Movement and Cognitive Rehabilitation Science

During the first year, each student will work with a supervising faculty member to develop an individualized program of study. The program will be based on the student’s research interests. This will outline the coursework the student will take to complete the degree.

This Program of Study will be presented for approval to the Graduate Studies Committee toward the end of the student’s first year. It will include any and all coursework deemed necessary to meet the degree requirements described below in Required Coursework.

1. The sequencing of course offerings favors admission in the Fall semester.
2. Prerequisites, if any should be completed in the first year of study if possible, and must be completed prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy.
3. Toward the end of the first year of doctoral study, the Program of Study should be established and presented to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.
4. By the end of the second year of post-master’s study, organized coursework in the program of study should be near completion, and the comprehensive examination should be taken.
5. Following successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student may be advanced to candidacy.
6. In the year following the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the dissertation proposal should have been defined and presented to the Dissertation Committee.

Ph.D. students must make satisfactory progress and will be evaluated for satisfactory progress each year. The evaluation will be based on completion of coursework, GPA, and research involvement.

1. Incompletes. Graduate students are expected to complete courses within the time frame of the semester. In unusual cases where this semester framework is not in the best interest of the student, the professor may report the symbol X (incomplete) in place of a grade. The student must then complete the course requirements and the instructor must report a final grade by the end of the grade reporting period in the student’s next long-session semester of enrollment (i.e., spring or fall semester). If this deadline is not met, the symbol X is converted to the symbol I (permanent incomplete). The symbol I cannot be converted to a grade. The GSC considers two or more grades of incomplete including permanent incompletes as unsatisfactory progress. (TAs, GRAs, etc., may acquire no more than two grades of X or one grade each of X and I. Students cannot have two or more grades of I.)
2. GPA. The student is expected to maintain the minimum overall GPA of 3.0 required by the Graduate School. This overall GPA pertains to all coursework within the major department, outside the department and also to the overall combined GPA.
3. Research Involvement. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with the supervising faculty member to be certain that all research expectations are made clear. Students who are not actively involved in research will be considered as not making satisfactory progress.

To be considered for doctoral candidacy, a student must pass a comprehensive examination in the student’s area of specialization. The exam is typically given following completion of all course work (approximately 2 years of post-master’s study). The focus of the exam is a student-written literature review and research proposal, the topics of which are determined by the examining committee. Faculty on the examining committee will include at least 3 faculty members from Rehabilitation and Movement Science.

The examination is comprised of both a written proposal and oral defense. The written portion of the examination must be successfully completed prior to the scheduling of the oral exam.

The outcome of the examination will be recorded as one of four outcomes:

• Pass
• Pass with Contingencies
• Re-take
• Fail

Students who fail the comprehensive examination a second time are dismissed from the program.

Read More

Students are advanced to doctoral candidacy after completion of the following:

1. The student has passed the comprehensive examination.
2. The student and their supervising professor must recommend to the Graduate Adviser the names of the five faculty members whom they would like to have appointed to the dissertation committee. The student should contact the Graduate Coordinator for assistance in completing the necessary paper work for advancement to candidacy. Only after the student has been advanced to candidacy and has the approval of the supervising professor, will the student be permitted to register for dissertation hours.

Under the direction of the Supervising Professor and Dissertation Committee, the student will prepare a written dissertation proposal and make an oral presentation of it to the Dissertation Committee. Interested students, faculty and especially Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) members are also encouraged to attend the proposal presentation.  However, a quorum of the GSC is not required. The proposal will include an appropriate literature survey, extensive methodology, and preliminary results. The proposal should be presented following completion of the comprehensive exam.

The dissertation is required of all candidates and must be an original contribution to scholarship based on independent research in the major area. It is expected to be a significant contribution to the body of the current research. Writing of the dissertation will be supervised by the Dissertation Committee, which is appointed by the Graduate Dean and will include the Supervising Professor, and at least two other members from the Rehabilitation and Movement Science faculty. At least one member must be from outside the departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

The candidate must present a formal seminar on the dissertation research as a part of the final oral examination. All interested faculty members and graduate students will be encouraged to attend the formal seminar and to ask questions about the candidate’s research.

Evaluation of the candidate’s performance will be decided by members of the Dissertation Committee. It is the responsibility of the student and the Supervising Professor to schedule the formal seminar through the office of the Graduate Adviser.

All completed work that is included in a doctoral student’s degree program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years (exclusive of a maximum of three years of military service).

The Graduate Studies Committee will review the programs of students who have not completed the degree at the end of three years from admission to candidacy. The committee will review the status of each of these students’ programs yearly thereafter. At those times, the committee may recommend additional coursework, further examinations, or termination of candidacy. In addition, each student’s program is subject to review by the graduate dean.