Degree Expectations/Timeline
Laboratory Rotations
Laboratory rotations allow students the opportunity to explore important questions asked in different fields and the many approaches that are used to address these questions. Rotations also allow students to get a feel for the research happening in a lab, a sense of the lab community, and help to determine if the environment would be suitable for their dissertation research.
BBS requires that all students undertake 2 laboratory rotations before selecting a Dissertation Advisor. Three lab rotations are strongly recommended and are typical for most students. The average rotation is about 10 weeks; however, depending upon the nature of the rotation, they may be as short as 6 weeks or as long as 12 weeks. Students register for laboratory rotations by listing BBS 333r on their study card and the laboratory head assigns a grade of satisfactory or unsatisfactory upon completion of the rotation. Rotations during the semester are usually not full time and must be managed along with course work. Rotations are full time in the summer and during the month of January when there are no classes.
Before a laboratory rotation is undertaken, the student, in consultation with the laboratory head, must reach an agreement on the proposed project and complete a rotation registration form. The program advisor must also approve the rotation and sign the rotation registration form. The completed form is filed with the BBS program office before the start of the rotation. It is expected that the laboratory head and student will meet for an “exit interview” at the conclusion of the rotation. The program also recommends students schedule a mid-stream evaluation with the laboratory head. The laboratory head must, within 4 weeks of the conclusion of the rotation, complete a rotation evaluation form, assign a grade of SAT or UNSAT and return the form to the BBS program office. The grade will be requested ahead of the summary if the rotation has not been concluded when grades are due.
To facilitate the choice of laboratory rotations, a list of students who have recently rotated within program laboratories will be available in the BBS program office. Entering students are encouraged to attend the BBS rotation club where current students share rotation experiences with their peers. Students should feel free to contact others who have experience in a particular laboratory to help guide them when selecting rotations. Program advisors are also a great resource for rotation advice.
Student may rotate in non-BBS labs and should check the HILS website to assure the person is affiliated with a graduate program.
Teaching/Community Education (TA)
Gaining some experience with teaching is required in the BBS program. Each student must fulfill one semester (60 hours, including preparation time) as a non-paid teaching assistant. When possible, the student should be a teaching assistant (TA) in a BBS or other HMS graduate course.
BBS has also established a Community Education Initiative, which provides teaching opportunities for BBS students in secondary school and after-school programs in the Boston area. Many students volunteer in the community schools and can apply to fulfill their teaching requirement (60 hours, including preparation time) in this way.
Students should inform the program office as they make plans to fulfill their teaching requirement. Time-T (catalog # 8811) should be entered on the study card for the semester in which they will teach. If a student is TAing for a HMS course, the course director signs for Time-T on the study card. If a student is fulfilling the TA requirement through the Community Education Initiative, then Fred Winston signs for Time-T.
Community Education Opportunities
Preliminary Qualifying Examination (PQE)
All BBS Students are required to take a qualifying examination in their second year. The primary goal of the Preliminary Qualifying Examination (PQE) is to ensure that you have achieved a high standard of scientific scholarship and skills that are critical for successful completion of your Ph.D. thesis and beyond. In addition to assessing your foundation in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry, the PQE will test your ability to:
- Develop a set of original, testable hypotheses
- Prepare a compelling research plan to test these hypotheses
- Orally explain and defend these hypotheses and your research plan
- Critically analyze and interpret data
PQE Guidelines
Dissertation Advisory Committee Meetings (DAC)
After passing the Preliminary Qualifying Examination a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC) of at least three members (not including the Dissertation Advisor) must be appointed and a meeting scheduled within 3 months of the completion of the PQE.
The role of the DAC is to assist the student in defining the dissertation project, review scientific progress, offer critical evaluation, suggesting extension or modification of objectives, arbitrate differences of opinion between the student and the advisor if and when they arise, and decide when the work accomplished constitutes a dissertation. Our hope is that the committee will help students in the early stages to get their research off to a good start, and that they will be a resource for students at any point during their graduate career.
The Chair of the committee MUST be from the BBS Program and MUST have prior experience as a DAC committee member. The student’s Dissertation Advisor cannot serve as a formal committee member or committee chair – although the Dissertation Advisor is expected to attend all meetings. Faculty on the DAC committee may be from the DMS Program, other Harvard departments, or other Boston area universities. If a student chooses to have a committee member from outside the BBS program, it should be only one member of the committee. A faculty member that is currently collaborating with your thesis lab can NOT be a member of DAC committee. We suggest that the student choose committee members who are generally accessible and whom s/he would feel comfortable consulting informally. Students should consult with their Dissertation Advisor about possible DAC members very soon after choosing a dissertation lab.
Paracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are considered part of the informal training of all students in the Program and student participation is strongly encouraged.
For first and second year students to become acquainted with faculty there is a weekly BBS Dinner Seminar Series. New BBS faculty members are invited to give a seminar, in an informal setting, with dinner provided for students and the speaker.
Also for first year students, there is a weekly BBS Rotation Club, where lunch is provided. Two to three students will give a 15 - 20 minute presentation on their lab rotations, sharing the techniques they have learned, the data they have acquired and the scope of the project. Rotation Club is held from September through December.
All current BBS students are invited to attend the BBS Student Retreat. The schedule for the weekend will be planned by students and will include student talks, a poster session, a guest speaker, topical discussion groups, and social gatherings.
At the beginning of each academic year, there will be a series of Poster Sessions. All faculty and students are invited to participate. The poster sessions are an excellent way for new students to meet BBS faculty and students and for faculty and current students to learn what is going on in the program. Many students learn about possible rotations through these sessions.
All students are welcome to participate in the Harvard Biomedical Graduate Student Organization (BGSO) sponsored events and activities. Some of the events are the following: The Mountain Club plans outings such as ski trips, hiking and bike rides throughout the year. Some other BGSO activities include the Graduate Student Council and Graduate Student Course Evaluation Committee.
Dissertation Preparation and Defense
The Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC), in consultation with the Dissertation Advisor, determines when it is time for a student to stop laboratory work and begin to write his or her dissertation.
It is at this point that the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) comes in, as the responsible party for managing the dissertation defense process. Once a student has been given permission to write, he or she must contact the DMS office at 617-432-0605 or dmsphddefense@hms.harvard.edu, to schedule an appointment for a “Packet Meeting.” At this meeting, the student receives the dissertation information packet, which contains all necessary forms and information to complete the defense process. Requirements and deadlines are discussed, as well as questions the candidates may have.
One definitive handout, GSAS’ “The Form of the PhD Dissertation,” describes the requirements of the University for writing and formatting the dissertation. It is part of the dissertation information packet, and highlights are discussed at the Packet Meeting. Please take note: Failure to comply with the formatting guidelines in this handout has resulted in rejection of the final dissertation at the FAS Registrar!
To form the Dissertation Examination Committee, DMS requires three readers and a chair, all of whom must have faculty positions of Assistant Professor or higher. To broaden the examination and enhance its significance, one of the readers must be from an academic institution outside Harvard University. The Chair of the examination, who has no vote, must be a member of the DAC, preferably the chairperson, but students may invite another DMS DAC member to serve. The role of the Chair is to (a) be impartial, (b) arbitrate problems, and (c) administer the exam. The Chair is the only member of the DAC permitted to serve on the Examination Committee.
The student and the Dissertation Advisor shall submit the names of those who have agreed to serve as examiners to the BBS office for approval by the program head, who has sole discretion. In some circumstances, the program head may alter the composition of the Committee.
At least three weeks before the scheduled exam, DMS requires that a title page and summary of the dissertation be sent via email (dmsphddefense@hms.harvard.edu) to the DMS Office. The summary is to be 3-5, typed, double-spaced pages. Its sole purpose is pre-defense, it does not go into the dissertation, and it is not to be confused with the Abstract. The Abstract, which is a required part of the dissertation, is a maximum of 350 words, and is detailed on page 4 of “The Form of the PhD Dissertation.” Both summary and Abstract are discussed at the Packet Meeting.
At least two weeks before the exam, the copies of the dissertation prepared for the examiners must be presented to the DMS Office for inspection. DMS requires that these copies be in binders. Once approved, the candidate delivers the copies to the examiners; and DMS sends the announcement of the dissertation seminar to all DMS faculty and students, as well as official thank you emails to the Examination Committee.
Seventy-two hours before the scheduled examination, the examiners will be contacted by the Examination Committee Chair. The Committee members will be asked whether the dissertation document indicates that the candidate will be able to defend successfully. If any Committee member has a concern, the Chair will inform the DMS office, and a meeting of examiners will be held immediately. The dissertation examination will not be held unless and until all examiners agree to proceed.
The candidate is expected to give a public seminar of approximately one-hour as part of the examination, on the day of the examination, prior to a private defense of the dissertation with the Examination Committee. The defense, which is scheduled for 2 hours, follows. It is customary for the defense to be opened by the Chair introducing the readers. The advisor, who is allowed to attend the exam as an observer, may then speak briefly. Once the Committee decides on the format (the candidate may be asked to step outside during this discussion), they will usually go around the table, asking 1 or 2 questions at a time, until all questions are asked and answered.