Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences (PhD)

• Admission Requirements
• General Requirements
• Curriculum

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Program Description

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Biomedical Sciences is an integrated, interdepartmental program in the basic biomedical sciences that seeks to provide students with a broad-based two-year core curriculum followed by advanced courses and dissertation research leading to a PhD degree. The Program reflects the interest of the Institution to promote the formation of professionals in the biomedical sciences.

The degree is awarded after successful completion of an interdisciplinary core curriculum in the biomedical sciences, which includes Histology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physiology, Pharmacology, and electives in special topics. Students must also complete an original research project that significantly contributes to the scientific knowledge in a particular field.

Program Goals

The major goal of the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences is to develop scientists in the biomedical field who have the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue competitive research and academic careers. By the time of graduation, students are expected to:

1. Knowledge: Students must demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical sciences as well as the application of this knowledge to research.
   1. Demonstrate general knowledge in the basic sciences including Biochemistry, Histology, Microbiology, Pharmacology and Physiology.
   2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge in thesis research area.
2. Research: Students must be able to examine and evaluate scientific questions and literature as a constant independent and life-long learning process.
   1. Develop analytical capacities to be able to independently formulate hypotheses, design experimental approaches, analyze data effectively, provide critical evaluations and reach reasonable conclusions.
   2. Develop basic and advanced technical research skills through intensive participation in hands-on courses, research activities and workshops.
   3. Demonstrate proficiency in carrying out competitive and independent research.
3. Professionalism: Students must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and to abide by ethical principles.
   1. Demonstrate a commitment to carry out professional responsibilities based on ethical principles.
   2. Demonstrate honesty, integrity and respectful behavior in all research, courses, and career training activities.
4. Communication Skills: Students must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective interchange of information.
   1. Demonstrate scientific writing and grantsmanship skills, so that they can develop and publish manuscripts from their research findings, design basic research protocols and submit proposals for funding.
   2. Exhibit communication and networking skills through the presentation of experimental results at scientific forums in the area of expertise.
   3. Develop professional values and collaborative skills.
5. Teaching and Mentoring: Students must share their knowledge and provide support and advice to peers in ethical, scientific, and professional principles.
   1. Demonstrate proficiency in the instruction, advising and evaluation of students.
   2. Develop written and oral presentation skills.

Admissions Requirements

The applicant must comply with the following:

1. Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum of 35 credits in sciences including the following courses:

Course Title	Credits
General Biology (2 semesters)	8
General Chemistry (2 semesters)	8
Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)	8
Calculus (1 semester)	3
Physics (2 semesters)	8

2. Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (on a four-point scale)
3. Interview with members of the Admissions Committee
4. Complete a writing sample.
5. Submit the following documents:
   1. Official Undergraduate Transcript (Degree Conferred)
   2. Two letters of recommendation written by professors or by individuals familiar with the applicant’s professional work and skills.
   3. CV/resume
   4. Certificate of No Penal Record/Background Check
   5. Application Processing Fee (non-refundable)

Upon acceptance, all students are required to submit the following:

1. Written confirmation of acceptance
2. Non-refundable deposit of $100.00 to secure the seat in the entering class.

Other documents will be notified as pertinent.

How to Apply

Application for Admission to the PhD in Biomedical Sciences can be obtained personally at our Admissions Office. Application deadline is April 15.

Graduation Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Biomedical Sciences is awarded after achieving a high degree of scholarship and the successful completion of an original research project which is a significant contribution to the scientific knowledge in a particular field. The general requirements for the degree are as follows:

1. Students must complete all courses within the established time frame. The Program requires a minimum of 70 credits.
2. Course Work - Completion of all courses in the study program with a minimum general grade index of 3.00.
3. Approval of the Qualifying Exam prepared by the basic sciences faculty covering the core course material.
4. Presentation of a research proposal in the presence of the student graduate committee.
5. Engaging in a research program under supervision of a research mentor and preparing an acceptable dissertation.
6. Defend a research dissertation.
7. Publish as co-author any part of the thesis in any peer-reviewed journal.

Requirements for the PhD degree must be completed no later than 8 calendar or academic years for a full-time student in the doctoral program.

Grading System

All courses and grades obtained will appear on the student’s academic record, including elective courses taken at other institutions.

All departments establish evaluation criteria for the successful completion of courses taught by the department. These criteria are made available to the students at the beginning of the course. The criteria are the number of examinations, quizzes, laboratory exercises, grading procedures and practical tests with their weight.

The grading system for graduate students is as follows:

Letter	Grade
A	100% - 87%
B	86% - 77%
C	76% - 67%
F	Failed (below 67%)
E	Extended
I	Incomplete
IP	In Progress
P	Pass
NP	Not Pass
W	Withdrawal
AW	Administrative Withdrawal

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Implementation Date/ Effective Date
Last Reviewed/Update	June 15, 2023
Approved by	Executive and Policy Committee
Initially Approved	July 2001

Doctoral of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences (PhD)

A Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy has been established to ensure that Biomedical Sciences students complete the academic program within the acceptable time frame and the minimally accepted quality of performance. This policy also ensures that the Student Financial Aid requirements set forth by federal regulations have been met. The SAP applies to all PhD Biomedical students enrolled in Ponce Health Sciences University. A student’s academic progress is evaluated annually at the end of each academic year.

General Requirements

1. Time Frame for Completion of the Academic Program

A student will be allowed a maximum time frame of three (3) years of enrollment beyond the standard of five (5) years required for the completion of the Program. Summer enrollment is considered part of the academic year for the purpose of this measure.

The total credits for completion of a degree include those graduate courses accredited on admission to the Program.

Program	Standard	Maximum
Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences	5 years	8 years

1. Definition of Full Time
   Students with an academic load of six credits or more per semester will be considered Full Time doctoral students. A student solely enrolled in Thesis Research or Doctoral Dissertation will also be considered a Full-Time student.
2. Definition of Half Time
   Students with an academic load of three to five credits per semester will be considered Half Time doctoral students.
3. Definition of Part Time or Less Than Half Time
   Students with an academic load of less than three credits per semester will be considered Part Time doctoral students or Less Than Half Time student.

 

2. Completion of Program Requirements
   1. Course requirement
      Students must complete all courses within the established time frame. The PhD in Biomedical Sciences requires a minimum of 70 credits.
   2. Performance requirement
      • A student must complete the first academic year (including summer term) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
      • Any student failing to meet this standard performance will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee to be placed on academic probation.
      • Students on academic probation who do not increase their GPA to 3.0 by the end of the following semester will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee for consideration of dismissal from the Program.
      • Prior to the qualifying examination, the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
   3. Qualifying examination requirement
      Upon completion of all core courses, students take a Qualifying Examination. The Qualifying Exam is composed of a written and an oral component that must be completed by the end of the first semester of the student’s third year in the Program.
      
      In the written part, the student must develop a research proposal (by April 15th, second year), which will be evaluated by a Qualifying Exam Committee composed of the student’s dissertation advisor and two faculty members whose interests are related to the student’s research. The committee will evaluate and score (scores 1-9) the written document based on the clarity of writing and scientific merit (significance, innovation, and approach). The student requires a score of ≤ 3 to pass the written exam. First-time takers receiving a score >3 will need to revise the proposal and re-submit for review.
      
      The student who passes the written exam will progress to the second part of the Qualifying Exam, which is an oral proposal defense (by October 15th, third year). The student will defend the thesis proposal in the presence of the Thesis Committee. The Thesis Committee consists of the student’s dissertation advisor, three PHSU faculty members whose interests are related to the student’s research, and a member from another institution (usually from the continental U.S.) with expertise in the field. Immediately following the oral proposal defense, the Thesis Committee will assign a grade of Pass or Fail. Students that pass the proposal defense become Ph.D. candidates.
      
      The student has a maximum of two attempts each to pass the written and oral component of the Qualifying Exam. After two attempts for either part, the student will be referred to the Student Promotion Committee for dismissal from the Ph.D. Program and reclassification as candidates for a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences.
   4. Doctoral Dissertation Requirement
      A Doctoral Dissertation according to the established guidelines with oral defense is required for graduation.
   5. Professional Behavior Requirement
      Students must conduct themselves in accordance with the norms for professional conduct set forth by Ponce Health Sciences University and the corresponding accreditation agencies.

Grade Requirement

In order to obtain a PhD in Biomedical Sciences, the student must complete all requirements and maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. Satisfactory Academic Progress is required for financial aid eligibility and will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

1. A grade of “F” in any course will be referred to the Students Promotion Committee (SPC).
   1. A student may have one opportunity to retake a failed or withdrawn (“W”) course and obtain a “C” or better grade. Failure to pass a given course on the second opportunity is grounds for dismissal from the Program.
   2. A student with more than two “F” grades or “W” on record is grounds for dismissal from the Program.
2. Repeated courses with “C” or lower grades will remain on record, but the new grade will be used to compute the grade point average.
3. Graduate courses not offered at PHSU may be taken at other institutions with permission and approval from the Associate Dean of Biomedical Sciences and Research and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
4. Grades of “P” (Pass) or “NP” (Not Pass) are applicable to thesis research/dissertation and graduate seminars. When the research/dissertation activity requires more than one semester for its completion, the student receives a notation of “In Progress” (IP) for each semester and until the research/dissertation is completed.
5. An Incomplete Grade could be assigned following the Institutional Incomplete Grade Policy. The student must remove the incomplete by the following semester or it will be replaced by the grade of “F”. The “I” (Incomplete) grades are part of the academic record as are the final grades.
6. A student with a reversed dismissal is not in satisfactory academic progress and is considered both on academic and financial aid probation.

Academic Probation and Financial Aid Eligibility

A student failing to meet the grade requirements will be placed on academic probation for one semester but will be eligible for financial aid. Students that fail to comply with grade requirements after the prescribed probation time will be referred to the School of Medicine Students Promotion Committee (SPC) and may result in dismissal from the Program.

Appeal Process for Academic

Students who are notified by the Associate Dean of Medical Education a decision of the SPC that he/she must repeat failed courses during the next academic year or to be dismissed from Program, have the right to appeal the decision within seven working days after receiving the notification.

The appeal or due process presented below must be followed.

The student will request in writing a reconsideration to SPC and include all relevant documentation to support the petition. The Committee will evaluate the reasons and evidence submitted to determine if they change their initial decision. The SPC has 48 hours to submit its decision to the Associate Dean for Medical Education, who will notify the student of the decision.

If the SPC sustains the adverse decision, the student has the right to appeal to the Dean of Medicine. The appeal must be submitted in writing within five (5) working days of receiving the notification. The Dean of Medicine will evaluate the appeal and the student’s academic record. The Dean can appoint a three-member Ad-Hoc Committee to re-evaluate all evidence. Rejection of the appeal by the Dean is final.

If an Ad-Hoc Committee is appointed, they will notify the student in writing of the date and the time when the appeal will be evaluated. The Ad-Hoc Committee has forty-eight (48) hours to submit a recommendation to the Dean of Medicine. The Dean of Medicine will consider the Ad-Hoc Committee recommendation and make the final decision within forty-eight (48) hours.

Any decision will be reported to the student in writing. The decision made by the Dean of Medicine is final.

The same process described above will be followed in the case that the adverse decision made by the Committee is for non-academic reasons, such as unacceptable professional behavior. The Associate Dean of Biomedical Sciences and Research, the Associate Dean for Medical Education or the VP for Student Affairs will refer the case to the SPC. If the recommendation of the SPC is to dismiss the student, the appeal process described above may be activated.

In the event that an adverse decision is made due to non-academic reasons and the Dean of Medicine sustains the decision after the appeal process, the student may appeal to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs and then to the President.

Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid eligibility is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. Please refer to the institutional policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress published by the Office of Financial Aid.

Enforcement

The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs shall have primary responsibility for overseeing this policy and will provide all students a copy of this document upon admission to Ponce Health Sciences University-School of Medicine.

The President, Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Student Affairs, as well as the Dean of Medicine, Associate Dean for Medical Education, Registrar and Financial Aid Director will receive all pertinent data to ensure proper enforcement of the policy here set forth.

Tuition and Fees

For more details of PHSU tuition and fees please refer to: Tuition and Fees 2024-2025.pdf

ALL TUITION AND FEES ARE PAYABLE ON OR BEFORE REGISTRATION.

*Ponce Health Sciences University reserves the right to increase the tuition or other fees as deemed necessary. *