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Joint Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
EXAMINATIONS
M.S. DEGREE
The M.S. requires a Comprehensive Examination to be conducted by the student's advisory committee. The Comprehensive Examination is to be taken after all course work is completed and is intended to assess the student's ability to integrate coursework with practical problems in Biomedical Engineering. The M.S. Comprehensive Exam may be written or oral, the format chosen by agreement among committee members and the student. If an oral exam is chosen, it may be conducted at the same time as the presentation of the thesis. If a written exam is chosen, it should be completed before the presentation of the thesis.
PH.D. DEGREE
Three examinations are required for the Ph.D. The student's advisory committee administers these examinations. Refer to the Ph.D. Milestones and Examination Requirements for a detailed description of exams, procedures, and other requirements for the Ph.D.
The first exam is the Doctoral Written Preliminary Examination. It is typically taken during the third year of study. The committee is free to ask any question on the written examination. The purpose of the exam is to verify that the student is well grounded in the fundamental principles and research readings necessary to undertake research in his/her topic, and that the student has the ability to integrate coursework in mulitple topic areas to address problems in Biomedical Engineering.
The Doctoral Oral Preliminary Examination is taken soon after the Doctoral Written Preliminary Examination. The primary purpose of this examination is to determine if the student is prepared to do original research in his/her topic of choice. A Research Proposal detailing the work to be performed for the dissertation must be submitted and approved by the advisory committee prior to the Oral Preliminary Exam. Upon successful completion of this examination, the Graduate School admits the student to candidacy for the doctoral degree.
The last examination is the Final Oral Examination. This is the dissertation defense and is administered by the student's Advisory Committee. This examination will be open to any member of the Graduate Faculty and will be announced beforehand to the BME Faculty on both campuses by the Chair of the student's Advisory Committee. Students must conform to the Graduate School regulations regarding the dissertation and application for a degree, as described in the Graduate School Handbook at UNC-CH or NC State.