Students must maintain reasonable progress toward the degree. In addition, it is both the advisor’s and the committee’s responsibility to make sure that the student is pursuing a reasonable path. Ultimately, however, it is the student’s responsibility to help choose the path and to move along it purposefully. Each year, all students must submit an annual BIOE progress checklist or annual report. Reminders and specific deadlines are announced near the end of each spring semester. Progress reports and checklists are due near the end of May.

Annual Progress Checklist

Prior to candidacy, students are required to submit the PhD Pre-Candidacy Progress Checklist with their course plan and an updated CV. The student is responsible for consulting with the advisor towards completing the form. The electronic form will automatically route to the advisor for signature as approval of satisfactory progress, and the advisor will forward the form, with their approval, to the BIOE Graduate Office.

Annual Progress Report

After advancing to candidacy, students are required to submit the PhD Doctoral Candidate Progress Report. These reports are intended to ensure that adequate progress is being made toward the Ph.D. and should consist of a brief written summary of research progress and future directions and should be accompanied by a current CV. Any changes in topic or direction should be addressed in the Progress Report. If the scope of the dissertation changes significantly after the PhD Proposal Examination, then the student must arrange for a meeting with the Proposal Examination Committee to obtain input and their approval.

It is strongly recommended that the candidate maintain the same membership on the Committee for the entire period of candidacy. Any necessary replacement of a committee member should be conducted as soon as possible. It is further recommended that the candidate meet with each committee member, individually or in a group, (inclusion of Dean’s representative optional) once per year and that the candidate assemble a meeting of the entire committee (Dean’s representative optional) ~6 months prior to the intended dissertation defense date to present work completed and propose experiments to finalize the dissertation.

The Annual Progress Report should be submitted to the Committee as well as forwarded to the BIOE Graduate Office (bioe-grad@umd.edu) by the student’s advisor. Meeting dates (most recent or upcoming) with committee members should be indicated, along with brief project goal, progress, publication goals, and comments. The advisor signs off to approve all information submitted.