Oral Examination

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The oral examination will take place one week after submitting the final written copy of the research proposal. During the oral examination, the student will briefly summarize the pertinent background of the research proposal and outline the research plans - this should take approximately 30 minutes. The Prelim Committee will then ask questions designed to discover whether the student:

  • Understands the significance of the research proposal with respect to the current state of knowledge in the field;
  • Understands the theoretical and practical aspects of the methods and procedures contained in the proposal;
  • Can defend the rationale of the experimental design of the proposal.

Note that questions will not be limited to the written proposal, but are likely to cover all aspects of modern biology at a level appropriate to a second year graduate education. The oral portion of the examination will typically last 1.5 -2 hours.