Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Six credits of core coursework are required, to be chosen from the BMEn 8000-Level Core Course list.

If additional core courses are completed, their credits may be counted toward other degree requirements, as indicated on the list of Courses by Number.

Three credits of BMEn 8601 and/or BMEn 8602 are required. Seminars are 1 credit per semester and may be repeated for credit.

Click here for the current seminar schedule.

Graduate seminars from other departments/programs may be substituted for ONE of these three credits, with prior approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Six credits of coursework with a primarily biological emphasis are required.

See the Biology Electives list for a selection of courses that have been approved for this requirement.

Biology elective credits must be at the 5000 level or higher unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Nine credits of technical electives are required. Six of these credits must include math-/stat-intensive coursework.

See the Technical Electives and Math-/Stat-Intensive lists for a selection of courses that have been approved for these requirements.

Technical elective credits must be at the 5000 level or higher unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Six additional credits in a field of science or engineering are required.

Some courses do not have sufficient technical/biology content to count toward those elective requirements - see the Free Electives list for courses that may only be counted toward the Free requirement.

Up to three credits of coursework relevant to science and technology (e.g., public policy, ethical/historical aspects, etc.) may be counted toward this requirement with prior approval from the Director of Graduate Studies.

Free elective credits must be at the 5000 level or higher unless approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Ph.D. electives (Biology, Technical, Free) must include a minimum 12 credits of minor or supporting program coursework. This coursework must be completed outside BME in engineering, mathematics, the physical sciences, and/or the biological sciences.

• If a MINOR is chosen, it will be included on the official transcript. A minor must be approved by the DGS of the program granting the minor. Students are advised to determine appropriate courses for fulfillment of minor requirements during their first semester of study.
• If a SUPPORTING PROGRAM is chosen, it must be composed of a coherent set of courses, possibly embracing several disciplines, and should include at least one 8000-level elective. A supporting program will not appear on the transcript.

In order to make timely progress toward the degree, full-time students are expected to complete all 30 course credits within four semesters of study (fall and spring only).

Students must be registered for at least 6 credits each fall and spring semester in order to maintain eligibility for graduate assistantships/fellowships. Graduate assistants or fellows with fewer than 6 credits of coursework to take in a given semester must register for additional credits of BMEn 8666 (Doctoral Pre-Thesis Credits).

Part-time students are expected to take three to six credits per semester (fall and spring) to make timely degree progress.

After the fourth semester of study, Ph.D. students should submit a Graduate Degree Plan to the advisor, DGS, and Graduate School for approval. The Graduate Degree Plan is the formal statement of the coursework being used to satisfy degree requirements.

Along with the Graduate Degree Plan, students must also submit the Ph.D. Course Planning Sheet for review by the DGS. The supplement is an internal form that shows which courses are being used toward the specific degree requirements set by the department (core courses, biology/technical electives, etc.).

At least one month prior to the Oral Preliminary Examination, students must assign their preliminary examination committee members online by going to the Graduate School's Forms for Doctoral Students and clicking on "Assign/Update Preliminary Oral Examining Committee."

Committee requirements are posted on the Graduate School website at http://www.grad.umn.edu/students/doctoralcommittee.

The WPE (also known as the dossier) is completed and submitted to the Graduate Program to assess the student’s ability to successfully complete a doctoral thesis.

Click here for detailed dossier information, requirements, and deadlines (pdf).

Upon passing the WPE, the student will immediately continue to the Oral Preliminary Examination (OPE).

The OPE begins with a short presentation on the research proposal in order to establish the student's ability to formulate, describe, and conduct an original research project. The purpose of the examination is to determine whether the student has mastered the material in the major and minor/supporting fields at the level the committee deems appropriate for advancement to doctoral candidacy. Thus, it is not restricted to a discussion of the research proposal, but will include questions related to coursework in the major and minor/supporting fields.

Full-time students must pass the OPE before the drop/add deadline of the fifth semester of study so that they can register for BMEn 8888 (Thesis Credits) during semesters five and six.

The Graduate School requires doctoral students to complete 24 thesis credits in order to earn the degree. After passing the OPE, full-time students must complete all 24 BMEn 8888 Thesis Credits within the next two semesters in order to make satisfactory progress.

Upon successful completion of all PhD coursework, preliminary exams, AND thesis credits, students are eligible to apply for Advanced Doctoral Status. Advanced Doctoral Status allows students to maintain their full-time student status by registering for just one credit of BMEn 8444 (FTE: Doctoral). This registration category is only intended for PhD students who have completed the required credits and preliminary exams but are still working full-time on the research or writing of the thesis.

Full-time students are expected to be eligible for Advanced Doctoral Status by the start of their seventh semester in the program.

The Application for Advanced Doctoral Status must be submitted to the BME office prior to each semester in which the student plans to register for BMEn 8444.

At least one semester prior to the Final Examination/Thesis Defense, students must assign their final examination committee members online by going to the Graduate School's Forms for Doctoral Students and clicking on "Assign/Update Final Oral Examining Committee."

Committee requirements are posted on the Graduate School website at http://www.grad.umn.edu/students/doctoralcommittee.

Upon completion of the thesis and with approval of the committee reviewers, the doctoral candidate must complete the thesis defense, or Final Oral Examination. The examination consists of a public seminar in which the candidate presents the thesis. A closed meeting between the candidate and the appointed examining committee immediately follows the thesis presentation. The candidate is then excused, and a vote is taken. The Final Oral Examination is limited to the thesis and relevant subject areas.

The advisor is responsible for ensuring the inclusion of appropriate modifications and required revisions, if any, in the final thesis. The Final Oral Examination Report will not be signed and submitted to the Graduate School until all revisions have been made.

The doctoral thesis must be submitted online. Click here for complete instructions from the Graduate School.

The thesis must be a well-written manuscript that is free from error and ready in its final version before submission to the Graduate School. Any revisions required after the final defense by the examination committee must be made and approved by the advisor (as confirmed by the advisor's signature on the signature page) prior to submission to the Graduate School. Changes cannot be made to the dissertation once accepted by the Graduate School.

Graduate degrees are awarded on the last working day of the month in which the candidate completes all requirements. Click here for a Graduation Checklist for PhD Students. The degree award will appear on the candidate's transcript approximately 3 weeks following the official conferral date. Diplomas are mailed within 4-6 weeks of the official conferral date.

The Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Graduate Commencement is held each spring. Students wishing to participate in the commencement ceremony must apply to do so by the posted deadlines. See http://gradcommencement.umn.edu/ for information, eligibility requirements, cap and gown information, and additional details.