Progress to Degree
By the end of the third year students should have completed their elective courses (12 units), TA requirement, formed their full Doctoral Committee, and met with their full committee for their Spring Evaluation or Advancement to Candidacy.
DOCTORAL COMMITTEE
Prior to advancing to candidacy, students must assemble their full Doctoral Committee, during their third or fourth year. Students meet yearly with this committee to evaluate their progress to date, recommend the modifications to the dissertation’s scope or methodology, timetable for completion, and recommendation for support in the following year. The Doctoral Committee should comprise a minimum of four members, of which at least three must be members of the Group in Neurosciences. See Academic Advising & Committees for more information.
Timeline
Normal progress toward the degree means that each student is expected to move through a series of milestones necessary to obtain the PhD at a reasonable pace and at the proper level of performance.
Under normal circumstances, students in the Neurosciences Program should be able to earn the PhD in less than 6 years.
Requirements
Pre-Thesis & Thesis Committees
Pre-Thesis Committee
Before the end of their second-year, students are required to assemble a Pre-Thesis Committee. This committee provides scientific input on the dissertation project and evaluates students at the end of each year after the first (i.e. once they have joined a laboratory) and until they advance to candidacy. This evaluation is primarily related to the students’ research rather than to their course work. The committee consists of the Thesis Advisor and two other members of the Graduate Program faculty group (one of the members may be from outside the program by approval of the Program Director). Typically, the Pre-Thesis Committee would become the nucleus of the Doctoral Committee. The full four member Doctoral Committee must be formed by winter quarter of the third year.
All students are required to meet with their Pre-Thesis or full Doctoral Committee, once formed, every spring. This meeting serves as the annual Spring Evaluation. This evaluation is primarily related to the students’ research rather than their course work. The meeting should contain an oral presentation by the student, outlining progress made and plans for the future. Students must submit a 1-2 page written thesis proposal to their committee prior to the first pre-thesis spring evaluation meeting.
Thesis Committee
Prior to advancing to candidacy, students must assemble their full Doctoral Committee, during their third or fourth year. Students meet yearly with this committee to evaluate their progress to date, recommend the modifications to the dissertation’s scope or methodology, timetable for completion, and recommendation for support in the following year. The Doctoral Committee conducts the qualifying examination, conducts the students annual Spring Evaluation, supervises the preparation and passes upon the dissertation, and administers the final examination.
The Doctoral Committee should comprise a minimum of four members. Names of the proposed committee members must be submitted to the Graduate Program Administrator at least one month prior to the anticipated advancement exam date. After review, the Administrator will send the nomination form to the GEPA for review and approval. Students should not schedule their advancement until they have received final approval for the appointment of their doctoral committee by GEPA.
Effective Fall 2021, the Doctoral Committee should comprise of a minimum of four members. Names of the proposed committee members must be submitted to the Graduate Program Administrator at least one month prior to the anticipated advancement exam date. After review, the Administrator will
send the nomination form to GEPA for review and approval. Students should not schedule their advancement until they have received final approval for the appointment of their doctoral committee by GEPA.
More information on Pre-Thesis and Thesis Committees can be found in the NGP Handbook.
Advancement to Candidacy
To Advance to Candidacy students must assemble their full Doctoral Thesis Committee and meet with them for the Qualifying Exam. The Qualifying Exam is required by the Graduate Council of the Academic Senate to evaluate the quality of the dissertation work completed to date as well as the proposed additional experiments. The emphasis of the exam is on the conceptual rationale of the dissertation proposal. In addition, it is the charge of the Doctoral Committee to estimate the time required to complete the project. Passing the qualifying exam advances the student to candidacy, effectively changing their status from Doctoral student to Doctoral candidate.
The Neurosciences Graduate Program encourages all students to Advance to Candidacy by the end of their third year. MSTP students are required to advance by the end of spring quarter their third year. Non-MSTP Neuroscience students are required to advance by the end of spring quarter of their fourth year.
More information on advancing can be found in the NGP Handbook.
Defense of Dissertation
The Dissertation Defense consists of a public presentation of the dissertation work, followed by public discussion. As well as an oral defense, in closed session, with the student’s Doctoral Committee. Neurosciences Doctoral students are required to defend by the end of their sixth year.
More information on the Dissertation Defense can be found in the Student Handbook.
Time Limits
Each Ph.D. program at UCSD has three time limits: 1) Pre-Candidacy, 2) Support, and 3) Total Registered. These are assigned at the end of a Ph.D. student's first year.
Pre-Candidacy Time Limit
Neurosciences Graduate Students are encouraged to advance to candidacy by the end of their third year. MSTP students are required to advance by the end of spring quarter of their third year. Non-MSTP Neuroscience students are required to advance by the end of spring quarter of their fourth year. The University will not allow students to register for the fall quarter following the advancement deadline or receive any financial support unless they have successfully advanced to candidacy.
Support Limit
This is the maximum time during which a doctoral student is eligible for support. Students must complete all requirements by the end of their sixth year. MSTP students must complete all requirements and defend within 6 years. Their total registered time limit is also 6 years. At the end of the sixth year, the student is no longer allowed to register at the University. Non-MSTP students may continue as a student for an additional seventh year, but will not be eligible for financial support during that year. This includes all stipend, fees/tuition payments, fellowships, scholarships, and employment administered by the University and its affiliated institutions (i.e. the Salk Institute, the Sanford-Burnham Institute, and the Scripps Research Institute), but does not affect financial aid loans. Since students cannot receive any support, they will be required to pay their own tuition/fees to be eligible for student health insurance and student housing.