BN Program - Milestones

First Year Project

The first year project involves research under the direct supervision of the student's mentor. This project culminates in a paper and brief oral presentation at the end of the student's first year, and often symbolizes a celebration of the completion of their first year in graduate school.

Master's Thesis

The master's thesis is typically undertaken in the second year. It is an original piece of research, closely supervised by the research advisor and is often a continuation of the first year project. The student defends the thesis before a committee consisting of his or her advisor and two additional faculty members. The thesis leads to the M.A. degree.

Comprehensive Examination

Generally during the third year of graduate school, the student concentrates much of his or her effort on a scholarly review of four areas of behavioral neuroscience, one for each of the four members on their comprehensive examination committee. The student, in the process of reviewing the literature from the selected reading lists, becomes an expert in the areas, which are often the basis of the doctoral dissertation or are research areas the student plans to pursue in the future. The comprehensive examination involves a two-step process. The student first completes a written exam consisting of questions from each area, and a week later, the student defends the written responses before the committee and answers other questions posed by the committee.

Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation is an extensive piece of original research that demonstrates the capability of the student to act as an independent scholar in experimental methods. The dissertation is closely supervised by the research advisor and three additional faculty members, who constitute the dissertation committee. The dissertation process begins with the dissertation proposal, a written document that provides a comprehensive scholarly introduction to the research and a complete description of the research to be undertaken. Once the oral defense of the dissertation proposal is completed, the student is admitted to Ph.D. candidacy by the Graduate College. Next, the psychology department requires a "data meeting," a working meeting in which the empirical and/or analytical outcomes are reviewed by the whole committee. Any further needed work is discussed. The student then defends the dissertation in a final oral examination.