Semester

Time

Activity

Form

1^st Fall

Sept-Nov

Two informal rotations in prospective research labs; length of these is negotiated with specific advisers

Mid Dec

Select an adviser and committee, fill out BMB MS Commitment Agreement form as part of BMB 7030

BMB MS Commitment Agreement

Finals week

Consult with adviser on coursework you should register for over the next 4 semesters

Plan of Work

1^st Winter

Jan

Develop Major research question(s) and Specific Aims; present written and 5 min ppt to peers and adviser on a day in the last week Jan as part of BMB 7996

Research Plan part 1

Begin full time research in adviser's lab; build on written research plan->thesis (more extensive lit review; experimental approaches)

Finals week

1^st thesis committee progress report presentation/evaluation

Progress Report; Research Plan part 2

Spring Summer

May-Aug

Continue full time research, continue writing thesis

Finals week

2^nd thesis committee progress report presentation/evaluation

Progress Report

2^nd Fall

Sept-Dec

Continue full time research, continue writing thesis

3^rd  thesis committee progress report presentation/evaluation; agree on final elements of research needed for completion

Progress Report

2^nd Winter

Jan-Apr

Continue full time research, finalize writing thesis and consult the WSU degree requirements page

4^th week

Consult with adviser; apply for graduation; reserve a room for the public Final Defense

2 weeks before defense

Distribute copies of the thesis manuscript to committee members for review and to the program director for a plagiarism check; then submit the thesis manuscript electronically to the Graduate School Proquest website for a formatting check; consult with your adviser and submit an Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Permissions Form allowing Wayne State University Libraries to make the dissertation available through DigitalCommons@WayneState

Before final grades deadline

Present oral thesis defense; get signatures and finish all format and content revisions for the submitted dissertation manuscript, then resubmit to the Proquest website

Thesis cover page; Final Form

Consult the Graduate School deadlines for school-level deadline dates at the start of each semester. Note that students who may not have completed the writing of the thesis can extend graduation to a later semester; as of this writing, no further registration or fees are required.