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Program of Study - Field of Immunology Program of Study: General aspects of the program of study are given below. Each section has a link to a series of "tips" written by students in the College of Veterinary Medicine. These articles are all a part of the Immunology Graduate Student Handbook which can also be downloaded in its entirety. A general program timeline is available on the CVM Office of Graduate Education site. Year One Rotations: First-year students spend the year rotating in the laboratories of faculty in the Program (this includes not only faculty in the Field of Immunology, but
any of the Fields in the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Program). The purpose of the rotations is to give the students a range of research experiences and techniques and to help them make an informed
decision about their thesis laboratory. Rotations may also help to drive collaboration between faculty (students can include faculty from more than one Field on their Special Committee). Funding during
this year comes from the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program; in subsequent years, funding is provided by the faculty mentor or from outside resources secured by the student. At the end of each rotation, faculty supervisors should go over the Rotation Evaluation form with the student prior to submitting the form to the Office of Graduate Education. The purpose of this form is to provide the student with constructive feedback which will help them to be successful graduate students and researchers. |
Courses: There are no courses or credit hour requirements imposed by the Graduate School for the Field of Immunology. Necessary coursework for a major and minor subject in the Field of Immunology will be chosen by the student and the student's Special Committee. Due to the diversity of backgrounds and training of the applicants (B.S., M.D., D.V.M., etc.), the following guidelines are intended to ensure that all graduates have a thorough training in immunology. These guidelines will operate for both M.S. and Ph.D. candidates and it will be the responsibility of the Special Committee to ascertain the level of prior training and, therefore, the courses most suited to the individual candidate's requirements. Courses are chosen by the student and the DGS (or temporary advisor) in the first year of study and, subsequently by the student and his/her Special Committee. The courses should be chosen with the goal of enhancing the student's ability to successfully complete his/her chosen research project. A list of the Immunology courses offered is found on this site. Majors (M.S. and Ph.D.)
It is suggested that each M.S. or Ph.D. candidate majoring in Immunology should successfully complete 8 credit hours of immunology course work. Courses should be chosen by the student in consultation with the Special Committee and should be related to the area of study of the student. However, it is not considered realistic or desirable to attempt to train students in all facets of immunology and, particularly in the case of the Ph.D. degree, it is felt strongly that dissertation research should remain the most important element of the student's program. Minors (M.S. and Ph.D.)
Successful completion of 6 credit hours in Immunology and 80% attendance at the seminar program as specified above will provide a comprehensive overview of immunology and should give students minoring in the Field an understanding of the major principles of Immunology. Students minoring in Immunology would not be expected to present talks at the seminar program, but they are expected to attend regularly. Please note: Grades below B- do not normally constitute satisfactory progress in courses taken by a student enrolled in the Graduate School.
Special Committee A student's graduate program is supervised by a Special Committee composed of Graduate Faculty members chosen by the student. The committee system places considerable responsibility on the student to determine, with the Special Committee, appropriate courses and an appropriate program of study to fulfill the degree requirements. Under this system, the student works with those faculty members who can best direct the course of study regardless of college, department or field affiliation of the members. Special Committee selection should be completed at the end of the last laboratory rotation (at the end of the second semester of study) in order to provide definitive guidance in developing the program of study. Each student chooses one member of the Graduate Faculty to chair the Committee and represent the selected concentration in the major subject (Immunology) and additional members representing each minor subject. Doctoral candidates are required to select two minor subjects, while candidates for the Master of Science must choose one. A student should feel free to add one or more additional faculty members to the Special Committee to provide special expertise in the area of the dissertation research (and to seek the advice of any other faculty member(s) as well). Doctoral students enrolled in the Field of Immunology can select separate areas of concentration within the Field of Immunology to satisfy both major and minor subject requirements. The chairperson generally supervises the student's research, although this is not a requirement. The student must file a Special Committee Selection form between the end of the second semester and end of the third semester of study. A copy of this form must be filed with the CVM Office of Graduate Education; the original must be taken to the Graduate School in Caldwell Hall. Changes in Special Committee Membership: Students may change the members of their Special Committee if the circumstances warrant. A change of Committee must be reported on the Change of Special Committee form. A change in the Special Committee after the Admission to Candidacy Examination requires the approval of the General Committee of the Graduate School. The Field Appointed Member is not subject to change by the student in a manner comparable to other Committee members. If problems arise with respect to this individual, they should be brought for consideration before the Executive Committee of the Field. The members of the Special Committee direct the student's program and decide whether satisfactory progress toward the degree is being made. They conduct and report on oral examinations and approve or reject the thesis.
Annual Meeting of Special Committee: It is recommended that the Special Committee be convened each year to review the student's progress toward the degree. Residence Requirements and Time to Degree: The Graduate School requires a minimum of six Residence Units for a Ph.D. degree. One Residence Unit (RU) is defined as one semester of full-time study at an acceptable level at Cornell. A student for a Ph.D. program may earn no more than two Residence Units, for all work done in summer sessions, summer research, and the Division of Extramural Courses. A student must complete all the requirements for the Ph.D. degree in seven years from the date of first registration in the Graduate School, or petition the Graduate School for an extension. In Absentia: A candidate for the degree of Ph.D. may, on prior petition, be permitted to earn residence units for study away from the University while regularly registered in the Graduate School, provided such an arrangement offers superior advantages for prosecution of the candidate's program. A candidate who has filed the In Absentia form and to whom this privilege has been granted shall continue to work under the general direction of his/her Special Committee. Whenever possible, the work should be under the immediate supervision of a competent director designated by the Committee and acting for it. The following limitations apply:
Exams: Two examinations are required for the doctoral degree. The comprehensive Admission to Candidacy Examination (commonly referred to as the A-exam), and the Final Examination (which is known as the B-exam). A candidate for either examination in the Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences is required to submit to the DGS and CVM Office of Graduate Education a written notice of his or her examination schedule at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled exam date. A-Exam:The Admission to Candidacy Examination is required for formal admission to doctoral candidacy and may be taken after the student has earned at least two Residence Units. This examination must be passed before six Residence Units have been accrued, and at least two Units must be earned after completion of the examination. The 'A' exam tests the student's knowledge and understanding in his major and minor subjects (areas of concentration) and ideally should be taken soon after the students' course work has been completed. The format of this exam may be written or oral, or both; this decision is made by the Special Committee of the student. B-Exam:The B-exam is based on the content of the Ph.D. thesis. In addition, each Ph.D. degree candidate is required to present, prior to the final oral examination, a one-hour seminar on the results of his or her thesis research. Veterinary College staff and students will be notified of this seminar one-week in advance. Seminars: Each doctoral student will be expected to present a minimum of two seminars, one within 9 to 15 months of beginning the dissertation research and comprising an initial review of the field of study with particular emphasis on current research and the approach to be taken by the student. The first seminar maybe presented in the Journal Club forum. The second seminar will be based on the thesis work after all experimental procedures are completed and will be given in the Field Seminar Series. Master's candidates will be expected to present one seminar within the Field Seminar Series at the completion of their studies. Students will have the responsibility of inviting all members of the Special Committee to these seminar presentations. Thesis: Each candidate for a Ph.D. is required to submit a dissertation in a format acceptable to the Graduate School and the Special Committee. An outline and preliminary draft must be distributed to all members of the Special Committee at least six weeks prior to the Final Examination, and final copies, complete in all respects and editorially acceptable for final approval, must be distributed at least seven days in advance. For the M.S. degree, each candidate must submit an acceptable thesis which may comprise a major or minor part of the degree requirement at the discretion of the Special Committee members.
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