Ph.D. Degree Timeline

Below you’ll see the usual timeline for a PhD student to complete the BE doctoral program.  It will give you a sense of the order and timing of the program’s components. Most students will complete the program in 5 or 6 years.  Note that there is a 10-year time limit.  Please see the Bioengineering Ph.D. handbook for details.

Year 1
Most students will complete the required lab rotations and choose an advisor by spring of their first year. They also complete the Qualifications Evaluation over the summer of their first year and no later than November of the fall semester of the second year.

Year 2
Students form a thesis committee together with their advisor.

Year 3
Students complete the proposal defense and advance to candidacy.

Upon advancement to candidacy:
Each student has a Dissertation Committee. The committee should meet every six months and the student must prepare an Annual Dissertation Progress Report to be approved by the supervisor and submitted to the Graduate Group Chair to be documented for the student’s academic record.