GRADUATE STUDIES CODE

Transcription

1 GRADUATE STUDIES CODE OF THE PHARMACOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACOLOGY THE PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE I. INTRODUCTION (Revised: August 2007)

2 Pharmacology is broadly defined as the science of the multiple aspects of the interaction of chemical agents with biological systems. The Pharmacology Graduate Program in the Department of Pharmacology at the Penn State College of Medicine is designed to give qualified students a combination of didactic instruction, informal direction, and laboratory experience which will enable them to obtain a firm foundation in the principles, methods, and contributions of pharmacology. With this background, graduates of the Program should be able to design and execute high quality independent research, teaching, and to assume positions of responsibility within the scientific community. This Graduate Studies Code is intended to serve as a guide for accomplishing these goals. Since scholarly pursuits in pharmacology may take many pathways, and since every graduate student is an individual with specific needs and interests, considerable emphasis is placed on maintaining flexibility within the framework of the Program. The guidelines that follow should be thought of as standards which may be amended or altered in circumstances where such modifications would further the educational aims of the student. II. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD PRACTICE IN GRADUATE EDUCATION (As endorsed by the Graduate Council on May 8, 1996) Working relationships between faculty, staff, and students are an important component of graduate education at Penn State. The quality of these relationships can make or break the graduate school experience. The development of a positive learning environment depends on a shared vision of educational values, objectives, and expectations. It is the joint responsibility of faculty, staff, and students to work together to nurture this vision, and to encourage freedom of inquiry, demonstrate personal and professional integrity, and ensure a climate of mutual respect. The following six principles are essential elements in a productive environment for graduate education at Penn State. 1. Understanding the work environment. Faculty, staff, and students must each take the initiative to learn the policies, rules, regulations, and practices that affect them, their work, and the units in which they work. Graduate program handbooks, pertinent University publications, funding agency references, and other resources can typically be obtained from graduate program officers, the Internet, registered student organizations, department faculty, other students, faculty advisors and thesis committee chairs. 2. Academic honesty, professional integrity, and confidentiality. These qualities are the responsibility of all faculty, staff and students. Each member of the graduate community must endeavor to adhere to the highest level of these ideals in all their personal and professional activities. 3. A clear course of study. The student and his/her faculty advisor should develop and agree upon a clear plan of academic study and the responsibilities associated with it. Careful planning and discussion throughout a graduate program are the best ways to avoid later misunderstandings and problems. 4. An atmosphere of openness. Students and faculty must work to establish and maintain an environment that is open, sensitive, and encourages free discussion between members of the graduate community. Clear, two-way communication is a critical ingredient in a successful graduate experience. 5. Acknowledgment of intellectual rights and property. Students and faculty should discuss issues associated with academic freedom, intellectual property, authorship, and publication as part of the student s academic plan. Resolution of these issues early in the graduate program is often the best way to avoid later disputes. 6. Opportunities for evaluation. Evaluation, reflection, and feedback are integral parts of the academic process. These items should be a regular part of every graduate program. Early, frequent, and constructive feedback help prevent small differences from becoming serious problems. 2

3 While these six guiding principles are not exhaustive, they do reflect a spirit that can make the graduate education process at Penn State more rewarding and productive for everyone. III. RESPONSIBILITY FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION Members of the Graduate Faculty in the Pharmacology Graduate Program have full responsibility for the three major steps in graduate education: admission, recommendation for degree, and dismissal. Unless otherwise specified, decisions will be made by two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Program faculty. To facilitate the handling of graduate education matters, the Chair of the Department of Pharmacology will appoint a Director of Graduate Education for the Pharmacology Graduate Program. The Director will serve a renewable three-year term and is empowered to fulfill the following functions: 1. To convene a Graduate Student Recruitment Committee that will circulate and evaluate the credentials of prospective graduate students, arrange interviews, seek to recruit outstanding students, and recommend offers of admission according to the policies of the Department and University. 2. To oversee the educational processes and policies as they apply to the academic progress of the individual student in the Pharmacology Graduate Program. 3. To recommend topics in the graduate education program for consideration by the Pharmacology graduate faculty. Current Bulletins from the Graduate School of The Pennsylvania State University are on file in the Department office. These contain detailed information about general Graduate School requirements and policies. Pharmacology graduate students should familiarize themselves with the information in the Bulletins, as this Code is not intended to be an all-inclusive compendium of regulations. If a student finds that the stipulations in the Code appear to conflict with those in the Bulletins, the Director s attention should be called to the discrepancy so that suitable adjustments can be made. IV. SELECTION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. In accordance with Penn State policy, the grade-point average for the undergraduate junior-senior years must be at least 3.0. Applicants with an advanced degree from another institution will be evaluated largely on the basis of their previous graduate and undergraduate school records. Applicants must have successfully completed undergraduate coursework in biology, organic chemistry, and mathematics. Undergraduate courses in calculus, physics and cell and molecular biology are strongly recommended. Should prerequisite deficiencies be identified, the Program may require a student to enroll for one or more appropriate courses at a nearby college. All prerequisite deficiencies must be corrected before matriculation into the Program. Each year, new graduate students will be assigned a team of two advisors-pro-tem for the first two semesters. These advisors will supervise the students progress and serve as a general counselors. Assignment of students to these initial advisors will be at random. It should be understood that there is no commitment on the part of either the students or the advisors-pro-tem with regard to future research and advising. Incoming graduate students will be provided with a copy of this Code so that they will be aware of Program requirements and expectations. 3

4 Student performance in course and laboratory work will be monitored by the Program faculty throughout the student s graduate school career. Individual files will be maintained for students. The files will contain periodic statements about the students progress, change in status, and the courses, examinations and requirements which have been completed. In accordance with the policy of the Graduate School, a doctoral candidate is required to complete the Program, including acceptance of the doctoral thesis, within eight years from the date of successful completion of the Candidacy Examination. However, the average range of time to complete the Program is four to six years. Extensions may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School in appropriate circumstances. V. CURRICULUM The following curricular outline represents the minimum investment as a preparation for a graduate degree in Pharmacology. Prior to the completion of the Comprehensive Exam, students must enroll for at least 9, but no more than 12, credits per semester (Fall and Spring). Students in dual degree programs (MBA/PH.D., MSIS/PH.D., MD/Ph.D.) must also meet all requirements for the second degree. These requirements typically involve additional course work and/or adjustments in the timing of requirements. The Ph.D. advisor should be consulted for logistical assistance. A. First Year Coursework: 1. Summer: Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 2. Fall Semester: BMS 501: Regulation of Cellular and Systemic Energy Metabolism (3 cr.) BMS 502: Cell and System Biology (3 cr.) BMS 503: Flow of Cellular Information (3 cr.) PHARM 520: Principles of Drug Action (2 cr.) PHARM 596: Individual Studies (Lab rotation, 1 cr.) 2. Spring Semester: PSIO/PHARM 581: Maintaining Homeostasis A: Heart and Vasculature (1 cr.) PSIO/PHARM 582: Maintaining Homeostasis B: Cardiovascular Pharmacology (1 cr.) PSIO/PHARM 583: Maintaining Homeostasis C: Kidney (1 cr.) PHARM 503: Molecular Pharmacology (4 cr.) HES-516: Statistics (3 cr.) PHARM 596: Individual Studies (Lab rotation, 1 cr.) PHARM 597 Journal Club (1 cr.) 4. Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. Optional, highly recommended. 5. Student Journal Club (PHARM 597, 1 cr.). All graduate students in the Program will participate in a weekly student-focused journal club. A faculty advisor will attend and provide feedback. This is taken for credit only in the Spring semesters of the first and second year, but students are expected to participate their entire time in the Graduate Program. 5a. Individual Studies (PHARM 596, 1 cr. per semester). As an introduction to some of the types of research currently available in the laboratories of Program faculty, Ph.D. candidates will "rotate" through at least three laboratories by the end of first academic year. 4

5 For each rotation, the faculty member and the student will need to agree on the goals and expectations about the student s laboratory experience. Time given to obtaining research experience must be balanced against the time required to meet the Graduate School's requirements with regard to course performance. In preparation for rotations, newly matriculated graduate students will speak individually with each Program faculty member about potential research topics for rotations. 5b. Laboratory Rotation (PHARM 596) has the following goals: Introduction to laboratory research work at an early time point in graduate education. This goal is particularly important for students whose previous laboratory experience is limited to that associated with formal undergraduate course work. Demonstration of the scientific method as it is being practiced within the Program. By this exposure, students should understand some of the research questions being asked, why the questions are of interest, and how experiments are designed to obtain answers. Development of familiarity with Program faculty members with particular expertise. Information of this type is potentially useful to graduate students at all levels of the curriculum, regardless of their eventual thesis topic. Mutual acquaintance between students and Program faculty members. The Program faculty is expected to render periodic judgments about students as they make progress in graduate school. Students need information to make informed decisions about which aspect of pharmacology they will select for their thesis research, what is feasible with regard to cost and space limitations, and with whom they can work most productively. For these reasons, both students and Program faculty members benefit from opportunities for interactions in the laboratory. 5c. Specific recommendations for implementation of PHARM 596: As wide a range of rotation offerings as possible should be made available. All Program faculty have expressed willingness to cooperate in the rotation program. However, students should understand that not every faculty member can participate every semester, and that certain times are better than others. Students may elect to rotate with faculty who are joint-appointees to the Department of Pharmacology. Candidates for the master's degree are not required to spend time in any laboratory other than that of their thesis advisor. However, master s candidates can be allowed one or two laboratory rotations if they so desire, if their advisor agrees, and if the laboratory supervisor is willing. If the goals for laboratory rotation are to be attained, students should make every effort to select for diversity. For practical purposes, research activities in the Program can be categorized (with some examples) as follows: molecular approaches, e.g., RNA, DNA, plasmids, cloning, digests, PCR 5

6 cellular approaches, e.g., cell culture (growth and differentiation assays); cell proteins (enzymes, receptors, RIA s, ELISA s, Westerns); lipids and other metabolites (chromatographic and spectrophotometric techniques); cellular targets for xenobiotics whole animal or organ systems, e.g., animal behaviors, integrated physiological responses, bioelectric potentials The choice of rotation should reflect the project being worked on rather than the specific faculty member in whose laboratory the rotation will take place. Students must rotate through at least three different laboratories before a research advisor can be selected. Each student should inform the Graduate program Director and the Administrative Assistant for the Pharmacology Graduate Program about where their laboratory rotation will be. B. Assessment of English competency Consistent with Penn State policies, Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate proficiency in speaking and writing English. An acceptable level of speaking competency will include: 1. facility with pronunciation and sentence structure; 2. a working vocabulary that permits clarity of speech without undue repetition; and 3. demonstration of ability to design a coherent verbal report and to respond to postpresentation questions. An acceptable level of writing competency will include: 1. facility with correct English usage, spelling and punctuation; and 2. ability to develop a coherent written report. At the end of the first year, Ph.D. students will be evaluated by the Program Director who will judge written competence from the student s examination papers and verbal competence from the oral portion of the Candidacy Exam. If remediation is necessary, a Program faculty member will be appointed to supervise a reading, writing or speech program to correct the specific deficiency noted. Students in remediation must remove the deficiency by the end of the second year. If they fail a second time to demonstrate English competency, they will be asked to withdraw from the Ph.D. program. C. Candidacy Examination The main purpose of this Examination is to ensure that each student has available a fund of basic biological information that he or she can call upon and utilize when confronted with questions related to research in pharmacology. It is important for students to receive an open and objective assessment of their academic abilities at an early stage in their graduate program. Thus, if there are areas of weakness in a student's graduate work, the Candidacy Examination should help the student identify the weaknesses so that constructive measures can be taken. A minimum grade-point average of 3.00 for graduate-level work done at Penn State University is required for doctoral candidacy, for admission to the Comprehensive Examination, the final oral examination, and for graduation. Doctoral students in good academic standing take the 6

7 Candidacy Exam, consisting of written and oral components, within 2 weeks after the completion of the Spring semester of their first year. The written portion of the Examination will consist of essay questions submitted by Program faculty, compiled by the Program Director, and graded by the appropriate Program faculty members. The question topics will generally reflect the coursework and laboratory experiences of the first year curriculum. The oral portion of the Examination will consist of a presentation to Program faculty members of one of the topics from the written portion. The goals of the verbal portion and subsequent question period are to demonstrate competency with the material and with integrating a body of information into a coherent presentation. A favorable vote of 2/3 of the Program faculty members present at the oral portion is required to pass the Examination. The results of the Examination will be reported to the Graduate School. Students who fail this Examination are eligible to retake it once, and this must be successfully completed by the end of the Summer semester. MD/PH.D. candidates who have passed Part 1 of the USMLE will be exempt from this exam. If they do not pass the USMLE at the time when their M.D. class takes it, then the candidacy examination will be administered. D. Second Year Coursework 1. Fall Semester: PHARM 502: Neuropharmacology (4 cr.) IBIOS 591: Ethics in Life Sciences (1 cr.). PHARM 597: Journal Club (1 cr.) Electives (1-3 cr.) PHARM 600: Thesis Research (1 cr.) 2. Spring Semester: PHARM 504: Pharmacological Bases of Therapeutics (4 cr.) PHARM 590: Pharmacology Colloquium (1 cr.) Electives (Individual decisions will be made by mentors to determine the required number of credits.) PHARM 600: Thesis Research (1 3 cr.) Electives - Additional courses in more advanced or specialized areas of pharmacology will be available on an elective basis. Candidates are urged to take maximum advantage of pharmacology electives when offered. It is anticipated that students will also enroll in courses given by other departments, typical examples being Principles of Immunology (MICRO 554), Professional Development (NEURO 530), and Biology of Neoplasia (PATH 520). Candidates will need to get their advisor's help in designing elective programs which will be most beneficial to them. Pharmacology Colloquium (PHARM 590, 1 cr.). Each candidate will present a public seminar on some aspect of their laboratory research. It is recognized that these seminars will not usually involve the depth of research seen in a mature project; however, the goal of this exercise is to provide the candidate with experience in organizing, presenting and defending a research project. Faculty present at the seminar will be asked to provide constructive feedback and grades, which will be averaged by the Program Director to assign the final grade to the candidate. Candidates are also required to give seminars in each subsequent year, but not for academic credit, and it is expected that these subsequent seminars will reflect the candidate s continual professional development. 7

8 E. Research and Selection of Research Advisor After admission to candidacy and completion of laboratory rotations, each candidate will select an area of research in which he or she is particularly interested. The candidate and an appropriate research advisor will then need to mutually agree to the candidate s joining the laboratory, and the Program Director should be notified of this decision. It should be recognized that not all Program faculty members will be in a position to accept new candidates into the laboratory each year. The selection of a laboratory for conducting the thesis research should be made by the beginning of the second year. Faculty who have primary appointments in a department other than the Department of Pharmacology cannot serve as the research advisor for more than one student in the Pharmacology Graduate Program at a time. F. Thesis Committee During the second year, the candidate and research advisor will organize a thesis committee. The thesis committee will consist of at least three (3) members of the Graduate Faculty in the Pharmacology Graduate Program and one member of the Graduate Faculty from outside the Program. The committee must include at least two members who have primary appointments in the Department of Pharmacology. If the candidate has elected to pursue the MBA/PhD degree program, a Graduate Faculty member of the School of Business Administration must also be added to the candidate s thesis committee. The research advisor will serve as Chair of the thesis committee. G. Comprehensive Examination A Ph.D. candidate who has completed most or all of the course work of the first two years, who has a grade point average of at least B (3.0), and who has passed all other first and second year requirements, is eligible to take the Comprehensive Examination. The Comprehensive Exam consists of a written and an oral component, and must be taken before the end of the Spring semester of the second year. Deferment may be approved by a 2/3 vote of the Program faculty in exceptional circumstances; however, the Exam must be completed prior to the start of the third year registration period. The Program Director should be notified as soon as possible if such a deferment is to be requested. The aims of the Comprehensive Examination are to provide the doctoral candidate with an opportunity to demonstrate to themselves and to the Program faculty that the candidate has: 1) mastered the field of pharmacology such that he/she could teach the subject or embark on research at numerous points within a broad area; 2) assimilated the background information he/she will need to complete successfully and defend a thesis; and 3) developed the organizational and analytical skills needed for problem solving. The Comprehensive Exam is based on a NIH-style research proposal prepared by the candidate as detailed below. During January of their second year, in consultation with their thesis advisor, each candidate will suggest a topic for their Comprehensive Exam. The topic may be in the area of interest of the candidate but must be distinct from their anticipated thesis research topic. The candidate will prepare a one-page description of the research proposal, including the Specific Aims, a brief description of the project s background and significance, and an outline of the experimental plan. This description should be provided to the Program Director who will distribute copies to the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Pharmacology. The Graduate Faculty will vote within one week on the acceptability of the topic. If approved by a majority of those voting, the candidate will prepare a written NIH-style R01 grant proposal on that topic. If the topic is disapproved by a majority of those voting, the candidate will select a different topic 8

9 and repeat the process until an acceptable topic is developed. Advice on the mechanics of the research proposal will be provided to the candidate; however, the preparation of the proposal should be completed with minimal advice from faculty members. The candidate s thesis committee should receive a copy of the research proposal at least one week prior to the scheduled oral presentation. The proposal will be defended in a seminar format in which the candidate will present a synopsis of the proposal, then respond to questions on any material pertaining to the proposal. The candidate s thesis committee will evaluate the proposal and presentation, and may specify that the candidate revise the proposal (one re-write permitted) and/or respond to criticisms. As a favorable vote of 2/3 of the doctoral committee is required for passing the Comprehensive Examination, it is often necessary for the candidate to assimilate the comments of the faculty in a final version of the written document. The date of record for the examination will be the date on which the defense seminar is completed. The candidate must provide this seminar date to the Administrative Assistant of the Pharmacology Department at least two weeks in advance so that the Graduate School can be notified. VI. POST-COMPREHENSIVE YEARS A. Prospectus A thesis prospectus is required for every Ph.D. candidate. This prospectus should be prepared during the Fall semester of the third year. The prospectus is an outline of a candidate's research expectations and is an important exercise in critical thinking. It should state a hypothesis and provide a background sufficient to document the importance of the topic. The methods that will be used should then be described in logical sequence. It is understood that the prospectus is simply a starting point for the candidate's independent research, and that the thesis work may eventually proceed along lines radically different from those described in the prospectus. The purpose in formulating a prospectus is to have the candidate focus on a specific question early in the research work, rather than begin unfocused data gathering. The written prospectus will be circulated to the candidate's thesis committee who will evaluate it and make recommendations. B. Additional Coursework Candidates should enroll in PHARM 601 (Thesis Preparation) for 0 credits each semester. Candidates may, with the advisor s approval, take additional elective courses that may be available to develop their program more deeply. 9

10 C. Writing for Extra-Departmental Peer Review Every Ph.D. candidate will have at least one original research publication in a peer-reviewed journal as primary author, and one additional manuscript submitted for publication before completion of the degree requirements. These manuscripts should meet the requirements for publication in high-quality journals, including the demonstration of scientific rigor, independent thought, ethical conduct research, and acceptable communication skills. D. Thesis Committee Meetings Every Ph.D. candidate will meet at least once per year with his/her thesis committee. A thesis committee meeting usually will take place shortly after the candidate s annual seminar presentation, and provides the candidate an opportunity to review of his/her progress and focus their research plan. In preparation for these meetings, the candidate should provide an updated prospectus to the thesis committee at least one week prior to the meeting. VII. THESIS The ultimate aim of the Pharmacology Graduate Program is to prepare individuals for careers in independent, high quality research, teaching and/or other pursuits requiring advanced training in this field. In this regard the main physical evidence for scholarly attainment is the thesis. The thesis is an unequivocal demonstration that a candidate has the ability to select a worthy research problem, to organize an approach for problem solving, to design and carry out meaningful experiments, to interpret results cogently in light of the work of others, and to produce a scholarly exposition in written form. The data described in the thesis must demonstrate that the candidate has accomplished an independent body of work consisting of at least one peer-reviewed publication of which the candidate is first author, and at least one additional manuscript submitted for publication in a peerreviewed journal. Examples of acceptable theses are available for inspection in the Department conference room. The research effort must emphasize modern approaches that will contribute significantly to knowledge. Dissertation work should indicate familiarity with a variety of modern research techniques that yield quantitative results. The research will be carried out in a laboratory of a Program faculty member. Specific projects will be related to the expertise of the advisors, so as to utilize to the utmost the resources of their previous experience. The thesis committee and candidate will meet three to six months prior to the thesis defense. The meeting will include an in-depth presentation of the data, discussion of additional experiments that might be necessary prior to the writing of the thesis, and an agreement about the interpretation the candidate intends to put on the results. The candidate will distribute to the thesis committee a penultimate version of the thesis four weeks prior to the defense. The candidate should receive back from every committee member detailed comments in time for thorough revision of the thesis, if necessary. This revised version will be placed in the Department conference room two weeks before the thesis defense. The contents and conclusions of the thesis must be defended at the time of the final oral examination. The thesis defense is open to the public, covering topics related to the thesis. A favorable vote of 2/3 of the thesis committee is required for graduation. The examination must be scheduled with the Graduate School through the Administrative Assistant of the Pharmacology Department at least two weeks prior to the date of the seminar. 10

11 VIII. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR M.S. DEGREE IN PHARMACOLOGY The following requirements were established for the M.S. degree in Pharmacology and are consistent with requirements established by other graduate programs at the College of Medicine. A. Courses required for the M.S. degree are the core curriculum courses required for the Ph.D. degree, except that Laboratory Rotation (PHARM 596) is not required. In individual cases at the discretion of the Program faculty, one or more of these courses may be waived as described above. Waiver of a course does not reduce the credit requirements, and no credit is given for a waived course. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) for graduate-level work done at this University is required for graduation. All requirements for a master s degree, whether satisfied at the Medical Center, University Park, or elsewhere, must be met within 8 years of admission to the Program. A minimum of 30 graduate credits is required, of which at least 20 must be earned at the Medical Center or at University Park. It must include a minimum of 12 credits ( series) in course work, completed in the major field, and a minimum of 6 credits in thesis research. B. All M.S. candidates have three months from the time of their initial registration to form an agreement with a research advisor who will supervise their laboratory work. C. Thesis: A thesis consisting of review of the literature and original research approved by a Program faculty advisor and the Graduate Faculty of the Program is required. The thesis is in the same form as Ph.D. thesis, but usually of much shorter length. D. Oral defense of thesis: 1. The M.S. candidate must demonstrate that the results of their research constitute a significant advance in the state of knowledge within their field. 2. M.S. candidates may be asked additional questions of an academic nature not specifically related to the thesis. The questions asked will be a reflection of the course of study completed by the candidate. E. No Candidacy Examination is required of M.S. candidates; however, it is necessary that the candidate demonstrate acceptable levels of competency in speaking and writing in English. IX. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A PHARMACOLOGY MINOR (for candidates seeking a Ph.D. degree in another major). Candidates majoring in an interdisciplinary program such as Neuroscience or Cell and Molecular Biology, but wishing to minor in Pharmacology, should first request permission to do so in writing to the Program Director. A. The curricular requirements are: Core courses in Biological Chemistry (BCHEM 502, 3 cr), Cellular and Integrative Physiology I (PHYSIO 504), Cell Biology (CMBIO540), Molecular Biology (CMBIO503) and Pharmacology (PHARM 520, 502, 503, and 504). Applicants who 11

12 can present good evidence of strong undergraduate or graduate level attainment in these subjects may request from the Department an exemption from taking these prerequisites. However, candidates should keep in mind the requirement of the Graduate School that a minor consists of no fewer than 15 credits of integrated or articulated work in a field related to, but different from, the major. B. Candidates must present the results of their thesis research as a scheduled Pharmacology Department seminar. The Pharmacology Department s seminar is "open" at all times to those minoring in Pharmacology. If the candidate wishes to take Pharmacology Colloquium (PHARM 590) for one credit, the candidate should present a seminar that same semester. X. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MBA/PhD and MSIS/PhD DEGREE PROGRAM The MBA/Ph.D. program offers highly-motivated candidates the opportunity to pursue both the MBA and Ph.D. degrees simultaneously. Candidates electing this option must also take the GMAT test and apply for admission into the School of Business Administration at Penn State, Harrisburg. This option requires successful admission to the Ph.D. Program prior to acceptance into the MBA program. Students may not begin dual degree coursework in the first year. Students may, under extenuating circumstances, and with a cumulative grade of A- or higher, petition to take dual degree courses beginning in year two, however, the course credits in the second degree program may not substitute for the basic science curriculum. All other students may begin dual degree coursework in year three. A Graduate Faculty member of the School of Business Administration must be a member of the candidate s Thesis Committee. Additional requirements for the MBA degree are determined by the School of Business Administration and currently include 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. Up to nine of these credits can be satisfied by the core requirements of the Ph.D. Program. Requirements for the MBA component are typically completed by taking evening classes at the Harrisburg campus of Penn State University. The normal load of MBA-related coursework is one or two courses per semester for three years. It should be recognized by the candidate and his or her thesis advisor that participation in the MBA/PhD program may slightly prolong the period necessary to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. 12