The Qualifying Examination and Candidacy at a Glance
In spring of year two, PhD students in BMCDB take the qualifying exam, which consists of a written dissertation proposal and an oral exam. This is followed, ideally as soon as possible, by advancing to candidacy, in which a student codifies the members of their dissertation committee and verifies that they have completed all degree requirements.
Additionally, students who have passed the qualifying exam are eligible to receive a Master's degree "on paper," as part of their doctoral studies. Extra paperwork is required.
Find more information about advancing to candidacy here.
Jump to information about filing paperwork for the MS here.
What is the Qualifying Examination?
The primary purpose of the Qualifying Examination (QE) is to validate that the student is academically qualified to conceptualize a research topic, undertake scholarly research, and successfully produce the dissertation required for a doctoral degree. The QE must evaluate the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in the field and must not focus exclusively on the proposed dissertation research.
Full information about BMCDB QE requirements can be found in the 2023 BMCDB degree requirements, the Graduate Studies website, and Graduate Council QE Policy.
Read a step-by-step guide to the QE, written by BMCDB's Student Affairs and Advising Chair, here.
See a typical QE timeline for BMCDB students here.
QE Committee Selection
QE committees consist of five faculty members, at least four of whom are members of the BMCDB Graduate Group. Three members of the QE committee, including the Chair, are chosen by the student; faculty must agree to serve. The Student Affairs and Advising Committee selects another two members, whom the student is allowed to veto.
QE Scheduling and Application
As soon as the QE committee has been assigned, the student should work with the committee to schedule the exam. The student should also work with the QE chair to determine which, if any, emergency QE plans will be utilized (see Graduate Council QE policy for full information on emergency plans:
- Remote exam - exam is held entirely remotely (no hybrid participation)
- Backup Date/Time - at the time of scheduling the original exam, a second "backup" exam time is scheduled
- Alternate Member - a pre-determined alternate member replaces a member who cannot attend due to an emergency (chair cannot be replaced by alternate member)
Once the exam has been scheduled, the student should complete the QE Application in GradSphere. This application must be submitted at least 30 days before the scheduled exam. If students would like an "MS Along the Way", they should submit that paperwork at the same time as their QE Application.
Students are responsible for scheduling a room for the Qualifying Exam. The major professor and/or QE chair may be able to suggest a room. There are also rooms available in Green Hall, Walker Hall, Tupper Hall, and Genome Center.
Before the Exam
At least two weeks prior to your exam, students should contact their committee with the following:
- Reconfirming the date, time, and location of the exam
- A copy of their unofficial transcript (obtained here)
- Their research proposal (maximum of 5 pages)
Students should do their best to reduce stress leading up to the exam and preparing for common situations, like responding to questions they do not immediately know the answer to. Graduate Studies has many helpful tips to help students prepare for their exam day.
During and After the Exam
At the start of the exam, the student will be asked to leave the room while the Chair discusses the exam proceedings with the committee and organizes the order of the exam questions such that each committee member gets approximately 15-20 minutes of individual questions.
At the end of the exam, the student will be asked to leave the room while the committee members deliberate and make a decision. The chair will present the decision to the student and complete necessary paperwork.
There are three possible outcomes to the exam:
- Pass - The committee unanimously decides the student passed the exam. The student may submit an Advancement to Candidacy application in GradSphere.
- Retake - The committee unanimously decides some or all parts of the exam must be retaken. A memo with specific details of retake requirements and timeline for completion of the retake will be provided to the student.
- Retakes are not uncommon, so students should not fear this outcome! The committee will work closely with the student to help them understand what areas of improvement are needed for the second exam.
- Fail - This outcome is incredibly uncommon in BMCDB. The committee unanimously determines the student failed the exam due to significant deficiencies, and the student is not currently prepared to continue in the doctoral program. A unanimous fail on either the first or second exam is a recommendation of the student’s disqualification from the degree objective.
BMCDB QE Timelines
- Start of year two: Q&A with the Advising Chair and Graduate Program Coordinator.
- Fall quarter: This is when students should be approaching faculty to serve on the committee. The QE contract, which all three of a student's chosen committee members are required to sign, is due to the Graduate Program Coordinator by the last day of fall quarter.
- Winter quarter: Once the Student Affairs and Advising Committee has selected the fourth and fifth QE committee members, students will receive an email asking them to approve or veto those members. Once the committee is approved, all five members are notified and scheduling can begin.
- Spring quarter: This is when most students take the QE. It is a common practice for senior students to help QE-takers by scheduling practice exams. The written proposal is due to the committee two weeks prior to the oral exam.
- Summer: It is uncommon, but acceptable, to take the QE in summer. Faculty availability is generally limited.
- Fall quarter of year three: The end of fall is the latest point at which a student can take the QE. Students who have not yet QE'd by the start of fall are required to meet with their major professor (PI) and academic advisor.
Advancing to Candidacy
Dissertation Committee Selection
Dissertation committees consist of at least three faculty members; four are permissible, but generally not encouraged due to increased difficulty of scheduling.
The major professor (PI) is always the chair of the committee; co-chairs are fine. One non-member of BMCDB is allowed; students who are enrolled in a Designated Emphasis (DE) need to have at least one committee member affiliated with that DE.
A by-students, for-students guide to understanding dissertation committees can be found here.
Checking Your Degree Completion
BMCDB's degree requirements are, put most succinctly: First-year core coursework, six units of electives graded A-F, two years of attendance at a seminar, the scientific ethics course (either RCR online or GGG 296), and one quarter of TAing (T32 recipients are exempt).
Click here to access a degree checklist written by the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Submitting the Actual Form
The candidacy application is done as a smart-form in GradSphere. It's a comparatively simple process - inputting an individual's email address should prompt the rest of their information to auto-fill in the form.
The Graduate Program Coordinator is automatically notified when you begin the candidacy application. The major professor (PI), academic advisor, DE chair (if applicable), and Graduate Program Coordinator are required to sign off on the form before it is sent to Graduate Studies for final approval.
Getting a Master's
Students may decide to obtain an MS Plan II along the way to their PhD. In this situation, a passed QE is used to satisfy the Plan II Comprehensive Exam requirement.
If students would like to pursue this option, these are the following steps:
- Submit the petition to add the MS to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Click here for a template with all the BMCDB-specific details completed.
- This form should be signed (twice!) by Enoch Baldwin, regardless of who your academic advisor is.
- You should receive an automated confirmation from Grad Studies when the MS has been added to your degree.
- Post-QE students: Submit the MS Plan II Candidacy Application in GradSphere. Students who have not yet taken the QE should submit this form at the start of the quarter when they will be taking the exam.
- The date of the "comprehensive exam" is the date you took the QE.
- Ask the Graduate Program Coordinator to submit the Master's II Report in GradSphere.
- Once the report is approved, you will receive a copy. You can then submit the MS Plan II Filing Process in GradSphere. This is the final step in the process.