendix
A for guidelines regarding "satisfactory progress".)
- Students who do not meet the above criteria may no longer be
eligible for support, and their continued registration in the program
may be in jeopardy.
Academic
Standards
The Graduate School Handbook describes the academic
standards for all graduate students, regardless of which program they
attend. Students are expected
to follow the Graduate School standards as well as the OSBP guidelines.
Copies of the Graduate School Handbook can
be accessed by going to the OSU web page at www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu.
Advising
The Director of the program acts as the temporary advisor
for each of the new students until they have completed the lab rotations
and selected a permanent research advisor. Each student is required
to take the core courses in the
first year. Each student's undergraduate course work is reviewed
and individualized programs are arranged for any student with deficiencies. Also,
students who have completed the Master's Degree at an accredited U.S.
university may be eligible to receive transfer credit for some of
the core courses. While all students are expected to take the core courses,
the elective courses are chosen by the student to correspond to the
student’s area of interest and expertise.
Curriculum
To fulfill the Ph.D. course requirements, students take:
CORE COURSES - covering the areas of molecular biology, proteins,
enzymes, bioenergetics, and intermediary metabolism in the first
year. Students may not drop any
of the core courses unless permission of the Director is obtained.
12 elective credits (only 5 of
which may be for lab coursework) at the 700 level or above. These
must be graded courses. Students may choose from the list of approved
electives which is provided at orientation. Students wishing to
take courses that do not appear on the approved elective list must
petition the Graduate Studies Committee. Generally the committee
requires that the course is designated at the 700-level or above,
although in some cases 600-level courses may be approved if the
course content is judged to be appropriate for a Ph.D. student.
Electives should be completed by the end of the second year.
1 credit of Student Seminar and 1
credit of Program Faculty Colloquium each quarter enrolled,
except summer quarter when these courses are not offered.
1 credit of 1st Year Orientation Seminar -
This is a special mentoring seminar course given by the Director
of the program and is required for all first-year students. This
course is held in Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters only.
Selection of
the Research Advisor
Students are required to participate in a formal process
developed to expose them to the wide variety of research being carried
out by the OSBP faculty. In an
effort to match students' interests with those of faculty advisor,
the selection process involves the following activities:
-
Autumn Quarter: Students complete one 10 week rotation. Students also attend faculty presentations to assist
them in selecting rotations for Winter and Spring Quarters.
-
Winter Quarter: Students
are required to register for Biochemp 793 and complete a second 10-week rotation.
-
Spring Quarter: Students are required to register for Biochemp 793 and complete a third 10-week rotation.
Students submit a written form to the OSBP office to select a research advisor.
-
Summer
Quarter: Students begin working in the laboratory
of their new advisors.
NOTE: Students may not choose faculty members outside the OSBP program for rotations.
The three rotations must be completed with three different faculty members.
Student-Advisor
Separations
Student-Initiated Separation
If a student wishes to terminate the
relationship with his/her advisor they must request a meeting with
the Program Director, or, if this represents a conflict of interest,
another member of the Graduate Studies Committee. This meeting
will be held in confidence. If the student so desires, the Director
(or another member of the Graduate Studies Committee) will arbitrate
differences between the student and the advisor. If the student
does not wish to confront his/her advisor they will be allowed to
leave the advisor with no stated reason. However all research materials,
complete copies of notebooks and any supplies provided by the advisor
must remain with the advisor. The student must transfer to a new
advisor within the Program within the quarter of separation. The
Program bears no responsibility for financial support of the student
during the separation. If a student does not identify a new advisor
affiliated with the Program within the quarter of the separation,
the student must leave the Program.
Advisor-Initiated Separation
If an advisor wishes to terminate the relationship with a student, he/she must follow the rules of the Graduate School and the rules of the Ohio State Biochemistry Program.
Graduate School rules state that GRA’s or GTA’s may not be terminated prior to the end of their appointment period. The appointment period is determined by the hiring department, and may be quarterly or annually, as defined by the appointment letter. Students may only be terminated for reasons listed in Section 11.8.6.7 without written permission of the Graduate School. Terminations at the end of the appointment period do not require permission of the Graduate School.
The OSBP requires that the advisor must document the dissatisfaction in a written letter to the student, with a copy sent to the Program Director. If unsatisfactory progress in research is an issue, this must be documented by a “U” in the advisor’s 999 research course. A meeting of the student’s Advisory Committee should be held to allow the student the opportunity to present his/her progress. In the event that two “U’s” in 999 research are given, a special meeting of the Graduate Studies Committee will be conducted to determine whether the student should be asked to leave the Program or allowed to transfer to a new advisor.
Student
Advisory Committee
In the summer quarter, after the advisor assignments
are made, students consult
with their new advisors to select an Advisory Committee. The purpose
of the Advisory Committee is to assist in advising the student of
appropriate elective courses to take in order to complete the Ph.D.
program; to provide advice
on scholarly matters throughout the student's tenure at the university, and
to review the annual progress report prepared by the students. Students
should meet with their Advisory Committee once a year for this purpose. The
Student Advisory Committee also serves as the Candidacy Oral Examination
Committee, the Dissertation Reading Committee, and the
Final Oral Exam Committee.
The four-person committee consists of the student's
advisor and three other faculty members. One member of the committee may be
a non-OSBP faculty member. Students submit their choices to the Graduate
Studies Committee for review in
Autumn Quarter. After the review, the Graduate Studies Committee
provides final confirmation of the committee members to the student
and the advisor.
Qualifying
Policy
After completing the core courses, each student’s
record is evaluated by the Graduate Studies Committee. Students are
normally expected to complete the core courses by the end of Spring
Quarter of the first year. In order to remain in good standing and
to be eligible to take the Candidacy (General) Examination, students
must have a grade point average of 3.0 in the core courses as well
as a 3.0 cumulative average, i.e., the student cannot be on academic
probation. Students who have not completed the core courses, or students who do not have a 3.0 grade point average will not be allowed to take the Candidacy Examination.
Candidacy Examination
(formerly called the General
Examination)
In the Summer Quarter of the second year (8th quarter), students in
good academic standing who have completed their core and elective
courses are eligible to begin the Candidacy Examination. There are
two portions of the exam: written and oral. The evaluation of the
examination is made on the combined written and oral portions.
The written portion of the examination will be an
actual predoctoral application, which may later be
submitted for funding.
Written Portion:
In the Summer of the second year (8th quarter) graduate students
will begin the written portion of the Candidacy Exam. The written
portion should be completed by the end of the Summer Quarter, which
for the purposes of this exam will be July, August, and September.
The written portion of the exam will be an NIH predoctoral application,
focusing on the dissertation problem*. The proposal should include
three Specific Aims, and at least one of these aims must be a novel
and creative aim developed by the student that is not assigned by
the advisor or present in the advisor grants (i.e. independent of
the advisor). The page listing all three specific aims, in particular
the aim developed by the student, should be mailed to the exam committee
for their approval. Once the committee approves the specific aims,
the student may begin writing the proposal. The final written proposal
will also be submitted to the committee, and it will be evaluated
within 2 weeks of submission. The Advisory Committee will examine
the proposal, as well as the Advisor’s current and pending grant proposals
to assure that the proposal is in the student’s own words and that
at least one aim is original and creative. The committee may choose
one of these options when evaluating the final written proposal:
- Triage, or major rewrite
- Revise, changes within the document but not a major rewrite
- Approve as submitted
Once the committee approves the final version of the written proposal,
the student may schedule the Oral Examination.
* While the intent of the Graduate Studies Committee is to encourage
students to subsequently submit these predoctoral applications,
we understand that some agencies do not allow international students
to apply.
Oral Portion:
The student and his/her advisor schedule the oral portion of
the Candidacy Examination by completing the appropriate paperwork
through the Graduate School. At the oral examination the student
presents the research proposal and is questioned by the Oral Examination
Committee, which will include an outside representative appointed
by the Graduate School. General questions on biochemistry can be
included in the oral examination. Students have until the end
of December (9th quarter) to complete the Oral Examination.
Committee Membership for the
Candidacy Exam - Advisor
and members of the Student Advisory Committee
The committee for the exam will chaired by the advisor but
the advisor is cautioned not to aid
the student either by answering questions or giving hints.
Dissertation Research
Once both portions of the General Examination are completed successfully,
students continue working on their original research project,
which will be the basis of the dissertation. The work must be
deemed by the Dissertation Committee to be a scholarly contribution
to knowledge in biochemistry. The preceptor and the Student Advisory
Committee act as the Dissertation Committee.
Publication Requirement
- Students of OSBP must have 1 or more publications before applying
for graduation with
a Ph. D. At least one of the student’s publications must list the
student as first author. By “publication” we mean the paper must
be published, in press, or accepted. Submitted manuscripts and manuscripts
“in preparation” and theses or abstracts may not be counted.
- Students may not apply to defend their Doctoral Dissertation and
the Director of the Program may not sign the application to graduate
unless the Requirement for Publication is met. It is the Faculty
Mentor’s responsibility to assure that this policy is followed.
- Adherence to this policy shall be added to the Contract signed
by OSBP Faculty.
- This policy shall apply to Graduate Students in the entering Class
of 2001 and all subsequent classes.
Timeline
of Events
Year 1: Autumn
- Summer
Complete core courses and
attend seminars.
Complete laboratory rotations in Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters.
Choose faculty research advisor and begin working the lab in Summer
Qtr.
Year 2: Autumn
- Summer
Select Student Advisory Committee members.
Complete elective courses and attend seminars.
Give one presentation in Student Seminar.
Complete written section of General Examination by the end of Summer
Quarter.
Submit annual report.
Year 3:
Autumn - Summer
Complete oral section of General Exam by the end of Autumn Quarter.
Enroll in seminars.
Give one presentation in Student Seminar.
Continue research.
Submit annual report.
Year 4 and
subsequent years
Enroll in seminars. Give one presentation in Student Seminar
Continue research.
Submit annual report.
Dissertation
Year
Enroll in seminars.
Give one presentation in Student Seminar.
Submit annual report.
Complete one first-authored publication before requesting permission
to graduate.
For your
dissertation:
Obtain approvals of the written portion of your dissertation
from your committee members.
Make changes as requested by your committee members and/or advisor.
Schedule your dissertation defense with the Graduate School.
Obtain necessary paperwork from the Graduate School.
Updated:
10-Sep-2007
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