Ph.D. Comprehensive Evaluation Process

This three-part process is intended to provide evidence that the student has attained a level of preparedness appropriate for matriculation to Ph.D. candidate. The Comprehensive Evaluation Process may be initiated after a minimum of 24 credits of didactic courses have been completed. Candidacy status is the result of a successful Evaluation, and should be conferred at least twelve months prior to the expected date of Electronic Thesis/Dissertation deposition. The three components of the comprehensive evaluation process include:

  • Comprehensive Examination – This is a written examination designed to test the student's scientific approach to problem solving in their area of specialization. The specific format of the examination is at discretion of the faculty within the student’s discipline. Application to complete the Comprehensive Examination is permitted after the student has completed at least 24 credits of didactic course work. Please review the GSPS Graduate Student Handbook on Canvas for each discipline's requirements for the Comprehensive Examination.
  • Research Proposal – The student will develop a complete research proposal (Original Research Proposal, ORP, or Project Research Proposal, PRP) according to guidelines provided by the student’s discipline.  The written research proposal shall be submitted to the GSPS office for distribution to the discipline faculty for evaluation.  The student will be required to orally defend the proposal to discipline faculty; under special circumstances, dissertation committee members from outside the discipline may be invited to evaluate this defense. The results of the faculty evaluations of the student's written research proposal and oral defense will be forwarded to the ADRGP. The Research Proposal step should be completed within one year of the Comprehensive Examination and at least one year prior to scheduling a dissertation defense. Please review the GSPS Graduate Student Handbook on Canvas for each discipline's requirements for the Research Proposal.
  • Discipline General Evaluation – The candidate's performance in areas such as seminar presentations, coursework, research progress, contributions to the academic atmosphere, general attitude, potential for future growth, and other matters will be reviewed by the faculty of the student’s specific discipline. The evaluation is subjective and attempts to assess skills other than formal examinations and determine a student’s readiness to matriculate to Ph.D. Candidate.

Program Learning Outcomes

The competencies to be assessed in the completion of GSPS didactic courses are:

  • D1. Scientific Knowledge: Demonstrate a satisfactory level of knowledge in the relevant specialty areas of pharmaceutical sciences. 
  • D2. Interpretative: Identify and describe issues, problems, and opportunities in the pharmaceutical sciences. 
  • D3. Communication: Communicate ideas, data, and information in pharmaceutical sciences.
  • D4. Integrity: Adhere to codes of conduct and professional ethical principles, including (i) defining, (ii) describing the consequences of, and (iii) not committing the following infractions: data falsification, plagiarism, and confidentiality violation.

The competencies to be assessed in the completion of GSPS research are:

  • R1. Research planning: Conceptualize scientific ideas into research projects.
  • R2. Initiative: Act to accomplish research objectives.
  • R3. Innovation: Generate innovative ideas in pharmaceutical sciences.
  • R4. Communication: Discuss information, data, and ideas in the student’s discipline of study.
  • R5. Contribution: Add to the scientific community through the publication and/or presentation of research. 
  • R6. Scientific Knowledge: Demonstrate an advanced level of knowledge in the relevant specialty areas of pharmaceutical sciences.