The purpose of the qualifying exam is to establish that the student has acquired sufficient proficiency in the discipline of behavioral and neural sciences for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree. The qualifying exam is divided into two components, the comprehensive exam and the candidacy exam. The comprehensive exam is taken at the end of the first year whereas the qualifying exam is taken at the beginning of the third year. The comprehensive exam consists of an oral exam on general neuroscience knowledge. The qualifying exam consists of both a written exam (in journal format or as a grant proposal) with an oral presentation and oral defense of the written document to be based upon the subject of an early research project. The early research project may or may not have publishable data and may or may not be the prelude to future thesis research. Thus, this exam tests general information of neuroscience, specific knowledge related to the topic of the early research project, the ability to plan and execute laboratory research, and oral and written communication skills.
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