A final oral examination of the thesis will be held when the student has completed the thesis to the satisfaction of the student's advisor, all other requirements for the degree have been completed, and a 3.0 grade point average has been earned.

Thesis Examining Committee

The Committee will include a minimum of three members of the Graduate Faculty, at least two of whom will be Full Members. The Chair of the Committee normally will be the student's advisor, who will be a Full or Adjunct Member of the Graduate Faculty, or who has been granted an exception to the policy by the Dean of the Graduate School.

The student and advisor must complete a Nomination of Thesis or Dissertation Committee form no later than six weeks prior to the defense. The nomination of committee form should be submitted the BIOE Graduate Office for the Graduate Director’s signature. Once approved, the BIOE Graduate Office forwards the form to the Office of the Registrar.

Thesis Examination Procedure

The thesis examination consists of two parts: the public presentation and a formal examination.

Part 1: Public Presentation

The public presentation by the candidate covers the main aspects of the research reported in the dissertation. During Part 1, questions from the audience to the candidate are permitted. For questions from persons who are not members of the Thesis Committee, the Chair of the Committee has discretion to decide whether such questions are germane to the topic of the thesis and how much time can be allotted for the answers.

Part 2: Formal Examination

The formal examination is open only to the Thesis Committee, other members of the Graduate Faculty, and graduate students from the candidate's graduate program. During Part 2, only members of the Thesis Committee are permitted to ask questions.

For more information on the thesis and Master’s degree policies, see the Graduate Catalog.