Details concerning the Comprehensive Examination are given below and should be reviewed by the Student and Research Mentor(s) in preparation for the comprehensive examination.

Eligibility

Students are eligible for the Comprehensive Examination when they have met the following requirements:

• Completed all required didactic courses in the IGPBS (Ph.D.) or ACE (MD/Ph.D.) curricula and in the Neuroscience Graduate Program.
• Completed the Research Skills and Ethics requirements.
• Completed their lab rotations and selected a research mentor.
• The Student's grade point average must be 3.00 or better.

Examination Committee

The Examination Committee is chosen by the Student and their Research Mentor(s) with guidance from the Program Director and must be approved by the Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Studies Advisory Committee (N-GSAC). The examination committee must have at least five members, including:

• 1 member of the N-GSAC who will serve as the Chair of the Examination Committee.
• 2 additional members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, including the Research Mentor(s).
• 1 member who holds a primary tenure-track faculty appointment at KUMC outside of the home department/graduate faculty appointment of the Research Mentor(s). This Outside Member will ensure that the rules and policies of the Office of Graduate Studies are followed.
• The additional member(s) may be from any graduate program or department at KUMC.
• The Student’s Research Mentor(s) may not serve as the Committee Chair. The Chair is responsible for ensuring that all Program rules and policies are followed.

Written component

The Student will develop a Specific Aims page of an NIH-style proposal, with assistance from their Research Mentor(s), based on their anticipated dissertation research project. This will be submitted to the members of their Examination Committee during the Summer semester prior to the Fall of their 3^rd year. Once the committee has approved the proposed Specific Aims, the Student will write an NIH-style R01 application that includes a Project Summary, Project Narrative, 1-page Specific Aims, 12-15 page Research Strategy, and References. The Student is encouraged to consult with the Director of the N-GSAC, their Research Mentor(s), and members of the Examination Committee to aid in the development of this proposal.

The Written component must be submitted to the members of the Examination Committee at least 3 weeks before the Oral component is scheduled to take place. The document must be approved, by majority vote, at least two weeks prior to the Oral examination. If a majority approval is not reached, the Student will be asked to rewrite the proposal with incorporation of feedback from the Examination Committee. The Director of the N-GSAC reserves the right to delay the Oral examination and/or require modifications to the Written component prior to the Oral component, regardless of majority approval by the Examination Committee.

Oral component

Passing of the Written component will lead to the University-required Oral Candidacy Examination. The Oral Examination is a test of the breadth and depth of the Student’s understanding of: 1) the IGPBS or ACE core curriculum, 2) required and elective courses taken within the Neuroscience Graduate Program, and 3) their proposed research area. This exam is designed to be a rigorous evaluation of the Student's knowledge base in biological sciences, general neuroscience, and their specific research topic, in accordance with advancement to Doctoral Candidate.

All faculty members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program are invited to attend the examination and ask questions; however, only the members of the Examination Committee will vote on the performance of the Student. The Oral Examination generally lasts ~3 hours and consists of:

• An oral presentation of their Written proposal lasting ~45 minutes.
• Questioning by the Examination Committee and Program Faculty, lasting ~2 hours.

When the Examination Committee has concluded their questioning, the Student will be asked to leave the room. The Examination Committee will discuss the performance of the Student, including the quality of the Written proposal, oral presentation, and questioning. Each Committee member will submit a private vote of Pass or Fail to the Outside Member, who will tabulate the votes and report the result. A majority in favor of passing must be reached for the Student to pass the Comprehensive Exam and be considered a Doctoral Candidate.

If the Student fails the Exam, the committee may either:

• Allow the Student to retake the exam. The second attempt must occur between 90 and 180 days after the initial attempt. The Student will be counseled by the Mentor(s) and the Examination Committee on the areas to be strengthened prior to the second attempt. If the Student fails the second attempt, they will be terminated from the Program.
• Not allow the student to repeat the examination. In this case, the Student will be terminated from the Program. The Examination Committee may recommend to the N-GSAC that the student qualify for a Master’s Degree, so long as degree requirements are met.

Timeline

The Comprehensive Exam must be completed by December 31^st in Year 3 of graduate study. Extensions may be granted by the N-GSAC on a case-by-case basis.