Approved, revised by faculty Winter 2012; updated Summer 2022
5.1 MS Examination Committee Formation and Approval
The MS examination committee will consist of the research advisor and one other faculty member. Of these 2 faculty members, both of whom must have M or P graduate faculty status, at least one must be a BME departmental faculty member. The composition of the MS Examination Committee must be approved by the BMEGSC when the completed MS program of study template is submitted. Faculty signatures imply both approval of the program and membership on the student’s advisory/examination committee. The approved program and committee must be on file with the Graduate Studies Office before the end of the second Autumn semester (or the student’s third term of enrollment).
Students typically consult their main research advisor -- and sometimes the faculty core contact – for help selecting the second MS committee member. Approval of the MS committee must be requested in the cover letter attached to the proposed program of study. Students should be sure to work closely with their MS committee to ensure satisfactory and efficient progress on research toward the thesis.
5.2 Thesis MS Examination and Defense Process
Once all courses on the program study and all thesis research are completed, an oral examination (i.e., thesis defense) must be passed before obtaining the MS degree. It must be given by at least two graduate faculty (i.e., the MS Examination Committee). The oral examination may be scheduled in BME or elsewhere on campus.
The Master’s examination emphasizes both the thesis investigation and a test of the student’s knowledge of the course of study pursued. The thesis must be completed in accordance with Graduate School regulations and must comply with the deadlines published by the Graduate School at the beginning of each term. The examination should not exceed two hours. Only examination committee members may be present during a BME Masters examination; however, students and faculty may attend any presentations given before the exam begins.
Early in the term in which a student and advisor anticipate completing and defending the MS thesis, the student must complete an Application to Graduate on the Graduate School’s gradforms.osu.edu website.
It is up to the student to arrange a date and time with advisors to hold the thesis defense (i.e., Master’s Examination). When the date and time are arranged, it is necessary for the student to notify the BME Graduate Studies Office.
The MS committee’s decision on the Master’s examination is recorded by the faculty committee members on the Master’s Examination Report form via gradforms.osu.edu, and acceptance of the thesis is indicated there also on the Thesis Approval form. These forms are generated by the Graduate School as a result of the application to graduate, and links are emailed directly to MS advisors at their osu.edu email addresses.
Forms must be approved by all committee members online after the examination, and submitted to the Graduate School. A student must be registered for at least three graduate credit hours during the term the Master’s Examination is held.
For information on teleconferencing the MS exam in the event that a committee member may need to participate while off-site or petitioning to include an extra or non-voting, non-OSU committee member, please see the GSH and gradforms.osu.edu. (Under normal circumstances, a teleconferenced exam would require a petition; current circumstances require all exams to be teleconferenced via Zoom so no petitions are required unless for external members.)
5.3 Thesis Guidelines
The thesis research project should be an original research project that makes a new contribution to the field. Proposals and protocols should be approved by the student’s advisor(s) prior to beginning the research. The thesis must be completed
in accordance with Graduate School policies and must comply with the deadlines published by the Graduate School at the beginning of each term. Students may reach out to their lab mates, peers from BMEGSA and/or student mentors for advice on completing the thesis.
Students are encouraged to read the Graduate School Newsletter for leads on Graduate School and Writing Center workshops on formatting and thesis creation or to schedule a review at the Graduate School (Graduation Services area) to learn about formatting and electronic document submission. Detailed information on the required format of the thesis may be found here.
5.4 Graduation for Thesis MS Students
In order to graduate with a Master of Science (MS) degree, students must meet all requirements established by the BME department and the University.
An Application to Graduate must be filed on gradforms.osu.edu no later than the first day of the term in which a student intends to graduate to allow time for a BME graduation audit and approval by the Advisor and Graduate Studies Committee Chair. Graduating students must be enrolled for at least 3 credit hours in the term of graduation. The Graduate School’s graduation checklist for MS students in their final term of enrollment can be found here.
If requirements go unmet or exam or thesis deadlines are missed, students may be able to meet the Graduate School’s end-of-semester deadlines without having to register the following term. If the E-O-S deadlines are missed, it will be necessary to resubmit a new Application to Graduate the following term.
DEGREE COMPLETION REMINDERS FOR THESIS MS
Students & advisors may jointly petition the BMEGSC for waivers of program or committee requirements. These should be accompanied by a proposed or approved program of study whenever possible.
Petitions should be submitted in the form of a brief letter addressed to the BMEGSC and sent to senitko.1@osu.edu and will be considered at convened monthly BMEGSC meetings. Last-minute petitions may not be reviewed.
Changes to an approved Program or Committee must be reviewed by the BMEGSC at least one full semester
before an Application to Graduate is filed.
Applications to Graduate will not be approved unless the student’s final BMEGSC-approved Program and Committees are on file in the Graduate Office and most other graduation requirements, as stated in the GSH and BMEH, are met.
Applications to Graduate should be submitted via gradforms.osu.edu at least one full week in advance of the Graduate School deadline. No forms will be signed by the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee until a graduation audit has been completed by the BME graduate studies office.
Remember that all degree requirements must be met and completed by the graduation deadlines posted by the Graduate School.
Be sure to build in time for a Graduate School review of the formatting of your thesis draft.
Review your advising report each semester and contact your faculty about missing/outstanding grades.
Publication and presentation lists should be emailed to the Graduate Studies Coordinator at senitko.1@osu.edu before the end of the semester in which you plan to graduate.
DEGREE COMPLETION REMINDERS FOR THESIS MS
DEGREE COMPLETION REMINDERS FOR THESIS MS