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Qualifying Exam for PhD

 

Purpose of the Qualifying Exam

The qualifying examination for the PhD indicates that a student's knowledge of the field of study is adequate for the original contribution to knowledge required of a dissertation. It is the final step before the student begins dissertation research. At this stage the student should have acquired considerable knowledge of the field of Health Informatics and of one or more specialty areas. It is also the time when some of this knowledge should be interrelated in an integrated fashion, when the student has begun to gain a perspective on the facts that have been acquired. Finally, the student should have formed some opinions and viewpoints that are his or her own, positions that are the result of a healthy skepticism and some thought about the theories, concepts, and methods that have been studied. While the assessment of information is a part of the examination, the focus is on knowledge integration, critical thinking ability, perspective, and the ability to communicate as a Health Informatics professional.


Students successfully completing the Qualifying Examination will be allowed to register for BINF8000 towards the pursuit of their PhD degree in Biomedical Informatics.

Examinable Components of the Qualifying Exam (for students registering with the New RGs)

The questions in the qualifying exam will be based on the 6 core courses listed under the Master's and PhD degree requirements for graduation. Accordingly the students need to be fully cognizant of the theories, concepts, and methods contained in all of those six core courses. The specific examinable objectives are given here.

 

The pass percentage for the Qualifying Exam is 70%.

Examinable Components of the Qualifying Exam (for students registered with the old RGs and who opt to take the exam based on the old set of core courses)

The questions in the qualifying exam will be based on the 3 old core courses BINF7540, BINF7560, BINF7600. Accordingly the students need to be fully cognizant of the theories, concepts, and methods contained in those three courses. The specific examinable objectives are given here.

 

The pass percentage for the Qualifying Exam is 70%.