The examination process is initiated by the student submitting to the committee three possible topics for the research proposal. These topics are not in the area of the student's thesis research nor can they be directly related to any of the ongoing projects in the student's thesis laboratory. The committee chooses among these topics and notifies the student. If none of the three topics are deemed suitable, the committee meets to develop a topic in consultation with the student. At this stage the student also provides a brief statement of their research interests or possible area of thesis study.
Students have approximately six weeks to write the proposal.
Students may wish to discuss approaches with members of the committee but should not discuss the written document with them prior to submission. The student then submits four copies of the proposal to the committee. Thesis abstract Approximately two weeks after submission of the proposal for the comprehensive exam, students submit an abstract of their intended thesis research to the committee. This abstract is not more than two pages in length, and includes an exposition of the problem the student seeks to address and the experimental approaches to be used. Inclusion of preliminary data is not necessary.