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2016-2017 University Catalog
Biodefense, PhD
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Banner Code: PP-PHD-BIOD
Phone: 703-993-2280
School/Department: Schar School of Policy and Government (formerly SPGIA)
The doctoral program in biodefense is designed to prepare students to serve as scholars and professionals in the fields of biodefense and biosecurity. The program integrates knowledge of natural and man-made biological threats with the skills to develop and analyze policies and strategies for enhancing biosecurity. Other areas of biodefense, including nonproliferation, intelligence and threat assessment, and medical and public health preparedness are integral parts of the program.
Admission
Applicants must hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have a GPA of 3.00 or higher. Prospective students are encouraged to attend an information session.
Please see the Graduate Admission Policies section in this catalog for general information on graduate admission to George Mason University. Please see the SPGIA admissions web site for application requirements and deadlines for the PhD in Biodefense. Students are considered for admission for the Fall term only.
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Degree Requirements
The catalog contains additional information on university Graduate Academic Policies .
Students are required to complete a minimum of 72 credits. Students are strongly encouraged to take the core courses as early as possible because they provide the foundation for the rest of the program. The courses which students plan to take should be approved in a program of study designed by the student and their advisor during the student’s first semester. Students may take up to 12 credits of courses outside of the Biodefense Program with prior written approval of their advisor. Consult with the graduate program director or coordinator for a list of BIOD electives and approved non-BIOD electives that may be used to fulfill some of the requirements below.
Reduction of Credit
Students who enter the doctoral program with a master’s degree or other graduate credit may have their credit reduced by up to 30 credits subject to the approval of the graduate coordinator and the program director.
Doctoral Course Work (48-60 credits)
Seven core courses (21 credits)
Four courses (12 credits) in one field of specialization
Two required field seminars (6 credits)
Two elective courses (6 credits)
Terrorism and Homeland Security
Two required field seminars (6 credits)
Two elective courses (6 credits)
Technology and Weapons of Mass Destruction
Two required seminars (6 credits)
Two elective courses (6 credits)
Two courses (6 credits)
Of the courses listed for the fields of specialization above, students must select two courses from those that are not in their chosen field. Electives (9 to 21 credits)
Students complete the remaining credits through additional elective courses chosen in consultation with their advisor. These courses may be in SPGIA or may be offered by other units. SPGIA courses include the following.
Qualifying Exam
The purpose of the qualifying exam is to determine if the student is ready to engage in dissertation research. Doctoral students are eligible to take the exam at the conclusion of coursework, provided an approved Degree Plan is on file with SPGIA. The exam must be completed before the student takes dissertation proposal (BIOD 998 ).
Advancement to Candidacy
To advance to candidacy, students must complete all coursework required in their approved program of study and pass a qualifying exam.
Dissertation Research (12-24 credits)
Once enrolled in 998, students in this degree program must maintain continuous registration in 998 or 999 each semester (excluding summers) until the dissertation is submitted to and accepted by the University Libraries. Once enrolled in 999, students must follow the university’s continuous registration policy as specified in the Academic Policies section of the catalog. Students who defend in the summer must be registered for at least 1 credit of 999.
Students may apply to this degree a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits of 998 and a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 18 credits of 999. They may apply a maximum of 24 dissertation credits (998 and 999 combined) to the degree. Because of the continuous registration policy, students may be required to register for additional credits of these courses.
Before registering in BIOD 999, students must offer a successful public defense of the dissertation proposal. Students must present the results of the dissertation research to their dissertation committee in a seminar and defend their dissertation to the university community. Successful completion of a dissertation is contingent on approval of the dissertation committee and the dean.
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