I. DEFINITIONS AND PROCEDURES

A. Definitions

1. "Associate Dean" refers to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research.
   
   
2. "Student Committee" refers to the Graduate Committee on Admissions and Course and Standing.
   
   
3. "Curriculum Committee" refers to the Committee on Graduate Curriculum.
   
   
4. "Graduate Program" refers to the College's Graduate Program in Vision Sciences.
   
   
5. "Qualified graduate faculty" refers to any member of the College Faculty who, following the recommendation of the Graduate Qualifications Committee, is formally designated as being qualified for the particular category of responsibilities under discussion.
   
   
6. "Academic-year quarters" refers to the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.

B. Procedures

1. This Policy Document is subordinate to, and must be interpreted in conformity with, the negotiated agreement with the UUP, the Policies of the Trustees of the State University of New York, and the Faculty Bylaws of the State College of Optometry.
   
   
2. This Policy Document shall constitute the Graduate Policy Document referred to in the Faculty Bylaws (Appendix III, Section II).
   
   
3. Changes in this Policy Document shall be made in accordance with the procedures described in the Faculty Bylaws (Appendix III, Section II).
   
   
4. In the sections that follow, when references are made to recommendations made by either the Student Committee or the Curriculum Committee, the following shall be understood:
   
   

   a. All such recommendations shall be made in writing to the Associate Dean or to whatever person in the Associate Dean's office that the Associate Dean designates.

   b. The Associate Dean shall either proceed to implement the recommendation OR shall meet with the Committee to discuss its recommendation OR shall respond in writing to the Committee indicating that its recommendation has been rejected or modified.

5. As indicated in several places below, formal communications from students concerning the Graduate Program shall all be made to the the Associate Dean's Office. When appropriate, the Associate Dean's Office shall then pass copies of these communications along to the appropriate committee for its consideration. Likewise (with the exception of transcripts, which come from the Registrar), formal communication to students concerning the Graduate Program shall come from the Associate Dean's Office.
   
   
6. The Associate Dean shall be informed of all meetings of the Student Committee and the Curriculum Committee and may attend and participate in these meetings.
   
   
7. The academic calendar for the Graduate Program shall be prepared and distributed by the office of the Associate Dean. The calendar shall generally incorporate the dates given in these policies, but under exceptional circumstances any of these dates may, in consultation with the Student Committee, be altered.
   
   
8. Every year, prior to the beginning of the Fall quarter, the Qualifications Committee shall prepare a list, in accordance with the Faculty Bylaws, of all members of the Graduate Faculty for the coming academic year. This list shall indicate which functions within the Graduate Program each faculty member has been formally qualified to perform. This list shall be sent to the office of the Associate Dean and distributed to all members of the Faculty teaching in the Graduate Program.
   
   

II. ADMISSIONS

A. Admissions Decisions

1. Applications for admission to the Graduate Program shall be made to the Associate Dean, whose office shall maintain all admissions records and shall conduct all correspondence with applicants.
   
   
2. The Associate Dean's office shall transmit all applications materials to the Student Committee, which shall consider them and convey to the Associate Dean its decisions concerning action to be taken on the application. The Committee may consult other faculty and students as it deems appropriate. It may also interview applicants, when possible, as it deems appropriate. The Associate Dean's office shall inform applicants of the decisions made by the Student Committee. (See section III.A. and note that the Student Committee makes the final decision on admissions, but not on financial support.)
   
   
3. Admission is to the Graduate Program, not to a M.S. or Ph.D. program. Every student admitted to the program who does not already have a recognized M.S. in vision science or its equivalent must first complete the M.S. degree and may then, if admitted to candidacy, proceed to complete the Ph.D. degree.

B. Admission Requirements

1. An applicant for admission must have completed the following requirements within the past ten years:
   
   

   a. Baccalaureate degree, or a professional degree in a health science

   b. Graduate Record Examination (aptitude test), or at the discretion of the Student Committee, the OAT or other similar examination

   c. Calculus - 1 year

   d. Biology (including laboratory) - 1 year

   e. General Statistics - 1 course

   f. Physics (including laboratory) - 1 year

   g. General Chemistry (including laboratory) - 1 year

   h. Ability to express oneself clearly in both written and spoken English. Foreign applicants from non-English speaking countries are required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.

   i. Letters of recommendation (3) from professors

   j. Transcripts (including 1st semester or quarter of senior year)

2. Under special circumstances, the Student Committee may recommend waiving some of the requirements for admission.

C. Admissions Timetable

1. Students will normally be admitted only to the Fall quarter, but the Student Committee may, at its discretion, recommend that a student be admitted to any other quarter.
   
   
2. Completed applications normally must be received not later than 1 March for admission to the following Summer or Fall quarter, but the Student Committee may, at its discretion, recommend the acceptance of a late application.
   
   
3. For applications completed by 1 March, notification of acceptance or rejection shall be sent to the applicant not later than 1 May.

D. Admission with advanced standing

1. A student who has been admitted to the Graduate Program may apply to the Associate Dean for transfer credit for graduate level work completed at another institution. The Student Committee shall then assess the work that has been completed and make its recommendation concerning what transfer credit to grant. Transfer credit shall be indicated as such on the student's transcript, and no grade shall be assigned to it, nor shall it be counted in the determination of the student's G.P.A.
   
   
2. If an applicant has already completed an M.S. degree in vision science, or an equivalent degree, at another institution, the Student Committee may at its discretion recommend that the applicant be admitted to work directly toward admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. In such cases all of the requirements for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. may be waived except for the requirements that the student take and pass this program's comprehensive examination at a sufficiently high level (see section XII.A.2.b.) and submit appropriate letters from the student's M.S. advisor (see section XII.A.2.c.) and the student's prospective dissertation advisor (see section XII.A.2.d.).
   
   
3. In no case shall an applicant be granted transfer credit beyond that required for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

III. FINANCIAL AID, AWARDS, AND ASSISTANTSHIPS

A. Recommendations concerning granting of financial aid and awards and the assignment of graduate assistantships shall be made by the Student Committee.

B. Students shall receive graduate assistantship support only for those quarters during which they are enrolled full-time in the graduate program.

IV. ADVISORS

A. Every graduate student must have a graduate advisor, whose role shall be to help the student plan her or his course of study, to direct the student's research, and to assist the Associate Dean and Student Committee in their periodic assessments of the student's progress.

B. A student's advisor shall be selected by the student, with the consent of the chosen advisor, from among the appropriately qualified graduate faculty.

C. It shall be the responsibility of the Associate Dean to inform students concerning available advisors and to inform all qualified faculty of students who are in need of advisors.

D. An advisor should be chosen as soon as possible following enrollment in the graduate program, but in any case no later than by the end of the student's third academic-year quarter in the graduate program. The Associate Dean shall appoint, with his or her consent, an interim advisor to students who have not yet selected an advisor.

E. A student may change to a new advisor at any time, with the consent of the newly chosen advisor.

F. A student shall signify her or his choice of advisor, or change in advisor, by a written statement, signed by both the student and the chosen advisor, filed with the office of the Associate Dean. In the case of a change of advisor, the office of the Associate Dean shall send a copy of the statement to the previous advisor.

G. At least once a year, the Student Committee shall meet with the Representative of the Graduate Program and the Associate Dean to discuss the assignment or change of assignment of qualified Faculty members as advisors to graduate students.

V. REGISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE OF MATRICULATION

A. Registration

1. Every academic-year quarter, each student's program must be approved in writing by her or his advisor and filed with the Associate Dean before the beginning of the quarter or as specified in the academic calendar.

B. Adding Courses

1. With the written approval of the instructor and the written approval of the student's advisor, a student may add courses to his or her program. Notification of such additions, along with the written approvals, must be filed with the office of the Associate Dean within the first two weeks of the quarter.

C. Withdrawal from Courses

1. A student may withdraw from a course within the first four weeks of the course without the registration or withdrawal being recorded on the transcript.
   
   
2. A student withdrawing within the first four weeks must give written notice to both the Associate Dean and the instructor in writing of his/her intention to withdraw.

D. Requirements for Active Status

1. To maintain active full-time status, students normally must maintain registration in at least 12 quarter-hours of graduate credit in each of the three academic-year quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring). With the written approval of her or his advisor, a student may petition the Associate Dean to be granted full-time status for a particular quarter while maintaining registration for as few as 9 quarter-hours of credit. A recommendation to approve such a petition shall be at the discretion of the Student Committee. Students enrolled for fewer than 9 credits hsall be considered part-time.
   
   
2. To maintain active combined program or part-time status, students normally must maintain registration in at least one graduate course (including research done for graduate credit) per academic-year quarter.
   
   
3. Students may register for graduate credit during the summer quarter, but this is not necessary in order to maintain active status in the graduate program.
   
   
4. Failure to maintain active status, without formal leave of absence, for more than one academic-year quarter, consecutively, shall result in dismissal from the graduate program.

E. Leaves of Absence

1. A student may request a leave of absence by petitioning in writing to the Associate Dean.
   
   
2. The Student Committee, following consultation with the student's advisor and other appropriate persons, may recommend granting a leave of absence of from one to four quarters duration.
   
   
3. A request for an extension of a leave of absence may be made and acted upon in the same manner as an original request for a leave of absence.

VI. GRADES, PROBATION, AND DISMISSAL

A. Letter Grades and Credit-only Grades

1. The letter grades are "A", "B", "C", "D", and "F". Of these grades, "A", "B", and "C" are passing grades and receive full graduate credit, while "D" and "F" are failing grades and receive no graduate credit.
   
   
2. Prior to admission to Candidacy for the Ph. D., all graduate courses with the exception of Master's research and independent study must be taken for letter grades.
   
   
3. The credit-only grades are P and U.
   
   
4. Master's Research or independent study shall be taken for a credit-only grade. After admission to candidacy for the Ph.D., a student may, with the written consent of the instructor, opt to take any graduate course for a credit-only grade.
   
   
5. The instructor of each course is responsible for determining the procedures to be used in evaluating performance for the course and is responsible for informing the students of these procedures at the beginning of the course.
   
   

B. Incomplete Grades

1. A grade of "I"--incomplete--indicates that the requirements of the course have not been completed by the end of the grading period but that the work that has been done has been at a passing level. A grade of "I" may be given at the discretion of the instructor.
   
   
2. An "I" grade must be replaced by a letter grade or credit-only grade no later than the end of the following quarter (the summer quarter is counted for this purpose). An "I" grade that has not been replaced by this time will be automatically converted to an "F" or a "U" grade. Under exceptional circumstances the course instructor may grant an extension of one quarter to this period. The instructor is to notify the Associate Dean's office in writing of any extension that is granted. After the "I" grade has been replaced, the student's transcript shall not indicate that the initial grade received in the course was an "I".

C. Submission of Grades

1. Instructors shall submit course grades to the Registrar within one week of the end of the final exam period.
   
   
2. A grade may be changed by the instructor of the course at any time after the grades for the course have been submitted, but only in the event that the original grade issued was in error. A written statement of such a grade change is to be submitted by the instructor to the Registrar and to the Associate Dean.

D. Notification of Grades

1. Following every academic quarter, each student will receive by mail from the Registrar a transcript of his/her grades. Grades with students' names should not be posted or otherwise made public.
2. The Registrar shall also send a copy of each transcript to the Associate Dean, who shall make it available to the Student Committee and to the student's advisor.

E. Grade Point Average (G.P.A.)

1. In calculating a student's grade point average, the quarter- hour credit assigned to a course is multiplied by the numerical weight of the grade received in the course. The numerical weights of the letter grades are as follows:

   A - 4
   B - 3
   C - 2
   D - 1
   F - 0

   Credit-only grades are not used in calculating grade point averages.

2. If a student repeats a graduate course for any reason, the student's transcript shall show this and shall show both the first and second grades received. The grades and the credit hours shall each be averaged in calculating the student's cumulative grade point average.
   
   
3. Following every academic quarter, quarterly and cumulative G.P.A.s shall be calculated by the Registrar and recorded on the students' transcripts.

F. Academic Probation and Dismissal

1. Students are expected to maintain a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.00.
   
   
2. Starting with the end of a student's second academic quarter in the graduate program, a student who, following the end of a quarter, has a cumulative graduate G.P.A. of less than 3.00 or who has received a grade of "D" or "F" in any graduate course in the quarter just completed, shall automatically be placed on academic probation.
   
   
3. A student may also be placed on academic probation if he or she is judged not to be making satisfactory progress toward the degree for which he or she is a candidate. In such cases explicit conditions should be specified that the student must meet during the next academic quarter to be removed from academic probation.
   
   
4. When a student's academic performance does not yet warrant probation but appears to be in danger of doing so, a letter of warning may be sent. The Student Committee shall recommend to the Associate Dean that the student and his/her advisor receive written notification that the student is in jeopardy of being placed on probation. In such cases explicit conditions should be specified that the student must meet to avoid being placed on probation.
   
   
5. A student whose performance warrants automatic academic probation for two consecutive academic quarters (not counting intervening summer quarters) or who fails to meet the conditions specified when he or she was placed on probation may be dismissed from the Graduate Program. An appeal process to the President is available.
   
   
6. Prior to making a recommendation of dismissal, the Student Committee shall consult with the student's advisor and shall offer the student an opportunity to meet with the Committee.
   
   
7. A student shall be informed in writing of academic probation or dismissal. A copy of any such communications shall be sent to the student's advisor.
   
   
8. Decisions concerning probation and dismissal shall be made and communicated within the first two weeks of the quarter following the quarter under consideration. A student who is dismissed shall be allowed to complete the quarter during which the decision is made. Prior commitments of financial support shall be honored during this period.

G. Transcripts and Record Keeping

1. The Registrar maintains all official transcripts for each graduate student. The transcript shall be a chronological record of each course taken, the course's instructor, the credit assigned to the course, the grade received, and the G.P.A. The transcript shall include an explanation of the Program's grading system and an explanation of the course numbering (G100-level, G200-level, etc.). Any credit awarded for prior academic work shall also be noted on the transcript.
   
   
2. Copies of all records pertinent to each student's admission to and progress through the Graduate program, except official transcripts, shall be kept by the Associate Dean and made available to the Student Committee as requested.

VII. GRADUATE COURSES AND CREDIT

A. Graduate credit for professional courses

1. Certain courses in the professional curriculum have been designated as courses that may be taken for graduate credit. The Curriculum Committee may recommend additions to or deletions from this list.
   
   
2. All such courses shall be given G100-level graduate course designations.
   
   
3. The graduate quarter-hour credit assigned to G100-level courses shall be computed as one quarter-hour of credit for each hour of lecture per week and 0.5 quarter-hour of credit for each hour of laboratory or recitation per week.
   
   
4. Students in the combined program who wish to receive graduate credit for G100-level courses that they are taking as part of their professional program requirements must follow the usual procedures for registration in (or withdrawal from) graduate courses. Otherwise, they will not receive graduate credit for the courses and the courses will not appear on their graduate transcripts.
   
   
5. Students entering the combined program may petition the Associate Dean, as described above, for graduate credit for G100 level courses already completed in the professional program. Ordinarily such credit shall be granted for such courses in which the student received an "A" or a "B". The graduate transcript shall not include grades for work completed prior to entering the graduate program and such grades shall not be counted in computing the student's G.P.A.

B. Graduate Seminars

1. All graduate seminars on the options list6 for the M.S. degree shall be designated as G200-level courses.
   
   
2. Other graduate seminars shall be designated as G300 level courses.
   
   
3. G200-level and G300-level seminars shall be assigned one graduate quarter-hour of credit for each hour that the seminar meets per week. If such seminars have associated laboratory or recitation meetings, these shall be assigned 0.5 quarter-hour of credit for each meeting hour per week.
   
   
4. Proposals for graduate seminars must be submitted to the Associate Dean no later than the third week of the quarter prior to the quarter in which the seminar is proposed to be offered. The Curriculum Committee shall consider such proposals and shall recommend whether the proposal be accepted, rejected, or modified as to content and amount of meeting time and associated credit.

C. Credit for research and independent study

1. Students working toward the M.S. degree may register for and receive credit for their research activities. Such credit shall be designated at the G200-level. Up to 9 quarter-hours of such credit may be counted toward the M.S. degree.
   
   
2. Students may register for and receive credit for independent study. Such credit shall be at the G300-level.
   
   
3. Students working toward the Ph.D. degree may register for and receive credit for their research activities. Such credit shall be designated at the G400-level.
   
   
4. To receive graduate credit for research or independent study in a given quarter, a student must follow the usual procedures for registration in (or withdrawal from) graduate courses and so must have the signed consent of the advisor. They must also have the signed consent of the person supervising the research or independent study, if different from the advisor.
   
   
5. In general it shall be expected that a student do at least three hours of work per week for each one quarter-hour of credit for research or independent study.
   
   
6. Research and independent study shall receive credit-only grades.

D. Credit for work to be done at other institutions

1. A student enrolled in the graduate program may, with the written approval of his or her advisor, petition the Associate Dean to receive graduate credit for courses, seminars, or research to be undertaken at another institution. Regarding research, when the majority of it is being done off campus, the Office of the Associate Dean and the Student Committee should be notified. Subsequently, after due consideration, the Student Committee should make a recommendation to the Associate Dean. Petitions must be made no later than the beginning of the quarter prior to the quarter in which such work is to be done.
   
   
2. Such petitions shall be considered by the Curriculum Committee, which shall make a recommendation on granting or denying credit, and may also recommend conditions that must be met (in terms of grade earned, supervision, reporting, etc.) for credit to be granted.

VIII. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE M.S. DEGREE

A. Completion of the curriculum requirements (see Section IX).

B. Completion of at least 60 quarter-hours of graduate credit, at least 30 of which must be at the G200-level or above. Up to 30 quarter- hours of graduate credit may be earned at another institution (either prior to or following enrollment in this program), but at least 30 quarter-hours (including research credit) at the G200-level or above must be completed in this program.

C. A cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.00.

D. Completion of the Master's Research requirement (see section X.).

E. Passing of the Comprehensive Examination (see section XI.).

F. M.S. degrees may be awarded four times a year, near the end of each quarter. (Commencement ceremonies are held once a year, near the end of the Spring quarter, for all degrees awarded during the past year.)

G. When a student has completed all the requirements for the M.S. degree, the student may file a written request for the degree with the office of the Associate Dean. The first day of each quarter is the deadline for filing a request to receive a degree near the end of that quarter.

H. At the time of filing a request for the M.S. degree, the student must also indicate whether he or she wishes to be considered for Candidacy for the Ph.D. The Student Committee shall consider the question of candidacy in conjunction with its consideration of the request for the M.S. degree. (see section XII.A.)

I. Following a written request for the degree, the Student Committee shall examine the student's credentials and, if all the requirements have been completed, shall recommend to the Associate Dean that the student be awarded the degree of M.S. in Vision Science at the next opportunity. Awarding of the degree shall be subject to verification by the Registrar that all requirements have been completed.

IX. CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

A. The Core Curriculum

1. To qualify for the M.S. degree, a student must pass the following G100-level courses:
   
   

   G101 Physiological Optics I (optics of the eye)
   G102 Physiological Optics II (monocular sensory processes)
   G103 Ocular Anatomy and Physiology I
   G104 Ocular Anatomy and Physiology II

2. All such students must also pass a 3 credit G200-level Introduction to Statistical Methods (G201).
   
   
3. All students must also pass the 3 credit G200 level course Introductory Seminar in Vision Science (G217). The course is graded as pass/unsatisfactory.
   
   
4. All students must also pass the 1 credit G200 level course Ethics in Research (G219). The course is graded as pass/unsatisfactory.
   
   
5. The published description of each core course shall list any courses or material prerequisite or corequisite to that course. Students must meet these requirements to the satisfaction of the course instructor.

B. The Options List

1. To qualify for the M.S. degree, a student must pass seven (7) of the following G200-level seminars:
   
   

   G202 Optics of the Eye
   G203 Spatial-temporal Processes
   G204 Color Vision
   G205 Vegetative Physiology of the Eye
   G207 LGN and Cortex
   G208 Ocular Motility
   G209 Binocular Vision
   G210 Visual Perception
   G211 Ocular Biochemistry
   G212 Ocular Pharmacology
   G213 Ocular Pathology
   G214 Accommodation
   G216 Visual Physiology of the Eye
   G218 Visual Development

2. Each of the above seminars shall be a 3-credit course.
   
   
3. Seminars in the above areas are expected to be somewhat broad, rather than narrowly specialized, but are not necessarily expected to cover all of the topic area or to cover exactly the same ground every time they are offered. (A student may, with the permission of his or her advisor, take more than one seminar in the same topic area, but is still required to take seminars in seven distinct options list areas.)
   
   
4. A student taking an options list seminar must also satisfy the prerequisites and co-requisites for the seminar.
   
   
5. Each time an options list seminar is to be offered, a proposal concerning the topics to be covered must be submitted to the Associate Dean no later than the third week of the quarter prior to the quarter in which the seminar is to be offered. The Curriculum Committee shall consider the proposal and recommend whether it is appropriate in content and breadth for the options list area or needs to be modified. If necessary, the Curriculum Committee shall also recommend whether the proposed seminar is sufficiently different in content from a previous seminar in that options area so that a student taking both seminars could receive separate graduate credit for each of them.
   
   
6. By the end of the quarter during which an options list seminar is offered, a complete reading list for the seminar must be requested and received by the Associate Dean to be put on file. (This is for future planning of the Comprehensive Examinations).
   
   
7. The Associate Dean is requested to make every reasonable effort to ensure that at least two options list seminars are offered every academic quarter and to plan and announce the scheduling of these offerings at least two years in advance.

C. Exemptions from required courses

1. A student may, on the basis of previous work, request an exemption either from a required course in the core curriculum or from a required prerequisite or co-requisite to a core curriculum course or to an options list seminar. Such requests shall be made by petition in writing to the instructor of the core course or the options list seminar.
   
   
2. The instructor may use any appropriate evaluative method in deciding on whether to recommend the exemption and shall transmit his or her recommendation in writing to the Associate Dean.

X. M.S. RESEARCH

A. Each student must write a paper, in publication form, based on the student's research activities.

B. The paper must be approved by an ad hoc committee, consisting of the student's advisor, as chair, and two other members of the Graduate Faculty. This committee shall be appointed by the Associate Dean in consultation with the student's advisor. The ad hoc committee may if it desires make use of consultants not on the committee.

XI. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

A. Timetable for the Comprehensives

1. A student must have active status in the Graduate Program during the quarter in which he or she takes the Comprehensive Examination.
   
   
2. Except as noted below, all full-time students must take the Comprehensive Examination not later than the end of the 13th quarter from time of entry into the program. All combined-program students must take the Comprehensive Examination not later than the one year following the awarding of the O.D. degree. Students who have been admitted to work directly toward the Ph.D. (see section II.D.2.) must take the Comprehensive Examination within one year of the time that they enter the program.
   
   
3. The Comprehensive Examination will be offered twice each year, during the second week of January and during the second week of July.
   
   
4. Intention to take the Comprehensive Examination must be declared in writing to the Associate Dean, with the written approval of the student's advisor. The deadline for this declaration is the preceding November 1 for the January examination and the preceding May 1 for the July examination.
   
   
5. At the time that a student declares his or her intention to take the Comprehensive Examination, the student shall also declare the seven (7) options list areas in which he or she wishes to be examined.
   
   
6. A student who has signed up to take the Comprehensive Examination may withdraw without penalty by submitting a written request to the Associate Dean up to one week prior to the date that the Examination is scheduled to begin. After the time for withdrawal has passed, failure to take the Examination shall be counted as failure on the Examination unless the student submits a written excuse judged to be valid by the Associate Dean.

B. Procedure for the Comprehensives

1. The format of the Comprehensive Examination.
   
   

   a. The Comprehensive Examination shall be written.
   
   b. When more than one student is taking the examination, the committee shall make reasonable efforts to provide for a "blind" evaluation of the examinations. To this end, the Associate Dean's Office shall assign every examinee a number to use, instead of his or her name, in identifying his or her examination. These identification numbers, rather than names, shall be used by the committee throughout the examination process. Neither the committee members nor the any other readers/evaluators of the examinations shall be informed of the identity of the examinees at any time during process of giving and grading the examinations.
   
   c. The examination shall be in sections, one section for each of the options list areas in which one or more students has declared an intention to be examined.
   
   d. The examination in a particular area shall be the same for all students being examined in that area and shall not be tailored to suit the interests or expertise of any particular student.
   
   e. Each section of the examination shall be approximately one hour in duration. All students taking a particular section shall take it at the same time. All sections of the examination shall be administered within a one-week period.
   
   f. Within the constraints imposed by these Policies, the examining committee has complete discretion over the scheduling and method of administration of the examination. The committee shall send students a written statement of this information not later than November 15 for the January examination and May 15 for the July examination.

2. The content of the examination.
   
   

   a. Each section of the examination shall focus on the material covered in the options list seminar in that area but may also draw on material from the prerequisites or co-requisites to that seminar and on pertinent material from any of the courses in the core curriculum. If all of the students taking one particular section of the exam are also taking another particular section of the exam, then questions in the former section may also draw on material from the latter section.
   
   b. Each section of the examination shall allow each student some choice in what to answer.
   
   c. Appropriate record keeping is necessary to ensure that the questions in each section are appropriate. If there are students taking the exam who have taken an options list seminar at different times and if the topics covered by the seminar differed sufficiently in those two times it was given, then an appropriate choice of questions would have to be made available.
   
   d. The questions for each section of the examination shall be written by the instructor(s) of the options list seminar that was offered in that area. The instructor(s) may consult with others in writing the questions.
   
   

3. The Examining Committee
   
   

   a. After scheduling a comprehensive examination, the Associate Dean, after consulting with and receiving the recommendation of the Curriculum Committee, shall appoint a three-member examining committee. Every effort shall be made to appoint successive committees with no members in common. Each examining committee shall be composed of people with complementary areas of knowledge and expertise. The members shall be appointed on the basis of the breadth of their general knowledge, and need not teach a course or have their major research interest in any particular part of the curriculum. One member of each three-member committee shall be designated as chairman.
   
   b. The committee shall be responsible for soliciting and obtaining questions from the appropriate members of the graduate faculty (as indicated in Section XI.B.2.d above) and shall be responsible for reviewing these questions to ensure that they conform to these Policies. The committee may also review questions for their clarity, level of difficulty in comparison with previous exams, and other criteria that seem appropriate in the judgment of the committee. The committee may request that questions be revised as necessary.
   
   c. If the committee is unable, for whatever reasons, to obtain satisfactory questions from the person(s) responsible for writing them, the committee may request the assistance of other faculty members. Records concerning the readings in options list seminars may be obtained as necessary from the Associate Dean for this purpose (see Section IX.B.6. and Section XI.B.2.c.).
   
   

4. Grades on the Comprehensive Examination.
   
   

   a. Each answer to a question on the comprehensive exam shall be read and graded by the member of the faculty who submitted the question. The committee shall review all grades and, at its discretion, may request that an answer be independently graded by one or more additional faculty members. The grades shall be numerical, between one and five, with fractional grades allowed, to be assigned thus:

   5 = honors. To be given only exceptionally.
   4 = very good. For particularly excellent answers.
   3 = pass. For essays which answer the question correctly.
   2 = inadequate.
   1 = no answer or very poor.

   These grades do not correspond to the A-F grading scheme used in evaluating course work. The overall grade for the comprehensive examination shall be determined by the committee based on an evaluation of the scores.
   
   b. The examining committee shall inform the Associate Dean of the results of the comprehensive examination. This shall be done by means of letters, one for each examinee, stating whether the examinee passed or failed, giving the overall numerical grade received by the examinee, and including a narrative explaining how that numerical grade was determined. The Dean's office shall send copies of each examinee's letter to the examinee and to his or her advisor and shall also make these letters available to the Student Committee.
   
   c. The entire process of grading and notification shall be completed by within one month following the time that the comprehensive examination is given.
   
   d. A students who receives an overall grade equal to or greater than 3.0 shall have passed the comprehensive examination. A student who receives a grade of less than 3.0 may stay in the program, and may repeat the examination the next time that it is offered. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program.
   
   e. When a student is dismissed for failing the comprehensive examination, he or she shall have the option of remaining in the program, with a continuation of previously committed financial support, for the quarter following that in which the examination was taken.
   
   f. Whether the comprehensive examination was passed or failed shall be recorded on the student's transcript.

XII. Ph.D. IN VISION SCIENCE

A. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D.

1. Admission to candidacy shall be considered by the Student Committee during the first two weeks of each quarter. Requests for admission to candidacy must be submitted by the first day of the quarter in order to receive consideration. (see section VIII.H.)

2. The requirements for admission to candidacy are as follows:
   
   

   a. Completion of the requirements for the M.S. degree. This requirement may be waived for some students admitted with advanced standing (see section II.D.2.).
   
   b. Passing the comprehensive examination.
   
   c. A letter from the M.S. advisor recommending that the applicant be allowed to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. (In the case of students admitted with advanced standing, as specified in section II.D.2., this letter may come from someone from outside this Institution.)
   
   d. A letter from a qualified member of the graduate faculty indicating a willingness to be the dissertation advisor for the applicant.

3. Decisions on admission to candidacy shall follow these guidelines:
   
   

   a. If all of the above requirements are fulfilled, the Student Committee shall recommend admission to candidacy.
   
   b. If the applicant is not able to satisfy the requirement in section XII.A.2.c. above (i.e., the positive letter from the M.S. advisor), the applicant shall be given the opportunity to meet with the committee and/or to submit additional materials, including other letters. Also, the committee may solicit additional materials and may consult with other members of the graduate faculty. The Committee may then, at its discretion, waive this requirement if in its judgment the applicant shows sufficient promise for successfully completing Ph.D. work.
   
   c. In recommending rejection of an application for admission to candidacy, the Student Committee shall indicate which of the requirements the applicant has failed to satisfy.

4. A student whose application for admission to candidacy is rejected shall be dismissed from the program but shall be allowed to complete, with continuing support, the quarter in which that decision is made.

B. Requirements for the Ph.D.

1. Complete at least 60 credits beyond those required for the M.S. degree. These credits must be at the G200 level or above.
   
   
2. Be enrolled full-time for at least 4 consecutive quarters.
   
   
3. Take and pass a specialty area examination (see section XII.C.3.).
   
   
4. Have a dissertation approved (see section XII.D.).
   
   
5. Ph.D. degrees may be awarded four times a year, near the end of each quarter. (Commencement ceremonies are held once a year, near the end of the Spring quarter, for all degrees awarded during the year.
   
   
6. When a student has completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, the student may file a written request for the degree with the office of the Associate Dean. The first day of each quarter is the deadline for filing a request to receive a degree near the end of that quarter.
   
   
7. Following a written request for the degree, the Student Committee shall examine the student's credentials and, if all the requirements have been completed, shall recommend to the Associate Dean that the student be awarded the degree of Ph.D. in Vision Science at the next opportunity. Awarding of the degree shall be subject to verification by the Registrar that all requirements have been completed.

C. Dissertation Proposal and Specialty Examination

1. Following admission to candidacy, the student shall select a thesis advisor and describe a specialty area. These must have the consent of the thesis advisor and be approved by the Associate Dean in consultation with the Student committee. The description of the specialty area must include both definition and scope.
   
   
2. The Associate Dean, in consultation with the Student Committee, shall then appoint a Dissertation Committee consisting of:
   
   

   a. The student's advisor who shall act as chairman.
   
   b. Two qualified faculty who have been recommended by the student and her or his advisor and who have agreed to serve on the Committee.

3. The specialty area examination must be taken not later than the end of the fourth quarter following the quarter in which the student is admitted to candidacy. This exam shall be based on material within the previously approved definition and scope of the area and is conducted by the Dissertation Committee. Two out of three affirmative votes are necessary for passing. If the examination is failed, it must be re-taken not later than the end of the second quarter following the quarter in which the initial exam is given. A second failure will result in the candidate being dismissed from the program.
   
   
4. A draft dissertation proposal must be submitted to the Dissertation Committee for comment and revision not later than the end of the fourth quarter following the quarter in which the student is admitted to candidacy.
   
   
5. A final dissertation proposal must be approved unanimously not later than the end of the second quarter following the quarter in which it was submitted. An extension of this deadline may be granted by the Associate Dean on the recommendation of the Student Committee. Failure to meet the deadline for approval of the proposal will result in the candidate being dismissed from the program.
   
   
6. Changes in the Dissertation Committee can be made at the request of the student and with the consent of the person being substituted for another on the Committee. A written statement of the change, signed by both the student and the new member must be filed with the office of the Associate Dean. The office of the Associate Dean shall send a copy of the statement to the previous Committee member.

D. Dissertation

1. An oral dissertation defense will be conducted by the Dissertation Committee, augmented by a member appointed from outside the College by the Associate Dean in consultation with the Student Committee. It is expected that in-house members of the Dissertation Committee will have been kept informed of progress on the dissertation during the conduct of research.
   
   
2. Interested members of the graduate faculty may attend the dissertation defense and may participate in the questioning. Only the Dissertation Committee (including its outside member) may vote on approval.
   
   
3. Approval of the dissertation must be unanimous. Signatures of all members of the Dissertation Committee (including its outside member) indicating approval are necessary.
   
   
4. Final, approved copies of the dissertation must be submitted to the Associate Dean not later than 5 years after admission to candidacy.