Biomechanics and Movement Science (PhD)

Requirements for the Degrees

Individualized plans of study in one of the five approved Areas of Study: Applied Anatomy and Biomechanics, Applied Physiology, Motor Control and Behavior, Rehabilitation Engineering, and Tissue and Molecular Biomechanics, are created to serve the interests of both the student and sponsoring faculty member. Core courses for all areas of study include two (MS) or three (PhD) semesters of BIOMS seminar, an experimental design/statistics course, a course in computing, laboratory instrumentation or engineering applications, and two courses outside the principal area of study.

The PhD program requires 33 credit hours of coursework (including BMSC 865  and BMSC 868 ), plus nine credit hours of dissertation. Students with bachelor degrees and a professional doctorate may enter the PhD program. Students with a bachelor’s degree and a professional doctorate enter the PhD program. As with the master’s degree, the student’s plan of study should be created by the student and his/her advisor by the end of the first semester. This program of study must then be reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of the BIOMS program. The dissertation committee must consist of at least three BIOMS faculty membersm one of whom must be from a department different than that of the advisor, and one committee member from outside the BIOMS program. Please refer to the program policy statement for more specific details regarding dissertation committee membership. Students will be required to successfully complete a two-hour oral Qualifying Exam near the end of the second semester (fall/spring) in the program, and a written Independent Development Plan (IDP) for their Candidacy Exam by the end of the fourth semester. Prior to conducting the dissertation, the student must successfully defend the dissertation proposal. The defense of the dissertation proposal constitutes the qualifying examination for candidacy into the PhD degree program. Candidacy is completed when the student successfully defends the dissertation.