I. Requirements and Expectations for Students Pursuing the Ph.D. Degree in Neuroscience

A. NSP Degree Requirements/Program of Study

There are many requirements for the successful completion of a Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience. Ph.D. students must enroll in all of the required courses listed below and perhaps other courses chosen in conjunction with their dissertation committee. To continue in good standing as a degree candidate in the Neuroscience Program, each student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. Students must achieve a grade of not less than 2.0 to earn course credit. In parallel with these courses, students will complete two laboratory rotations during the first year and should choose a dissertation laboratory at the completion of the second rotation. Neuroscience graduate students are expected to attend the weekly Neuroscience Seminar series and Research Forum. Students must gain teaching experience by serving as a course assistant or course instructor for at least one semester, preferably in their second year. To be a successful graduate student, students must also vigorously read, understand, and have a working command of the relevant research literature. Under the guidance of their dissertation advisor, students are expected to conduct experiments at the highest scholarly level, which will lead to high quality publications in peer-reviewed journals and ultimately the completion of the dissertation. It is our hope that each student will earn the Ph.D. in approximately 5 years.

Students should expect a gradual shift in responsibility during their training. In the early months, your primary focus will be on excelling in your course work and laboratory rotations. You will then transition to spending the vast majority of your time conducting experiments in the laboratory while still maintaining your participation in other Neuroscience Program training activities. Graduate school in the Neurosciences is a serious, full time commitment. You should anticipate studying intensely for your courses and working very diligently in the laboratory, generally at the same time. All of the faculty members in the Neuroscience Program have very high expectations of the graduate students, and you should be prepared to energetically pursue every aspect of your training. In contrast to undergraduate education, training for the Ph.D. degree requires you to be an extremely active participant in your education. You must be sharply focused during your graduate school years to earn the Ph.D. degree. The Guidelines for Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Relationships ( http://grad.msu.edu/all/ris04relations.pdf ) outline the responsibilities of the Neuroscience Program, Faculty Advisor, Guidance Committee, and graduate student in graduate education and research training.

C. Courses
Course Waiver Policy
Requests for waivers of any of the required courses must be submitted in writing to the Graduate Affairs Committee using a form available in the program office. Requests for course waivers are not made directly to the course instructor, but the instructor may provide the GAC with course information necessary to evaluate the request. The waiver request should include a well-articulated rationale for the request. The GAC may approve the request or not, or may offer an alternative. If waiver of the course is approved, the student does not receive credit hours for the course. Students receiving course waivers are still responsible for knowledge in that content area in the comprehensive examination.

Required Courses (48 credits/ 49 credits)
Pharmacology and Physiology of Excitable Cells, PHM/PSL/ZOL/NEU 827, 4 credits
Basis for resting membrane potential, active properties of excitable cells, fundamentals of neurotransmission, cytoskeletal structure of neurons, glia and muscle, properties of specialized neurons such as sensory cells.

Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology, NEU 804, 3 credits
Structure and synthesis of DNA, RNA, and proteins, regulation of gene expression, transcription factors, methods in molecular biology, development, differentiation, and apoptosis of neurons, nerve regeneration, and neural plasticity.

Systems Neuroscience, ANT/PHM/PSL/NEU 839, 4 credits
Anatomy, pharmacology and physiology of multicellular neural systems including sensory, motor, autonomic and chemoregulatory systems in vertebrate nervous system.

Advanced Behavioral Neuroscience, NEU 811, 3 credits
Biological mechanisms involved in learning and memory, motivated behaviors, biological rhythms and psychopathologies.

Methods in Neuroscience Laboratory, NEU 806, 3 credits
This laboratory course is aimed at teaching strategies to be a successful independent researcher. Students perform several exercises at the bench, exposing them to some of the hallmark techniques in Neuroscience. Potential pitfalls of such techniques are discussed as examples for thinking critically about laboratory techniques. Students also gain experience in translating scientific reports into working protocols. Other exercises and discussions are intended to increase the student's awareness of their responsibilities as an independent researcher, covering such topics as laboratory safety, data management, and the use of animals in research. Students also gain experience in manuscript preparation, learning how to make publication-quality digital figures and writing effective figure captions.

Statistics, PHM 980, 3 credits -or- PSY 815, 4 credits
PHM 980 approaches statistics geared for students in the biological sciences. PSY 815 deals with the design and analysis of behavioral research. Applied descriptive and inferential statistical procedures. Emphasis on discerning and confirming structural relationships among variables. Analysis of variance, regression, and related methods.

Research Forum, NEU 800, students should enroll every Fall and Spring semester beginning in their second year, minimum 4 credits total
Research Forum consists of three different activities. In the Fall of each year, students organize workshops on different types of professional and survival skills and career development. Faculty panels participate in the discussions. In the Spring semester there is a grant-writing workshop in which students review grant applications that are being written by their peers. The aim is to improve the applications and to raise awareness of grantsmanship. The third activity, at the end of the Spring semester, is a workshop in which every student gives a 15 minute research presentation followed by discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each presentation. The aim is to raise awareness of effective speaking and to improve every student's skill in this regard. Course must be attended by all students and taken for credit unless another course or teaching experience is in conflict. Make sure to update the Research Forum Requirement Form (example, Appendix B) available in the program office.

Research, NEU 999, 24 credits total are required by MSU to earn a Ph.D.(3-6 per semester, usually) Dissertation research

Other Neuroscience-Related Courses, Possible Electives
Vertebrate Neural Systems, NEU 885, 3 credits
Comparative analysis of major component systems of vertebrate brains. Evolution, ontogeny, structure and function in fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.

Synaptic Transmission, PHM 810, 3 credits
Specific neural diseases and the use of drugs as tools to probe disease mechanisms and treat disease states.

Developmental Psychobiology, PSY 809, 3 credits
Principles of neural development over the life span of organisms.

Neuropsychology, PSY 851, 4 credits
Research and theory in the neuropsychology of cognition, language, memory, emotion, motor skills and lateralization of function with an emphasis on human functions.

Principles of Drug-Tissue Interactions, PHM 819,
1-2 credits
General principles relevant to the interaction of chemicals with biological systems. Topics include pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics.

Advanced Topics in Neuroscience, NEU 992, 1-3 credits Readings, presentations, and discussion of specialized topics in neuroscience.

D. Other required activities

Teaching experience – In addition to research experience, teaching experience is an important training element that hones communication skills and prepares students for both the professoriate and non-academic career paths. One semester of mentored teaching experience must therefore be completed as part of the requirements for the PhD Degree. Normally, teaching experience will be gained in your second year. It will typically consist of working with a Neuroscience Program faculty member who teaches an undergraduate course in some area of neuroscience. This faculty member will mentor your teaching experience and will provide feedback on your performance. The goal of the teaching experience is to improve the student's ability to communicate and explain neuroscience to those not as well-versed in the discipline. Examples of teaching experience include, but are not limited to, 1) preparing and delivering two lectures in an undergraduate neuroscience course and constructing and grading exam questions on that material, 2) holding regular review sessions for students in the course. You will be contacted by the Program Director before the beginning of your second year about your teaching experience and which faculty member will serve as your supervisor. When the students have completed their teaching requirement, they shall make sure that the Teaching Requirement Form has been updated and added to their file. (sample form, Appendix C) In addition to the mentored teaching experience, students may elect to participate in such things as SME 870 (Teaching of College Science) or selected Lilly Teaching Seminars in order to enhance their understanding of issues related to teaching and student learning.

NSP Seminar and Research Forum – Attendance is mandatory for the duration of your Ph.D. program.

Neuroscience Program: Responsible Conduct of Research Series – predoctoral students are required to attend 7 workshops offered by the Graduate School. Six workshops from the "Responsible Conduct of Research" series and one from the "Conflict Resolution." In order for students to be credited for these workshops they must:

1. Obtain a certificate of attendance for the Responsible Conduct of Research series from the Graduate School
2. Have speaker for Conflict Resolution workshop complete and sign the NSP form (obtain this form from the NSP Graduate Office prior to the workshop) stating the graduate student's attendance.

For the current listing of Responsible Conduct Research workshops, please visit:
http://www.grad.msu.edu/all/respconduct.htm

Annual Retreat
The Neuroscience Program holds an annual retreat for faculty and students, which provides a wonderful opportunity to facilitate communication and collegiality among members of the program. The full-day retreat, typically held at an off-campus venue, allows students, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows to present oral or poster presentations about their research. All students are expected to give either an oral presentation or present a poster every year. The retreat is not only about updating each other and communicating about our research, but also includes a lunch buffet and late-afternoon social hour to enhance friendly interactions between students and faculty.

E. The Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive exam will consist of two components: 1) standardized and 2) specialized.

Standardized component of the exam.

Overview.
A standardized written exam will be administered to students at the end of the spring term of their second year and will consist of a take home written exam in which students are required to prepare answers to four questions. The questions will be designed to test the student's command of core neuroscience concepts, his/her ability to integrate information across levels of complexity, to generate plausible hypotheses and to design experiments to test these hypotheses. Four committees will each prepare one question representing content in 1) molecular and developmental neuroscience, 2) cellular neuroscience, 3) systems neuroscience and 4) behavioral neuroscience. Individual questions are not restricted to content in these areas and answers may require integration across areas and levels of analysis. Students will be informed about who is on each of the exam writing/grading committees and will receive guidance about performance expectations on the exam. A passing grade on the standardized written exam will establish that students graduating from the Program share a common fund of knowledge in neuroscience and an ability to apply, synthesize, and integrate this knowledge.

Format.
Students will be required to answer four questions during the four-week period beginning one-week after the end of the spring term of the student's second year. Students will be given one question each week and they will have one week to prepare their answer. Students will receive questions on Friday afternoon and they will be required to return their completed answers to the Comprehensive Exam Coordinator by the following Friday afternoon. Answers should be between 10 and 15 typed double-spaced pages in length, excluding references. Students can use class notes, textbooks, internet resources and the peer-reviewed literature to formulate their answers. However, students are expected to work independently when preparing their answers. Specifically, students are not to collaborate with other students, faculty, or colleagues in preparing their answers and are expected to strictly adhere to professional ethical standards that prohibit plagiarism.

Grading.
The four committees responsible for preparing the individual questions will grade the exams. Grades will be based on the factual accuracy and completeness of the answers and a demonstrated ability to synthesize and integrate information and to formulate hypotheses or a research plan that meets stated goals. Questions will be graded on Pass-Fail basis. Students must receive a passing grade on all questions to pass the standardized component of the comprehensive exam. Grades and written critiques of their answers will be returned to the students one week after the last exam question is completed. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the exam graders to discuss their answers

Remediation.
If a student fails one question, he/she will be permitted to remediate that question. The student can use the written critique provided by the grading committee to formulate a revised answer. The student will have one week from the time they have received their graded questions and critiques to prepare a revised answer. If a student fails two or more questions, they will be required to wait until the next scheduled offering of the standardized comprehensive exam before retaking the exam. Students must receive a passing grade on all questions to pass the retake exam. If a student does not pass the retake exam, the student must leave the PhD program.

Specialized component of the exam.
Students will complete the specialized component of the comprehensive exam by December 10 of the calendar year in which the standardized component had been taken. Under extenuating circumstances, a student can petition the Graduate Affairs Committee for a 6 month extension of this deadline. The Neuroscience Graduate Program Secretary will provide a reminder to students and their mentors about this deadline immediately after the student has passed the standardized component. The student's dissertation Guidance Committee will administer the specialized component of the exam. The specialized exam will consist of written and oral components. The written component will be the student's dissertation proposal that will be prepared in the format of the research plan portion of a National Research Service Award application. The oral component will be based on, but not limited to, the student's defense of the written proposal. Students must receive a passing grade on both components in order to receive a passing grade for the specialized component of the comprehensive exam. The student will make a presentation of his/her proposed research including background information, purpose, hypotheses, methods, preliminary results or expected results, and possible significance. The Guidance Committee may inquire into any aspect of these presentations to determine the depth of understanding the student has of his/her project. At the conclusion of this examination, the Guidance Committee will recommend: (a) approval of the oral examination and advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, or (b) further work and subsequent repeat of the oral examination (may be repeated once within six months of the first attempt; if failed a second time, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program). Students will bring a form (sample form in Appendix E) obtained from the program office that committee members will sign. The specialized component will evaluate the student's knowledge related to their dissertation research project and also the student's ability to place their own research into a broader neuroscience context. The student must give a public seminar based on the thesis proposal to the Neuroscience Program, however the public seminar will not be graded or formally part of the comprehensive exam.

F. Dissertation Research
Selection of the Major Advisor and Guidance Committee
At the end of the second semester of graduate study, the student will request one training faculty member within the Neuroscience Program to serve as the major advisor for dissertation research. Factors to consider in selection of the major professor are (1) the research area and its exceptional interest to the student, (2) space in the laboratory and financial support, and (3) personal compatibility with his/her potential research mentor.The major advisor will serve as the student's academic advisor, doctoral dissertation research advisor and as the Chairperson of the student's Guidance Committee. A change in major professor is possible, but requires 3-way discussions among the graduate student, Neuroscience Program director or associate director and members of the Guidance Committee. Students should see the Program director or associate director when considering such a change.

The Guidance Committee consists of at least four MSU-appointed, tenured/tenure-system faculty. The Committee must include, in addition to the advisor who serves as Chair, two other members of the Neuroscience Program (one of these two to be the Program Director or his/her designate). The role of the Program Designate is to ensure that the student meets all Program requirements for the PhD in Neuroscience. This individual would thus make sure that the student's plan of study (Report of the Guidance Committee, sample form, Appendix F) includes all required core courses (if not waived), 4 credits of Research Forum (NEU 800), and 24 credits of Dissertation Research (NEU 999), and that the student fulfills the teaching experience and training in the responsible conduct of research requirements. The fourth required member of the Guidance Committee may be, but is not required to be, a faculty member within the Neuroscience Program. The Guidance Committee may consist of more than four members if the dissertation research advisor or student feels that this would be advantageous. Additional members of the guidance committee may be researchers with appropriate expertise and interest who have appointments at other academic institutions or within industrial research. Changes in members of the Guidance Committee are possible, but must first be discussed with the major professor and then the Neuroscience Program director. All changes must be reported in writing to the Neuroscience Program office, the office of the Dean (College of Natural Science) and each member of the Guidance Committee. The Guidelines for Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Relationships (http://grad.msu.edu/all/ris04relations.pdf) outline the responsibilities of the Neuroscience Program, Faculty Advisor, Guidance Committee, and graduate student in graduate education and research training.

The Guidance Committee will oversee the student's coursework, advise the student concerning dissertation research, and will conduct the oral defense of the research proposal and dissertation. Shortly after selecting this Committee, the student, with the help of his/her major advisor, will prepare a program of coursework (including the core courses already taken, as well as additional electives based on the needs and interests of each student) and a dissertation research proposal. The student's Guidance committee will file the Report of the Guidance Committee Form with the College of Natural Science (sample form, Appendix F.). At all times during a student's course of study and research, members of the Guidance Committee will be available for consultation and advice; there should be at least one meeting every year between the student and his/her Guidance Committee to discuss progress (every 6 months is preferable). Any changes to the initial Report of the Guidance Committee will be documented in writing and placed in the student's NSP file.

If your advisor leaves the University before you are finished with your degree, you should discuss your options for finishing your degree requirements with your advisor. In some cases it may make sense to change advisors. In other cases, you may be able to arrange to finish your degree with your current advisor in a long-distance relationship. Please contact the director of the Neuroscience Program to help you work through any problems the untimely departure of your advisor may cause.

If your advisor becomes unable to continue as your advisor, your options depend on where you are in the process. If you are close to the beginning of your program, it probably makes sense to simply find another advisor. If you are close to finishing, you should contact the director of the Neuroscience Program to explore possible arrangements. It is the student's responsibility to identify a new advisor whose interest and expertise mesh with those of the student. The student may be able to find an advisor who can supervise the student's chosen dissertation topic, or the student may need to adjust her/his dissertation research plans to fit within a new advisor's expertise. The student should consult with the Program Director who will seek to facilitate this process.

If you are unable to continue to work with your advisor because of personal difficulties in the relationship, contact the Neuroscience Program director for help and information.

In any of the scenarios listed above, you will have to file an amendment to your "Report of Guidance Committee" form indicating the changes you are making.

Oral Presentation and Defense of Written Dissertation Research Proposal
The overall design, scope and specific methodologies must be discussed with the advisor, and he/she will provide feedback on drafts of the proposal. However, it must be primarily the work of the student. The proposal will be written essentially as a Research Plan for an NIH grant application and will be distributed to the other members of the Guidance Committee at least one week prior to the oral presentation and/or defense. This proposal will be presented as a NSP Seminar, and defended to the Guidance Committee by the end of the Spring semester of Year 3. The oral defense of the Dissertation Proposal will fulfill the University requirements for an oral comprehensive examination. Results of the defense are to be filed on the "Dissertation Proposal Oral Defense" form (internal form, sample in Appendix G).

The defense of the research proposal will be administered by the Guidance Committee and will concentrate specifically on the student's research proposal. The student will make a presentation of his/her proposed research including background information, purpose, hypotheses, methods, preliminary results or expected results, and possible significance. The Guidance Committee may inquire into any aspect of these presentations to determine the depth of understanding the student has of his/her project. At the conclusion of this examination, the Guidance Committee will recommend: (a) approval of the oral examination and advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, or (b) further work and subsequent repeat of the oral examination (may be repeated once within six months of the first attempt; if failed a second time, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program). Students will bring a form (Appendix G) obtained from the program office that committee members will sign.

Oral Presentation and Defense of Written Dissertation
For the Doctoral degree, a student must successfully complete a scholarly research project, prepare a written dissertation based upon this research, and defend this written dissertation in an oral examination conducted by the student's Guidance Committee. Students taking the examination must previously have filed an application for the Ph.D. degree. Applications for Degree at Michigan State University must be filed by the first week of the semester the student expects to complete requirements. Form is available online in the Graduate School website (example, Appendix H.) The written dissertation derived from the student's research, must be organized, typed, duplicated and bound according to the regulations described in the
"Formatting guide for Doctoral Dissertations"
(http://grad.msu.edu/current/format.pdf). The graduate student is required to bear the expense of preparation of the dissertation, although arrangements may be made with the major advisor to have diagrams or charts prepared and charged to the appropriate research budget.

The student must submit his/her unbound dissertation at least two weeks prior to the dissertation defense to members of his/her Guidance Committee. Each student will then give a public seminar on his/her research project, as part of the Neuroscience Seminar Series. This seminar presentation should include background information, purpose, hypotheses, methods, results, and interpretation of the results and their possible significance. The student must successfully pass an oral examination, conducted by the student's Guidance Committee following the research presentation. This defense will involve an explanation and defense of the dissertation and knowledge of related scientific areas. When the Guidance Committee has reviewed and approved the dissertation and the student has passed the oral examination in its defense, the student should incorporate in the dissertation any recommended changes before having it permanently bound. Failure to meet these criteria will delay the awarding of the degree.

The Program requires a copy of the dissertation in final form prior to certifying to the Graduate School that the student has completed the requirements for his/her degree. The program will then file the Record of Dissertation and Oral Examination with the College of Natural Science (example, Appendix I) Students must be certain that all procedures required by the College of Natural Science and the University are precisely followed.

The Neuroscience Program Graduate Student Dissertations are available in 108 Giltner Hall.

G. Evaluations
First Year
Faculty members supervising student rotations will provide the director with a written evaluation for each individual by the end of finals week each semester. Students will receive a copy of the letter after the director has reviewed it. The director will meet with each student near the end of the spring semester to discuss progress in the program to date.

Subsequent Years
Each student will receive a written evaluation from the director, who will have solicited an annual progress report from the student and have consulted with the student's guidance committee about his/her work. Additionally, students should expect to discuss their annual evaluation with their major advisor. See Appendix J for an example of the Annual Student Progress Report. If the student has a dissenting opinion, he/she may prepare a written dissent that will be discussed with the director and major advisor and placed in the student's NSP file.

H. Academic Integrity
The related enterprises of scholarship and research are built upon honesty and integrity. Without these, we could not progress or even survive as a field of inquiry. When you become a graduate student in the Neuroscience Program, you make an implicit promise to your classmates, your faculty, and your profession to conduct yourself in a scrupulously honest and upright way. If you fail to keep this promise, the consequences to yourself and everyone you work with are very serious.

Academic integrity stands for many things. Obviously, it means you don't cheat on tests and exams, you don't plagiarize your papers, and you don't falsify your data or misrepresent your research findings. These are the points we can all agree on. Failure to follow these guidelines leads to dire consequences for those involved. However, academic integrity refers to much more. Academic integrity is more than just a set of rules - it is a way of like, a state of mind. It means that we must always think about the consequences of our choices, for ourselves, our program, and our University. Academic dishonesty is not simply a personal failure. It is a failure of the mentoring system and a failure of the evaluation system. It is a failure that tarnishes us all.

Graduate students at MSU are governed by a code of ethics (Integrity of Scholarship and Grade; http://www.vps.msu.edu/SpLife/rule32.htm; Guidelines for Integrity in Research and Creativities, http://grad.msu.edu/all/ris04activities.pdf; Guidelines for Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Relationships http://grad.msu.edu/all/ris04relations.pdf). Please familiarize yourself with this code. It is also appropriate for you to have ongoing discussions with your advisor about integrity issues as they become relevant. Many situations are ambiguous. Actions can often be interpreted in several ways. Many behaviors can generate disagreements among well-meaning people. Often the only way to resolve these ambiguities is conversation and discussion with colleagues.

If you have questions about ethical concerns, start by initiating conversation with your advisor. If this is not possible, there are other resources in the program and in the University to help you resolve these issues. The director of the Neuroscience Program is also a good place to start if you are unable to resolve problems with your advisor.

Ethical violations: we expect you to adhere to the high ethical principles of our Profession and University. As you conduct your research, scholarship, and professional activities. If you violate these principles, you will face sanctions proportional to the gravity of your infraction. Disciplinary action for ethical violations can include dismissal from your graduate program. Because of the bed-rock importance of ethical comportment, violators may not get a second chance. It is critically important for you to be aware of the ethical landscape as you travel through your graduate program. We encourage you to read the documents referenced above and to engage your faculty and fellow students in discussions of ethics in Neuroscience, before problems arise. It is often in these discussions that you will learn to avoid ethical problems.

If you are accused of inappropriate behavior, the University has established a judicial structure and process for hearing and adjudicating alleged violations. If the allegation does not involve research misconduct, sexual harassment, or other illegal behaviors, then, the first step in this process is informal and should begin with the two parties trying to resolve the problem in an appropriate way. If this fails, you should go to the director of the Program and enlist his/her help in resolving the problem. If all program resources to resolve the problem have been exhausted, you can request a formal hearing from the College of Natural Science Review Board. To read more about the University's judicial structure see Academic Freedom for Students at Michigan State University, Sections 2.4.7. and 4.5.4. Additional description can also be found in Article 5 of the Graduate Student's Rights and Responsibilities.

These same procedures can be used to resolve conflicts between faculty and graduate students that do not involve issues of academic integrity including grievances. The Office of the Ombudsman is also available to you to help you resolve conflicts with faculty or University administrators.

I. Rules concerning the Use of Human Subjects
All research with human beings must be reviewed and approved by the University Committee for Research involving Human Subjects UCRIHS. This applies to all master's and doctoral research projects, as well as other research you may be involved with. For complete details about the application procedure, please see the website for UCRIHS, the University Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects.

J. Rules concerning the Use of Non-Human Vertebrate Animals
All Research with Non-Human Vertebrate Animals must be reviewed and approved by the All University Committee on Animal Use and Care (AUCAUC). For complete details about the application procedure, please see the website for the AUCAUC.

K. Rules concerning the Use of Hazardous Materials
If your research involves the use of any radioactive, biological, or chemical material that can be hazardous, you must comply with the University regulations governing this area. Please consult with the web page for the Office of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Safety ORCBS.