Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Program 

The Microbiology PhD program combines course work and thesis research.  A minimum of 108 graduate credits (500 or 600 level) is required, comprising:

Full time enrollment is 12 credits per term.

A typical 108-credit program will comprise:

MB 607 Seminar: 3 credits (1 credit each term of first year)

Coursework: 36 credits

MB 603 Thesis: 36 credits

33 additional credits made up of additional MB 603 thesis credits, coursework or non-thesis blanket credits (max. of 12). For students rotating between different labs in the first year, this will include MB 601 Research credits.

Note that 23 of the 45 credits must graduate stand-alone courses (500 or 600 level) that are not derived from the 500 component of 400/500 slash courses.  For instance, after the 15 MB 503/507 credits listed above, 8 further credits must be graduate-only.  Note also that the 108 credit requirement is for credits beyond the bachelor's degree, meaning that coursework credits from a recent MS degree may be counted.

A PhD candidate must file a study program (list of proposed courses/credits) with the Graduate School by the end of the first year of study, when a doctoral committee should be formed. The program is developed under the guidance of the major professor and committee members, and is intended to provide academic support to facilitate the thesis research activities. The doctoral committee of 5 or more persons is comprised of at least the following: the major professor, two professors from the Microbiology Program, an additional professor from the graduate faculty who is familiar with the thesis research field, and a Graduate Council Representative (ask for a current list at graduate.school@oregonstate.edu). One (under special circumstances, two) committee member may be a non-OSU affiliate if they provide appropriate specialized expertise; note that all committee members must be on the graduate faculty with appropriate authorization to serve on the student's committee.

Students working toward a PhD degree must pass a Preliminary Examination, typically taken near the end of the second year, when most coursework has been completed. The purpose of this exam is to determine the student's understanding of Microbiology in general and as it relates to the proposed thesis research. The PhD degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the Final Examination (hot link to below). This requires satisfactory (a) completion of a written thesis, (b) presentation of a public lecture describing the thesis research, and (c) completion of an oral defense.

Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and will be notified by the Graduate School if their GPA falls below 3.0 for any term. The cumulative GPA must be at or above 3.0 before the final exam can be taken.  Grades below C (= 2.0) cannot be used as graduate credit.

Other requirements

1. Candidates must complete one term of service as a Graduate Teaching Assistant before graduation. This is considered a valuable experience and an integral part of training towards a higher degree. 

2. Candidates must present for 2 public presentations of their research.  One may be the final oral defense, but the other must be at a regional, national or international conference/meeting (a poster presentation is acceptable.)

Preliminary Examination

Written Research Proposal   Students write a research proposal on a topic approved by the doctoral committee, which may be on any topic related to microbiology except directly pertaining to the student's thesis project.  The proposal is submitted to the committee at least one week prior to the oral examination. The committee members read the proposal and prepare questions for the student, which are presented at the oral examination.

Oral Examination   The oral examination is conducted by the doctoral committee. Questions will cover the written research proposal and topics from the student's coursework, proposed thesis research, and microbiology in general. The examination should be scheduled for at least two hours, and the exam date must be scheduled in the Graduate School at least one week in advance. The exam should begin with a c. 30-40 minute oral presentation in which the student (a) describes and justifies the research in the written proposal, and (b) provides a progress report on their thesis research. The remainder of the exam will consist of oral questions from the committee. The questions will typically mostly arise from the written proposal and thesis research topic, but will also draw on general knowledge of microbiology obtained from coursework. If more than one negative vote is recorded by the examining committee, the candidate will have failed the oral examination. No more than two re-examinations are permitted by the Graduate School.

Final Examination

Thesis and Oral Defense

Each candidate for the PhD degree must submit a thesis embodying the results of research and giving evidence of originality and ability in independent investigation. The thesis must be a real contribution to knowledge, based on the candidate's own investigation. It must show a mastery of the literature of the subject and be written in creditable literary form.

The written thesis must be submitted to the doctoral committee members at least 2 weeks before the scheduled final doctoral examination. Be aware that it will require several drafts, reviewed by your major professor, to produce a polished thesis. The final oral examination consists of a c. 50 minute seminar describing the thesis work. After a brief opportunity for questions-at-large, a closed oral exam will follow, in which the doctoral committee members question the student. Questions will focus on the thesis work, but can include general knowledge about microbiology.

For more information regarding OSU Doctoral Degree Programs, Click Here .