Student and Fellows
The School of Graduate Studies offers doctoral and master’s level degrees. The requirements for program completion vary according to the degree. In addition to satisfactory performance in courses, candidates for degrees awarded by the School of Graduate Studies must successfully achieve the following requirements:
PhD. in Biomedical Sciences
Required demonstrations of competency to earn the degree:
- Pass qualifying exam in major emphasis division
- Complete, and orally defend a dissertation
- First author of a published (or accepted for publication)
article in a peer reviewed journal
- Fulfill additional requirements of the major emphasis division
Masters of Health Sciences
Required demonstrations of competency to earn the degree:
- Completion of academic course requirements – 30 credit hours
Master of Science in Clinical Investigation
Required demonstrations of competency to earn the degree:
- Develop and conduct original mentored research
- Participate in an ongoing clinical research
Master of Physician Assistant Sciences
Required demonstrations of competency to earn the degree:
- Completion of didactical course requirements – 68 credit hours
- Completion of clinical course requirements – 36 credit hours
Further Information
Retention/On-Time Graduation: The program length for graduate degrees varies.
Ph.D.: Students in the doctoral degree programs who complete all requirements in seven years or less are considered as graduating on-time. However, the program allows students up to nine years to complete all requirements. Of the 2007 cohort of 10 students, 90% graduated in seven years or less:
MHS: The Masters of Health Sciences is designed to be completed in one year. The majority of students who enroll in the MHS program graduate on time. Of the 2013 cohort of 44 students, 98% graduated on time.
MSCI: The MSCI program is designed for professionals who already hold the MD, DDS, or PHD. Completion of requirements for the Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation degree may take three to five years. Enrollment in this program is small and on-time graduation varies from year to year.
PA: The Master of Physician Assistant Sciences program intends to publish and make general program information readily available to enrolled and prospective students, including the most current annual NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary each year. As the planned inaugural cohort will not be eligible for PANCE until late 2025, no data is currently available.
Job Placements: Students who earn degrees from the School of Graduate Studies and Research pursue graduate education, post-doctoral study, or employment following graduation. The record of placements for MSPH and PHD graduates from 2011 to 2014 is as follows.
M.S.P.H. Job Placements 2011 – 2014
| Year | # of Graduates: | Placements*: | % of Graduates: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 21 | 14 | 67% |
| 2012 | 20 | 19 | 95% |
| 2013 | 20 | 17 | 85% |
| 2014 | 22 | 16 | 76% |
Ph.D. Job Placements 2011 – 2014
| Year | # of Graduates: | Placements*: | % of Graduates: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 10 | 9 | 90% |
| 2012 | 9 | 7 | 78% |
| 2013 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 2014 | 10 | 8 | 80% |
* Placements include pursuit of another degree, post-doctoral programs, residency, and employment.