Applied Science, Ph.D.

Three years of full-time study and research (beyond the baccalaureate degree) at 9 credit hours per semester (or its equivalent for part-time study) is required. Thus, the minimum number of credit hours to earn a PhD in Applied Science is 54 credit hours. Successful completion of the dissertation requirement for the PhD may require additional research such that a student may need to earn more than 54 credits in order to complete the program.

Course Requirements

The student and his or her advisory committee will plan a coherent degree program, including required coursework that best suits the student’s educational goals and previous training. For most students this coursework will include the department’s core sequence APSC 603 - Introduction to Scientific Research I , APSC 604 - Introduction to Scientific Research II , and APSC 607 - Mathematical and Computational Methods I , as well as one of these: APSC 608 - Mathematical and Computational Methods II , APSC 651 - Cellular Biophysics and Modeling , MATH 541 - Nonlinear Dynamics or MSCI 648 - Introduction to Mathematical Biology . Due to the different backgrounds, previous preparation, and career goals, not all Applied Science students will take the full core sequence, and a substitution for any of these courses can be approved by the Academic Progress committee in Applied Science. However, unless otherwise exempted by the department, students will be responsible for the material covered in the entire core.

Dissertation Requirement

The candidate must carry out a substantial original research project. The dissertation describing this research must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and successfully defended in a public oral examination.

Qualifying Exam Requirement

The candidate must successfully pass a comprehensive qualifying examination designed to demonstrate competence in his or her field of study.

Exam Requirement

Oral defense of the dissertation satisfies the exam requirement.

Language Requirement

All graduate students who were required to take the TOEFL exam for admission will also be required to take courses on written or spoken English. A student and his/her adviser can jointly petition the Academic Progress Committee to waive this requirement.

There is no foreign language requirement for native English-speakers.

Satisfactory Progress

To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses undertaken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. A student in the Department must maintain a B average in order to remain in good standing. A student who receives a grade of C+ (2.3) or lower in a course may repeat that course one time for credit, upon approval of both the instructor of the course and the graduate director for the student’s program. When such a repeat attempt is approved, the grades for both attempts will count in the cumulative GPA, but only the most recent attempt will count toward the degree. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).

All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years from the first term of enrollment in the Ph.D. program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service. For a student enrolled in a master’s program in the College of Arts & Sciences who subsequently advances to candidacy in the doctoral program in the same field, the terms of enrollment in the master’s program will count towards the seven-year limit for the doctoral degree unless otherwise stated in the letter of admission.