YOUR JOURNEY TO MSC / PhD DEGREE

GENERAL WORKFLOW

Offer Letter –

MSc & PhD

Fulfill 2 Core modules + 2

Electives (for MSc)PQE

Fulfill additional 2 Electives (for PhD)PhD Oral DefenseConferment

GRADUATE WITH MASTERS (2 - 3 YEARS)

GRADUATE WITH PhD (4 – 5 YEARS)

Comprehensive version

PQE

PhD Oral Defense

(+Written Exam from Aug 2010 Intake)

TIMELINE FOR PQE

Month 0 onwards –Continuous Research

Month 18 –Submit PQE

Month 20 –Revision for written component (if any)

Month 22 –Oral component

By Month 24, student would have known the outcome of his/her PQE

New Requirement is to complete PQE withinFIRST 24 months from your enrolment

CHECKPOINTS BEFORE SUBMITTINGA PQE APPLICATION FORM

Pass the 2 prescribed Core modules (MDG5108 and MDG5771).

Pass Elective modules (worth 2MC or 4MC), totalling 8 MCs with an average CAP of at least 3.5 (B) for all the modules.

Pass and obtain a minimum grade C for Graduate English course(s), where applicable, for students admitted before August 2010 or a minimum grade of C+ for students admitted with effect from August 2010.

Substantial published / publishable work done in a project that is highly creative/original, or involves innovative new technology.

PhD QUALIFYING EXAMAUGUST 2010 INTAKE ONWARDS

Application forms to be submitted by 18 months upon enrolment

Include:

A. written research proposal

B. any manuscript(s) submitted, accepted or published, if any

Use this as reference for the latest version

PhD QUALIFYING EXAMAUGUST 2010 INTAKE ONWARDS

Written Component

Assessed by 2 invited examiners

Oral Component

Will be scheduled only upon successful written component

Assessed by 2 nominated examiners (by Supervisor) + 1 nominated chairperson (by Assistant Dean)

A template for PhD Research Proposal for

submission of PQE

Please refer to the slides from Prof Theresa Tanfor more information

Outcomes of PQE

1. Pass PQE – proceed to form TAC (within 2 months)

2. Failed but can re-take the examination after maximum 3 months

3. Failed

Exit with MSc

Student will still need to write up a proper MSc thesis and follow the proper procedure for submission

Two soft-bound copies

Softcopy (pdf format) of the thesis in CD-ROM

TAC FORMATIONPhD program students,

TAC will need to be formed 2 months from date of

admission

Submission by 2 months after Pass PQE (For MSc students upgrade to PhD)

Students & supervisors will need to nominate faculty members to be part of the Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC)

TAC form to be filled up and submitted to Department for processing

Guidelines for PhD Thesis

Standard Scientific Template

https://share.nus.edu.sg/registrar/student/info/General-Guidelines-on-Format-of-Research-Thesis-Submitted-For-Examination.pdf

Consistency of abbreviations and references / bibliography

Word limit: 40,000 words

Reviewed by Supervisor and Proof reading

Anti-Plagiarism screen using Turnitin

Attached reprints or printouts of published papers, list of posters and abstracts etc.

4 Bound copy submissions and Soft copy submission

NOMINATION OF EXAMINERS FOR MARKING OF THESIS (PhD)

Around 3rd to latest 4th Year of PhD:

To be submitted to Dept. at least 3 months before submitting thesis.

Nominate:MSc – 2 internal examinersPhD – 2 internal examiners + 1 external

examiner

Examiners must sign declaration of “Non-Conflict”.

THESIS SUBMISSION FORM

HOD will nominate a Department faculty as a Chairperson

At the point of submission, (counting ahead) the oral defense will be scheduled approximately 11 weeks later

For example,

Thesis submission form submitted on 5 September 2011 . 11 weeks later, oral defense date can be any day between 5 – 19 December 2011.

[Dept. will begin counting ahead from the date HOD signed the thesis submission form]

PhD Oral Defense

Oral Defense Exam Panel

Chairman (Head’s Nominee)

2 Internal Examiners

PhD Oral Defense Open Seminar (typically 1 hour, about 30 slides)

Closed door assessment Q&A (Supervisor may be invited as observer)

Outcome notified informally and/or formally

Revision of Thesis

Outcomes of PhD Exam

Awarded PhD degree

Recommend award of PhD degree subject to revisions being made to satisfaction of supervisor and the oral panel

Or asked to present again

Submit to Student Services Centre together with your

CD

Hand in to Dept. together with ETD form but

submit to DO for follow up

AFTER Successful PhD ORAL DEFENSE

HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR SENIORS…PostDoc Training while doing PhD

Before PhDDuring PhD

(2006-2010; part-time) After PhD

TotalB.Appl.Sci(Hons.)(99-03)

MSc(03-05)

Before PQE (Apr. 2008)

Upon PhD submission(July 2010)

2 8 7 3 5 25

Dr Asif Khan (PhD 2010)Assistant ProfessorPerdana University Graduate School of Medicine(in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

http://www.perdanauniversity.edu.my/pugsom/faculty/details/31

Publications

Asif M.KhanWhile he was a Graduate Student…

Research

Publications (17 upon PhD Submission)

Conference participation – offered paper/talk; Invited speaker

Grant application and Management (NIH U19 and RO1; EU FP7)

Teaching

Teaching Assistant for LSM2104,3241,MDG5101

Curriculum Review; CDTL Pedagogy Grant

High >4.5 score in Student Feedback

Extra coaching classes for students

Service

Conducted international and local training workshops

Invited lecturer

HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR SENIORS…Preparation for International

accolades

Dr Tong Joo Chuan (PhD 2007)Principal Investigator & Assistant HeadData Mining DepartmentA*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research, Singapore

Assistant Professor (Adjunct)Department of BiochemistryYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singaporehttp://medicine.nus.edu.sg/bch/victor.html

Achievements1. Outstanding Mentor Award, Singapore, 2009 – 20112. Senior Advisor, Pfizer Scientific Advisory Committee, 20103. Chair, Organizing Committee, International Conference on Bioinformatics 20094. Singapore Youth Award (Science and Technology), 20095. MIT Technology Review TR35 Award, 20086. A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) Annual Role Model Award, 2007http://www.sya.sg/awardees2000s/SYA2009/Dr_Tong_Joo_Chuan.pdfhttp://www.innovationmagazine.com/volumes/v8n3/preserved-docs/62_64.pdf

Overcoming any setbacks

NUS BSc Computing Hons 2nd Lower

Worked as TA, RA etc

PhD Oral Defense: Passed

Total of 37 publications to date!

Invited speakers to 18 presentations to date!

And has assessed 7 thesis examinations to date!

Do not lose heart if things don’t work out

the first time,

Always try and try your best!

“ALL OUR FORMS CAN BEFOUND ONLINE…”

School of Medicine

(http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/postgrad/other_form.html)

Registrar’s Office

(http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/forms.html)

This slides can be found online via our Department’s

website

(http://medicine.nus.edu.sg/bch/)