Graduate Qualifying Exams

The Qualifying Examinations are comprised of two parts, oral and written, and are comprehensive in nature. The Biology Department does not conduct one qualifying examination for all graduate students. The student's own Guidance Committee is in the best position to determine the specific content of these examinations. Accordingly, Graduate Qualifying Examinations will be administered by the Guidance Committee members with the major advisor serving as the coordinator. The examination should stress the student's ability to integrate and analyze information. Otherwise, the members of the Guidance Committee shall decide the exact format and content of each examination. The examination will be scheduled at the convenience of the student and his/her Committee. This examination should be taken in the first two years in residence for the Ph.D. If a student fails any part of the examination, he/she must take that part of the examination again. A student who fails his/her Qualifying Examination twice will be dropped from the program.