Degrees

Graduate Advisors

Academic advisors are faculty whose role is to advise students about all aspects of their graduate education. This includes selection of labs for rotations, selection of a major professor, selection of courses, preparation for the qualifying exam and annual reviews of progress. The academic advisor is the person to whom a student turns should there be a problem with their PI.

Students meet with advisors upon entering BMCDB, quarterly for advice during the first year, and at least once a year to review progress and complete progress reports to Graduate Studies.

Transfer Students

All students admitted to the BMCDB Graduate Program from other institutions are required to take a Qualifying Examination. While course waivers of required courses may be granted by academic advisors, all transfer students must demonstrate proficiency in general subject matter equivalent to BMCDB students already enrolled at UC Davis.

Choice of a Major Professor

Selection of the major professor (PI) is normally accomplished by end of winter quarter of the first year. Satisfactory progress in the BMCDB program is dependent upon assignment of a dissertation advisor by the end of spring quarter in the first year. 

The Qualifying Exam (QE)

BMCDB students must pass an oral qualifying examination before advancing to candidacy for the Ph.D. To be eligible for the exam, the student must have completed all BMCDB course requirements, must have removed any deficiencies on the transcript, and must have at least a B average in all work undertaken while in graduate standing. The student must be registered during the quarter in which the qualifying exam is taken.

Committee Selection

Qualifying examination committees will consist of five Academic Senate tenure-track faculty, three (including the Chair) selected by the student and two selected by the Student Affairs Committee that the student is allowed to veto. If the student is enrolled in a Designated Emphasis (DE), one committee member must be affiliated with that DE. A maximum of one non-member of BMCDB is allowed. Direct collaborators with the student's PI are not allowed to serve (e.g., if the student's work is being funded by a grant on which the prospective committee member is a PI, it's now allowed), nor are partners or romantic spouses of the student's PI. 

If a faculty member is on sabbatical, they are under no obligation to serve on QE committees, but can elect to do so. 

Scheduling the examination

All Ph.D. students are expected to take their QE in spring quarter of their second year, unless a prior waiver is approved by the BMCDB Student Affairs Committee. Summer QEs are permitted, but generally not advised due to lack of faculty availability. 

Students are not required to have existing data to present the QE; therefore, the exam cannot be delayed due to insufficient data. 

Examination format

The qualifying examination will consist of a dissertation research proposal that covers general background and an examination in the core subject area(s) identified by the core course instructors recommendations to the Student Affairs Committee. Students will be expected to submit a written dissertation proposal to their committee at least one week prior to the oral examination (see below). 

The qualifying examination begins with a ten-minute uninterrupted talk by the student, which will be administered on a chalk/white board only. Chairs are allowed at their discretion to decide whether the student can pre-prepare the board with figures. The rest of the exam consists of a question-and-answer, with the committee probing the student's methods, rationales, and plans for next steps. The exam should last no longer than 3 hours.

Results

There are three possible outcomes of the examinations - pass, retake, and fail. 

Students who pass are allowed to proceed with the candidacy application, described below. 

Students who fail are automatically recommended for disqualification; if desired, students who fail can attempt to proceed with a MS degree, but there is no possibility of continuing the Ph.D. 

Students who are required to retake all or part of the examination will receive a letter from their QE committee within 72 hours, detailing with specific deadlines what needs to be completed. Some students are asked to retake the oral exam; others are essentially being asked to "revise and resubmit" their proposals on the basis of concerns raised during the exam.  If requested, the second examination is to be scheduled at the earliest possible date and will be administered by the same committee. Students can only retake the QE once; those who take it a second time can only pass or fail. 

Advancing to Candidacy

This is generally completed as soon as possible upon passing the qualifying exam. The application process is completed as a smart-form in GradSphere. Students will be asked to pay a fee of $90 and provide the receipt. 

Dissertation Committee

Part of the application process entails listing the members of a student's dissertation committee (three members minimum). The student's PI is the Chair of the committee; the other two or three generally, but not always, served on the student's QE committee. As with the QE committee, one non-member of BMCDB is allowed, and students in a DE must have one member of that DE on the committee. Students are also allowed to list Academic Senate, tenure-track faculty from other UCs with no need to complete additional petitions. 

Under certain circumstances, it is possible to suggest a committee member from outside the University of California who has special expertise and qualifications. The Graduate Advisor must submit a brief statement indicating the appointee's affiliation and title, degrees held, and describing the special expertise that cannot be duplicated on the campus. A curriculum vitae and letter from the nominated person indicating willingness to serve must also be submitted.

Annual meetings of the student and dissertation committee are required in the student's third and fourth year, and every six months in the student's fifth year and beyond. A written report must be filed with the BMCDB Coordinator after each meeting; it includes the appended form and a 2-3 page progress report.

Annual Progress Reports

Graduate advisors must file an annual report with Graduate Studies on each graduate student's progress towards a degree. A report indicating that a student's progress is satisfactory informs the student of the remaining steps necessary to attain the degree. A BMCDB checklist of progress towards the Ph.D. is filled out in parallel. BMCDB requires that the student be making satisfactory progress toward the degree for continuation of financial support.

If a student's progress is unsatisfactory, Graduate Studies places the student on academic probation. The BMCDB Student Affairs Committee reviews a situation in which a student is not making satisfactory progress and decides upon a course of action. The Dean of Graduate Studies and the BMCDB Student Affairs Committee send the student a notice delineating the work that must be completed to obtain a satisfactory evaluation and a time limit in which to complete the work. If the student fails to meet these requirements, the student is subject to disqualification.

Dissertation

The research conducted by the student must be of such character as to show ability to pursue independent research. The dissertation reports a scholarly piece of work of publishable quality that solves a significant scientific problem. It must be approved and signed by the dissertation committee before it is submitted to Graduate Studies for final approval of formatting.

The dissertation must be submitted to each member of the dissertation committee at least one month before the student expects it to be signed. Keeping the committee informed of progress as research proceeds helps committee members to read it in a timely fashion.

Exit Seminar

Each student must present a seminar on the dissertation research before the dissertation is signed and filed with Graduate Studies. The seminar is arranged through the major professor and advertised by the BMCDB Graduate Group Office.

Time to Obtain a Ph.D.

A minimum of three years is required for the Ph.D. but BMCDB students average six years to complete all degree requirements and the doctoral thesis.