Degree Programs in Vision Science

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Vision Science Disciplines Degree Programs in Vision Science

Degree Programs Ph.D. Degree Degree Completion The Ph.D. program requirements can be completed in an average of 4-5 years. TA Experience Requirements for the Ph.D. program: Qualifying Exam First Year Thesis/Dissertation Committee

Research Proposal Enroll in all six courses listed below:

Thesis/Dissertation Defense GBS 707: Basic Biochemistry Coursework GBS 708: Basic Genetics GBS 731: Principles of Cellular Neuroscience Core Curriculum VIS 744: Ocular Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry Courses VIS 745: Biology and Pathology of the Posterior Segment

Course Dates VIS 756: Visual Neuroscience

Dauphin Island Sea Lab Complete three 10 week lab rotations in labs of the student’s choice. Students UAB Graduate School Links enter the Vision Science Graduate Program with the intent of using their classroom and laboratory experiences during the first year to help them further define their research interests. The lab rotations allow students to choose areas and mentors that are of interest to them, with the idea that at the end of the 3rd rotation, a student will be prepared to select a permanent lab/mentor in which to carry out their Ph.D. research.

Second Year

PhD students are further required to take three upper level (700) graduate elective courses plus a course in statistics, and ethics. Dauphin Island Sea Lab (VIS 729) will count toward one of the electives. Select a dissertation committee

http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/degree-programs[6/23/2014 2:42:08 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Degree Programs

Third Year and beyond

Propose, conduct, and defend dissertation research

MS Degree

The M.S. program requirements can be completed in an average of 2-4 years. Requirements for the M.S. degree:

Enroll in three of the six core class modules (VIS 743, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748).

Students have the option of completing three 10 week lab rotations in labs of the student’s choice. Once a student identifies a lab/mentor in which to carry out their thesis research, they may cease lab rotations.

Enroll in an ethics, presentation, and statistics course. Students may also choose to take other electives.

Select a thesis committee

Propose, conduct, and defend thesis research

OD/MS Degree

For students accepted into the UAB School of Optometry, the O.D./M.S. combined degree program prepares students for careers that combine clinical optometry and clinical and/or basic research in Vision Science. This program involves a combination of basic science, research, and clinical training. The program is geared toward students who have outstanding scholastic qualifications and are highly motivated to pursue careers as clinician-scientists.

Full tuition and fees waiver for graduate research credits leading to an M.S. degree in Vision Science

http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/degree-programs[6/23/2014 2:42:08 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Degree Programs Stipends available on competitive basis (applicants for the T-35 training grant must be U.S. citizens or have permanent residency status) Can be completed during the four years of Optometry School Qualifications: 3.0 G.P.A. and enrollment or acceptance into the UAB School of Optometry

REQUIREMENTS FOR DEGREE:

Student must have earned a minimum of 30 credit hours Formal selection of a Graduate Committee Advancement to Candidacy (approval of a research project proposal) Formal public presentation and approval of a thesis

DEGREE OUTLINE: Timing is very important in the combined degree program and you will be making good progress if you are meeting the following guidelines. Here is a tentative guideline for you to plan on for successful progress:

Year 1 -

Fall 08 – Search for lab/mentor (3) Spring 09 – Search for lab/mentor, selection of mentor at end of spring term (3) Summer 09 – Selection of project by end of summer and Graduate Committee formed (3) Year 2 -

Fall 09 – work on proposal (3) Spring 10 – present/defend proposal (3) Summer 10 – data collection (6) Year 3 -

Fall 10 – writing thesis (4) Spring 11 – writing thesis (4) Summer 11 – thesis defense (4)

http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/degree-programs[6/23/2014 2:42:08 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Qualifying Exam

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Vision Science Disciplines The Qualifying Exam The requirements for the qualifying exam were changed during Degree Programs the 07-08 academic year. Students are required to take 4 exams

Degree Completion out of the 6 core modules. However, students who make an “A” in four of the core modules and do not have less than an “B” in TA Experience the other two modules may be exempt from taking a qualifying Qualifying Exam exam. If the student makes less than four “A”s the student may be exempt from one exam for each “A” was earned, provided Thesis/Dissertation Committee that a “B” was earned on each of the other classes. A student Research Proposal who must take an exam, may not take the exam in the core class

Thesis/Dissertation Defense for which they earned the “A”. Students taking an exam must pass according to the Core Coursework Module Director’s approval. Should the student not pass, but

Core Curriculum faculty feel remediation is acceptable, the student will be required to produce additional work to earn a passing grade. If a Courses pass is not earned after the additional course work for Course Dates remediation, or after the initial test, a student will be required to take an oral exam in front of the Examination Committee (six Dauphin Island Sea Lab Core Module Directors). The student must pass the oral examination. UAB Graduate School Links The failure of any student to perform to the Examining Committee’s satisfaction in two of the four exams may be cause for dismissal of the student from the program.

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Vision Science Disciplines The Thesis/Dissertation Committee

Degree Programs The Thesis/Dissertation Committee should be formed as early as

Degree Completion possible after the selection of a mentor and the identification of the research project. TA Experience The Committee for PhD students will consist of the mentor and Qualifying Exam four other faculty members, at least one of whom should be from

Thesis/Dissertation Committee outside the Department of Vision Sciences. The Committee for MS students will consist of the mentor and two other faculty Research Proposal members, with at least one of whom are outside the Department Thesis/Dissertation Defense of Vision Sciences. Faculty selected for committee appointments must have UAB Graduate Faculty Status. To find a list of Coursework qualifying faculty members and/or requirements, please click

Core Curriculum HERE. The student will then notify the Program Manager of the Courses requested committee membership and complete the Committee Course Dates Selection form found HERE.

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UAB Graduate School Links

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Vision Science Disciplines The Research Proposal

Degree Programs Before students can submit a research proposal, they must have

Degree Completion successfully completed all required courses. For PhD students, they must have also successfully passed their qualifying TA Experience examination(s). Qualifying Exam The format and length of proposal is at the discretion of the

Thesis/Dissertation Committee mentor and Committee. It is preferred that the student prepare a written proposal in a form like the NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Research Proposal Application such as form PHS 398 as a guide. The student will Thesis/Dissertation Defense then contact the Program Office for assistance in contacting the Committee to schedule a meeting for the oral presentation of the Coursework proposal. This is a private presentation between the student and

Core Curriculum their Committee. A final copy of the proposal will be delivered to each Committee member, not less than two weeks (14 calendar Courses days) before the proposal meeting. Course Dates At the meeting, the student will present the research proposal orally and respond to questions from the Committee members. Dauphin Island Sea Lab The Program Director may, at his or her discretion, be present at

UAB Graduate School Links the proposal meeting and participate in the evaluation process. After the question period, the student will leave the room and the Committee will discuss the student’s written and oral presentation and reach a consensus on whether or not the student’s performance was satisfactory. If minor problems with the either written proposal, the student’s presentation, or the student’s responses to questions are identified, the Committee may ask the student for additional explanation or documentation, to be discussed then or at a subsequent meeting. If a subsequent meeting is required, it will take place not more than four weeks from the date of the initial meeting. If serious concerns are raised, the Committee, in consultation with the Program Director, may require the student to present all or part of the proposal at a later time. The student, together with the http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/degree-completion/research-proposal[6/23/2014 2:43:08 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Research Proposal Dissertation Committee, will decide the timetable for such the second presentation. If serious concerns are still evident after the second presentation, the Dissertation Committee will meet with the Program Director to discuss the student’s situation. Passage of the qualifying examination and acceptance of the dissertation proposal by the Dissertation Committee will constitute advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. If a student’s research begins to deviate in a significant way from the plan set forth in the proposal, the student and the mentor should convene a meeting of the Dissertation Committee and the student should describe the new direction of the research and present a progress report. At the Committee’s discretion, the student may be asked to write and defend a revised proposal based on the new research plan. Alternatively, the Committee may ask for only a verbal description of the new research program. The Program Director must be notified in such cases of the situation and the Committee’s decision.

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Vision Science Disciplines The Thesis/Dissertation Defense At the conclusion of the thesis/dissertation research, the student, Degree Programs in consultation with the mentor and the members of the their

Degree Completion Committee, will prepare a thesis/dissertation in a format approved by the UAB Graduate School. Instructions for TA Experience preparing the dissertation are available from the program office, Qualifying Exam the UAB Graduate School, or the Graduate School web site by clicking HERE. Thesis/Dissertation Committee When the dissertation has been completed, the student will Research Proposal request that the Graduate Program Manager schedule the Thesis/Dissertation Defense Thesis/Dissertation Defense. There is a series of actions that that must be completed before the thesis/dissertation defense Coursework and a list of these are found HERE. Core Curriculum The student will deliver final copies of the thesis/dissertation to the Committee members no less than two weeks (14 calendar Courses days) before the defense. Course Dates Members of the Committee may request changes in the thesis/dissertation and the student will, if possible, incorporate Dauphin Island Sea Lab those changes into the thesis/dissertation before the date of the UAB Graduate School Links defense. If a simple majority of the Committee identifies significant faults or inadequacies in the thesis/dissertation, the Committee may send a written recommendation to the Program Manager that the defense be postponed. In the event that the Committee is deadlocked concerning the advisability of a postponement, the Program Director will meet with the student and the Committee and will cast the deciding vote. The student, the Committee, and the Program Director will meet four weeks after this determination to evaluate the status of the thesis/dissertation. On the day and time agreed to by the Committee, the student will deliver a public oral presentation of the thesis/dissertation to the Dissertation Committee, the Program Director, and any other http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/degree-completion/thesisdissertation-defense[6/23/2014 2:43:20 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Thesis/Dissertation Defense students, faculty, staff, or members of the general public who choose to attend. Immediately following the oral presentation, the student will meet with the Committee and the Program Director, if he or she chooses to attend, in private session. In this meeting, the student will respond orally to questions posed by the Committee and/or the Program Director. At the end of the meeting, the student will be asked to leave the room and the Committee and the Program Director will discuss the student’s written and oral presentation and reach a consensus concerning the student’s thesis/dissertation and presentation. The student will then be called back into the room and be informed of the Committee’s evaluation of the thesis/dissertation. The Committee members will sign the Thesis or Dissertation Approval Form once the student has shown that any requested changes or corrections have been made. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the schedule established by the Graduate School for submission of the completed thesis/dissertation to the Graduate School Office. The student will be responsible for making any changes or corrections required by the Committee and the Graduate School. The student should provide each Committee member with a copy of the final version that has been accepted by the Graduate School. The student will also provide a copy for the Program Manager.

Timetable for Completion: Students are expected to complete and successfully defend their dissertation in a timely fashion, which in general will be by the end of the fourth year. Students in their second year or beyond of enrollment in an accredited graduate program at UAB or at another university and who transfer to the Vision Science Graduate Program in order to work with a specific mentor may, with the agreement of the mentor, request a variance from the above guidelines.

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Vision Science Disciplines VSGP Courses All PhD and MS students are expected to enroll and pass three Degree Programs GBS (Graduate Biomedical Sciences) courses (GBS 707, 708,

Degree Completion and 731), AND the four Vision Science course sequence (VIS 743, 744, 745, and 756). They must also be continuously TA Experience enrolled, until the semester of their defense, in the Vision Qualifying Exam Science Literature Review Journal Club (VIS 700).

Thesis/Dissertation Committee PhD students are further required to take three upper level (700) graduate elective courses plus a course in biostatistics (BST Research Proposal 611), and ethics (GRD 719). Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Thesis/Dissertation Defense Introduction to Neurobiology (VIS 729) course will count toward one of the electives. Coursework Courses offered by other graduate programs at UAB may be Core Curriculum substituted for the upper level courses, if agreed to in advance by the mentor and Vision Science Program Director. Courses Additional, non-required course work should be discussed with Course Dates the mentor and the Program Director.

Dauphin Island Sea Lab Students must maintain a B (3.0) or better average in all courses and make satisfactory progress toward the degree, as UAB Graduate School Links determined by the Vision Science Advisory and Admissions Committee to remain in good standing.

http://www.uab.edu/vsgp/courses[6/23/2014 2:43:34 PM] UAB - Vision Science Graduate Program - Core Curriculum

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Vision Science Disciplines Facing Challenges, Seeing Cures

Degree Programs

Degree Completion CORE CURRICULUM TA Experience VIS 743 Optics and Imaging (Dr. Roderick Fullard) – Optical Qualifying Exam properties of the eye. Transparency, aberrations, modulation Thesis/Dissertation Committee transfer functions of the eye. Use of coherent optics (lasers) in vision science research, MRI in vision research. Research Proposal VIS 744 Ocular Anatomy, Physiology & Biochemistry I (Dr. Om Thesis/Dissertation Defense Srivastava) – Anatomy of the eye, biochemistry and physiology of ocular tissues, including tears, cornea, aqueous humor, lens, Coursework vitreous and sclera. Core Curriculum VIS 745 Ocular Anatomy, Physiology & Biochemistry II (Dr. Courses Steven Pittler) – Continued examination of ocular anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology. Course Dates VIS 746 Retina and Subcortical Systems (Dr. Tim Kraft) – Retinal Dauphin Island Sea Lab circuitry and receptive fields, including color coding, adaptation, circadian rhythms, parallel pathways, and development. UAB Graduate School Links VIS 747 Central Visual Mechanisms (Dr. Timothy Gawne) – Structure and function of geniculostriate parallel pathways, subcortical projections, and the oculomotor system. VIS 748 Central Visual Mechanisms II (Dr. Thomas Norton) – Analysis of the visual scene by cortical neurons, including temporal coding, motion detection, shape analysis, leading to visual perception.

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