College of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Veterinary Clinical and Life Sciences
About This Degree
The minimum requirement for the PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences is 42 approved graduate semester credit hours, which include a minimum of 12 credit hours for dissertation research (7970), in addition to an MS or DVM degree, or 70 approved graduate semester credit hours, which also include at least 18 hours of dissertation research credits, beyond a bachelor’s degree. PhD candidates with an MS degree should choose core courses based on their previous training to avoid duplication and allow for ideal complementation of their existing expertise in counsel with their major professors. Students may select from the course list provided.
A doctorate must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.
Upon completion of all or most courses, successful comprehensive examinations, and approval of a proposal for dissertation research, the student must submit an Application for Candidacy to the School of Graduate Studies at least three months before the final defense. All committee members, the department head, the School of Graduate Studies, and the Office of Research must approve the candidacy form. Submission of the candidacy form is a significant point in the student’s program because the committee and department head thereby attest the student is ready to conduct independent dissertation research, although successful completion is not guaranteed. After the final defense, the student should submit their finalization paperwork and finished manuscript to the School of Graduate Studies for review. Once approved, the manuscript will either be uploaded to DigitalCommons, or physically submitted to the library if the student wishes to embargo their work. Library personnel will notify the student and the School of Graduate Studies once the manuscript is accepted.
- For more information about Biomedical Sciences, see the Department of Veterinary Clinical and Life Sciences website.
- Admitted and current students must meet with an academic advisor.
- Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
Degree Verification
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.
- Overall Graduate GPA of at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower; Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
Course Number Acceptability
Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000. Coursework more than eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated. If permitted by the departmental or interdepartmental degree program policy, a supervisory committee may develop and submit a revalidation plan to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for approval. The plan and determination must be verified in writing and include the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and the student’s major professor or other person(s) responsible for the revalidation.
USU Residency Requirement
The purpose of the doctoral residency requirement is to ensure the student experiences at least one period of concentrated attention to study, research, and interaction with faculty. At least 33 semester credits for a doctoral (PhD) degree must be taken from Utah State University and must be part of an approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University is required. Additionally, meeting the residency requirement also means doctoral students must take part in the academic community of their program. Participation could include collaborative scholarship with faculty or peers, working as a research assistant or graduate instructor, attending professional meetings, being involved with student or professional organizations, and participating in colloquia or orientation programs. This participation may or may not coincide with the period of concentrated study.
Dissertation Research Credits (7970)
A minimum of 12 dissertation credits (7970) is required if the student has a master’s degree and a minimum of 18 dissertation credits (7970) is required if the student has a bachelor’s degree. The semesters during which a student registers for dissertation credit should correspond as closely as possible to the semesters in which the dissertation work is done and faculty supervision is provided.
Required PhD graduate student forms:
- Approval of academic forms required for PhD students by the School of Graduate Studies:
- Supervisory Committee (due by the end of the student’s third semester)
- Program of Study (due before the end of the student’s third semester)
- Thesis/Project Approval
- Application, Appointment for Candidacy (due at least three months before the final defense)
- Appointment for Examination
- Record of Examination
- SGS and library review & approval
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