UC Berkeley – UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

UC Berkeley – UCSF

Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Graduate Student Handbook

2019-2020

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 3

2. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION ..................................................................................... 4

3. ACADEMIC OVERVIEW .................................................................................................................................. 5

Summary of Requirements ...................................................................................................................................... 5

3.1 Course Requirements and Program of Study ............................................................................................ 6

3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements ............................................................................................... 8

3.3 First Year Research Rotations and Research Mentor Selection ................................................................ 9

3.4 Graduate Student Instructor/Teaching Assistantship ............................................................................ 12

3.5 Qualifying Examination ........................................................................................................................... 12

3.6 Advancement to Candidacy ..................................................................................................................... 16

3.7 Research Conference Presentation .......................................................................................................... 16

3.8 Annual Progress Reports ......................................................................................................................... 16

3.9 Dissertation ................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

3.10 Exit Seminar ............................................................................................................................................. 19

3.11 Academic Probation and Dismissal Procedures ...................................................................................... 20

4. OTHER ........................................................................................................................................................ 22

4.1 Annual Retreat ......................................................................................................................................... 22

4.2 Bioengineering Student Talks (BEST) ...................................................................................................... 22

4.3 Graduation ............................................................................................................................................... 23

4.4 Optional Master of Science ...................................................................................................................... 23

5. ADVISING OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 24

5.1 Research Mentor ...................................................................................................................................... 25

5.2 Required Forms and Documentation....................................................................................................... 26

6. ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 28

6.1 Registration Guidelines based on Home Campus ................................................................................... 29

6.2 Berkeley Registration ............................................................................................................................... 30

6.3 UCSF Registration .................................................................................................................................... 31

6.4 Filing Fee Status ....................................................................................................................................... 32

7. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 34

7.1 Residency.................................................................................................................................................. 35

7.2 Stipend Guidelines ................................................................................................................................... 36

7.3 Fees ........................................................................................................................................................... 36

7.4 Online Resources ...................................................................................................................................... 37

8. BEAST and STUDENT AFFAIRS ..................................................................................................................... 40

9. Appendix: Required Forms and Documentation ......................................................................................... 41

1. INTRODUCTION

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has long been a center of research and graduate

training in biomedical sciences. The University of California, Berkeley is universally acknowledged

for excellence in engineering, physical and life sciences. The close proximity of the two

institutions has fostered numerous collaborations among faculty members on the two campuses

and has introduced quantitative approaches to addressing fundamental problems in biological

and clinical science. It was in recognition of this synergy that scientists on the two campuses

proposed the formation of a joint graduate group in Bioengineering.

This fully integrated educational program was approved in 1983 and is authorized to offer Ph.D.

degrees conferred jointly by the Graduate Divisions of both campuses. Over the past thirty-plus

years the UC Berkeley – UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering (“the Program”) has become

one of the pre-eminent educational programs in the country and is well known for the diversity

and excellence of the training it provides.

Participation in the Program is interdepartmental as well as intercampus, as it combines the

research activities of faculty from more than twenty departments from all four professional

schools at UCSF (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy) with six departments from the

College of Engineering at Berkeley and several non-engineering departments such as Molecular

and Cell Biology, Psychology, Optometry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Integrative Biology,

Plant and Microbial Biology and Public Health.

The objective of the Program is to offer Ph.D. degrees, and admission depends upon a students’

commitment to a program of study that allows them to complete that goal, although some

students do obtain a Master’s degree during their tenure. Doctoral students are expected to learn

to bring the methods of modern engineering to bear on problems in biology and medicine, and

also to learn how to teach others to do the same.

This Graduate Student Handbook describes the unique character and policies of the Graduate

Program in Bioengineering, and highlights their overlap and interface with policies governing

UCSF, UC Berkeley, and the larger UC system. All students admitted to the Program are subject

to the policies of either Campus or the University at large, which supersede those of the Program.

2. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANIZATION

An Executive Committee whose members comprise faculty from both campuses and

representatives from the student body oversees the Program. Reference the Executive

Committee page here for the list of current faculty, staff, and student members. Advising,

curriculum development and admissions are directed by faculty committees that are drawn from

experienced members of the Program and represent a wide range of research interests.

Dedicated administrative staff at UCSF and Berkeley provide a bridge between the faculty,

students, and Graduate Divisions on both campuses and manage the daily operations of the

Program.

The Program works hand in hand with the academic units on the two campuses that have been

formed to support faculty members with a primary focus on Bioengineering. The UC Berkeley

Department of Bioengineering, formed as part of the College of Engineering in 1998, oversees a

vibrant undergraduate program of approximately 400 students, as well as the Berkeley side of

the Program. The UCSF Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS) houses the

academic and administrative support for the Program at UCSF. Exemplifying the collaborative

and cross-disciplinary nature of the Program and UCSF, BTS was formed in 2009 as a joint

department between the UCSF Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine.

Although resources are allocated separately on the two campuses, the curriculum and

educational program in Bioengineering are fully integrated, with joint participation from faculty

serving on committees and mentoring students.

3. ACADEMIC OVERVIEW

Academic Requirements

Entering students are expected to have a B.A. or B.S. in engineering, biology, or other science.

Typically, this includes a two-year college mathematics sequence, a one-year sequence in each

of physics, chemistry and computer science, and extensive upper-division work in either

engineering or biology. The mathematical level should include calculus, differential equations,

and linear algebra. Outstanding students who are lacking in some of these areas may be admitted

with the condition that they complete any necessary undergraduate coursework while in the

Program.

The Program’s academic requirements are discussed in more detail below. The normative time

to graduation is 5 years, with approximately 4 semesters spent in completing rotations, formal

course work and the qualifying examination followed by 6 semesters performing research,

culminating in the dissertation. Students entering with a Master’s degree may be able to shorten

this by one or two semesters based upon previous coursework and research that they have

completed. Please note, Berkeley operates on a semester-based academic calendar, while UCSF

uses a quarter system.

Summary of Requirements

Graduation from the Program is dependent on the successful completion of the following

requirements. More details, including necessary forms, can be found in the subsequent sections.

1. Course Requirements and Program of Study

All students in the Program must complete the following course requirements:

A. Area Requirements: (breadth requirements, many satisfied by previous coursework)

B. Major Area and Minor Area: (depth requirements completed by graduate courses)

Major = 16 semester (24 quarter) units. Minor = 8 semester (12 quarter) units.

C. First Year Seminars: Bioengineering 200 (UCB) and Bioengineering 280/281 (UCSF)

D. Bioengineering Teaching Techniques: Bioengineering 301 (UCB)

E. Ethics: Bioengineering 201 (UCB) or equivalent, taken in the first and fourth years

2. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements

Students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in academic

coursework.

3. First Year Research Rotations and Research Mentor Selection

Students complete three research rotations with Program core faculty members during

their first year in the Program. After completion of these rotations at the end of the spring

semester, students select a rotation mentor as their dissertation Research Mentor.

4. Graduate Student Instructor/Teaching Assistantship

All students must complete a minimum of one 10-hour Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)

assignment. Can be completed at either UCB or UCSF. Does not need to be a BioE course.

5. Qualifying Examination

Students identify qualifying exam committee members during their 2

year and hold the

qualifying exam (written and oral presentation) by the end of the Fall of their 3

year.

6. Advancement to Candidacy

After successful completion of the qualifying exam, students submit the proper Graduate

Division and Program forms to formally advance to candidacy.

7. Research Conference Presentation

Students must present (poster or a talk) at a research conference at least once. This can

include presenting at the Program’s annual retreat.

8. Annual Progress Reports

Students are required to meet with their academic advisor and/or dissertation committee

each year and submit annual progress reports.

9. Dissertation

Students write a dissertation compiling the results of their graduate research. Upon

written approval of their dissertation committee, students file their dissertation with the

Graduate Division of their home campus.

10. Exit Seminar

Graduating students hold a concluding research seminar to present their graduate work.

3.1 Course Requirements and Program of Study

The Program of Study is a plan of course work required to meet a student’s specific degree goals.

The Program of Study is developed in consultation with the student’s Graduate Adviser and

submitted to the administrative office of the student’s Home Campus by April of the first year.

While this form must be submitted in the first year, it can be modified in subsequent years as

necessary. In its entirety, the Program of Study includes Major and Minor areas of study, general

Area Requirements, a set of required Bioengineering seminars, and an ethics course. These items

are detailed below.

Area Requirements

All students must complete the Area Requirements listed in Table below at some time during

their academic career. Courses may be selected from appropriate offerings at Berkeley or UCSF

and are usually completed in the first year. Students may also apply courses taken prior to

entering the program toward Area Requirements, if approved by their Graduate Adviser. All

proposed courses should be listed on the Area Requirements Form, which must be updated

annually to reflect changes. The Area Requirements form must be completed and submitted with

approving signatures to the Program Administrator on the Home Campus during the Spring

Semester of the first two years.

Some of the courses used to satisfy Area Requirements may also be counted toward the Major

or Minor areas (see next section), but they must be taken while enrolled as a student in the

Program.

Students should consult their Graduate Advisers in selecting the Major and Minor Fields of study

so that their Program of Study provides a strong knowledge base in biology and engineering. In

planning for the Major and Minor, it should be noted that Berkeley is on the semester system

and UCSF is on the quarter system and that 1.5 quarter units are counted as equivalent to 1

semester unit.

Table 1: Area Requirements

Area

Semester

Units

Quarter

Units

Anatomy, Physiology and Biology

13.5

Biochemistry, and Chemistry beyond General Chemistry

4.5

Engineering in a traditional discipline and Computer Science

10.5

Mathematics (beyond linear algebra and differential equations)

and Statistics

3.0

Major and Minor Areas

The Program of Study identifies a Major field in which the student will complete sixteen semester

units of graduate level coursework and a Minor field comprising eight units of graduate level or

equivalent coursework exclusive of seminars and research. All of these courses should be taken

on a graded basis. There are the following exceptions:

1. Students who already hold a Master’s Degree or professional degree (M.D., D.D.S., or D.V.M.)

when entering the program may use courses from their prior degree program toward their

Minor field, if approved by the Head Graduate Adviser. In this case, the Major field must be

in an area complementary to the student’s prior training.

2. The major area of study should be composed mainly of graduate course work; however up to

six units of undergraduate upper division courses toward the major area of study may be

applied. The inclusion of any upper division courses requires approval from the Head

Graduate Adviser and must be justified in writing.

3. Whenever possible, courses should be letter-graded. A course with the S/U option is only

considered acceptable for meeting the requirements toward the Major field if the student is

able to present sufficient justification for the inclusion of the course. A request for exception

for such courses must be submitted in writing to the student’s Graduate Adviser and

approved by the Head Graduate Adviser.

First Year Seminars

First year students attend Fall semester seminar courses, Bioengineering 200 (Berkeley), and

Bioengineering 281 (UCSF). The purpose of these seminars is to introduce students to the broad

range of bioengineering research that is associated with biological applications. The seminars

offer an opportunity for first year students to be exposed to a diverse range of Bioengineering

research areas and to core Program faculty with whom they may be interested in conducting a

research rotation.

Bioengineering Teaching Techniques

First year students are required to take Bioengineering 301 (Berkeley, Fall semester), which offers

training in effective teaching methods. This course is a requirement to hold a Graduate Student

Instructor position (see Section 3.4: Graduate Student Instructor/Teaching Assistantship).

Ethics

Students take Bioengineering 201 (UCB) or equivalent in the first and fourth years, or as

necessary. This requirement adheres to the NIH guidelines for Responsible Conduct of Research

(RCR) training.

3.2 Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements

Graduate students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in all

academic coursework and must make satisfactory progress toward their degree. Eligibility for

certain extramural fellowships typically requires a GPA of 3.6 and above.

The “official” Grade Point Average (GPA) is posted on the Home Campus transcript. Students are

responsible for reviewing both campuses’ transcripts to ensure the grades are properly posted

and classes taken are accurately listed. Contact the appropriate registrar’s office for questions or

issues regarding transcripts.

Berkeley transcripts are available on-line at CalCentral: http://calcentral.berkeley.edu

UCSF transcripts are available on-line at the UCSF Student Portal:

https://saa.ucsf.edu/studentportal

Full-time Student Status

Graduate students are required to maintain full-time student status at all times during the

academic year. For all students, full-time status is considered enrollment in 8 quarter units or 12

semester units of graduate or upper division courses each quarter / semester. Units may be

formal course work or research units.

The Graduate Division policy is that full-time graduate study is incompatible with full-time

employment. During the academic year, the University may not employ graduate students more

than 50% time in any capacity. Employment at 100% time is permitted during the summer term.

Registered graduate students should not be appointed to any academic title other than those

appropriate for students, e.g. Graduate Student Researcher, Graduate Student Instructor,

Teaching Assistant, or Reader.

3.3 First Year Research Rotations and Research Mentor Selection

The objective of the research rotation is to allow students to become familiar with different

areas of research, learn new experimental techniques, obtain experience in unique research

laboratories, and ultimately to identify a lab in which to conduct dissertation research. The

research being performed during a rotation may correspond to the initial stages of a thesis

project or may be on a totally different topic. Students perform rotations in core Program

faculty members’ laboratories during the first year and should join a research group by the

beginning of the second year. Rotation projects should involve independent research. Each

student’s performance during a rotation is evaluated by the rotation sponsor (faculty member),

who submits a written report at the conclusion of the rotation period. Progress is monitored by

the Head Graduate Advisors, who review rotation evaluation reports and assign course credit

for work performed. Students will be invited to present their results to faculty and peers at the

end of each semester. Each rotation should be independent of other rotations; two rotations

with the same research mentor are not allowed.

First Year Research Rotation Selection

Students should actively seek rotation projects and interview core faculty during the month of

September of the first year. They should also consult with their advisers to help identify

potential opportunities. Prior to starting a research rotation, the student and proposed faculty

sponsor must complete a Research Rotation Authorization form indicating the research rotation

project title and confirming the rotation commitments of time, support and resources. This

form is available below in the Appendix of this Handbook, and must be signed by the Graduate

Adviser to validate fulfillment of the rotation requirement. Research Rotation Authorization

forms are due by the Monday prior to the start of each rotation period.

Students should perform three 12-week rotations in different Program faculty laboratories

during the first year. The rotation schedule corresponds roughly with the UCSF quarter system

and should facilitate placement of most students in the thesis lab by July 1 of the first academic

year. Actual dates will vary by year and will be clearly publicized. The rotation schedule is given

below:

1st Rotation: September 23 - November 15, 2019

2nd Rotation: January 6 – February 28, 2020

3rd Rotation: March 2 - April 24, 2019

Dissertation lab selection: May 1, 2020

While the goal of a rotation is ultimately to select a lab for dissertation research, there should

be no immediate commitment from either the student or faculty mentor during the rotation

period. It should be understood, however, that faculty who host rotation students in their labs

must be potentially capable of supporting the student in subsequent dissertation work.

Upon completion of the third rotation, students should finalize dissertation lab selection.

Students are encouraged to speak with each faculty member with whom they have an interest

in pursuing dissertation research. Students should discuss potential dissertation projects, lab

space, and availability of support (which may vary depending on the number of other students

seeking positions in the same lab). All options should be carefully considered by the student

before the selection is made, and students are strongly encouraged to consult with other BEAST

students, rotation lab members, and Academic Advisers as needed. More information can be

found in the Research Mentor Selection section below.

In rare cases, students who are unable to arrange a match with one of the three rotation labs

may perform a fourth rotation with the approval and guidance of their Academic Adviser.

Rotation Reporting Requirements

The student and faculty sponsor must complete a Research Rotation Evaluation form that

outlines the work performed and provides an assessment of the experience at the end of the

rotation. This will assist the academic advisers in evaluating student progress and assigning

course credit. Students may also present their work in more depth at the Annual Retreat or give

a presentation as part of the Bioengineering Student Talks series (BEST), described in more

detail in Section 4.2.

Faculty Rotation Support

Faculty sponsors should provide the appropriate experimental infrastructure to rotation

students, including workspace and access to equipment, reagents, and supplies. Faculty

sponsors in general do not provide financial support (stipend or fee) to first year students,

except under special circumstances as described below.

A rotation conducted in the second year may require faculty commitment to support some or

all of the stipend and/or fees during the rotation period. Faculty who sponsor students for

admission must also be prepared to support students during rotations, even if performed in

another lab. Even in cases where the faculty sponsor provides financial support to the student,

it should be recognized that research rotations are meant to satisfy an academic purpose and

should not be viewed as a means for obtaining additional salary support.

In general, the same stipend level guaranteed by the Program will be maintained during

rotations. Additional information about rotations and rotation policies can be obtained from

the Head Graduate Advisers and program staff.

The Program’s administrators will contact faculty sponsors to provide instructions for paying

students as appropriate. To guarantee a smooth transition from one source of support to

another, students and faculty are encouraged to notify the administrators of any planned

rotations as early as possible.

Research Mentor Selection

The Research Mentor is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the student’s research

training, which is an extremely critical task. The Graduate Divisions on both campuses require

that the student choose a Research Mentor / Dissertation Chair who is a member of the

Academic Senate, and the Research Mentor must be a core member of the Program. Students

who wish to perform research in the laboratory of someone who is not a member of the

Academic Senate must have a co-mentor who is a member of the Academic Senate and serves

as the Dissertation Chair or Co-Chair.

The choice of an appropriate Research Mentor is a critical factor in each student’s success.

Rotations are an opportunity to investigate whether a particular mentor and laboratory are a

good fit. Resources for selecting Research Mentors include Graduate Advisers, Head Graduate

Advisers, Peer Advisers, research group meetings, and the list of faculty research interests on

the Program’s web site. Most students select a Research Mentor at the end of their first year

after three rotations, and students are required to select a Research Mentor by the middle of

their second year. Upon doing so, students must submit the Dissertation Lab / Mentor

Commitment form to the administrator at their Home Campus. This form, found in the

Appendix of this Handbook, outlines and affirms the financial commitment being made by the

Mentor to support the student’s dissertation research.

3.4 Graduate Student Instructor/Teaching Assistantship

Graduate students are required to serve as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for at least one

semester as part of their professional development. Students typically complete this

requirement after their second year, but may do so at any time during their training.

Assignments may include lecture or laboratory courses, generally based on students’

preferences. The requirement may be met by an appointment in any campus department,

however the student must notify the group. A typical GSI assignment is 10 hours per week (25%

appointment) and provides part of the student’s stipend and fees during that period. If the

student is being paid on an extramural fellowship, the GSI stipend may be paid in addition to

the regular stipend. To gain additional teaching experience, advanced graduate students may

serve as a GSI for additional terms and may organize seminars for junior and senior level

undergraduates. Initial preferences for meeting the GSI requirement and additional plans for

teaching should be discussed with the students’ Graduate Advisor and Research Mentor.

Students must enroll in Berkeley BioE 301, Teaching Techniques for Bioengineering, or its

equivalent in another department, before or during the year in which they serve as a GSI.

Completion of the requirement will be monitored by verification of a GSI appointment in the

payroll system and by student evaluations submitted at the end of the term. Additional

requirements for GSIs include attendance at one of the Berkeley Teaching Conferences held

before each semester and the completion of the GSI Professional Standards and Ethics Online

Course.

3.5 Qualifying Examination

An oral qualifying examination must be taken by the Fall Semester of each student’s third year;

any student who misses this deadline may be subject to academic probation. Students who fail

either Part I or II must take a second examination approximately three months following the

failure. Passage of the examination is a required for advancing to candidacy for the doctoral

degree.

Qualifying Examination Committee

The oral examination is administered by a committee of four faculty members selected by the

student by the end of their 2nd year, and who agree to serve on the student’s committee.

Students select their committee members with the advice of their Research Mentor, Graduate

Adviser, lab members, and other BEAST students. The committee should reflect the breadth of

the student's background, with expertise in the student’s proposed research area and/or

Program of Study. The requirements are:

1. All 4 committee members must be members of their academic senate.

2. Three committee members should be core faculty members of the Program, found here:

http://bioegrad.berkeley.edu/faculty.

3. The committee chair must be both a core member of the Program and of the academic

senate of the student’s Home Campus.

4. An additional non-chair member of the committee should be a core Program member

from the student’s Home Campus.

5. One committee member must be from outside the Program (i.e. non-core faculty), and

also must belong to the Academic Senate on the student’s Home Campus. This includes,

but is not limited to, Affiliate faculty of the Program.

6. One committee member must be a core member of the Program from the non-home

(“opposite”) campus of the student, so that both campuses (Berkeley and UCSF) are

represented on the committee. Both biomedical (or biological) and engineering

disciplines should be represented.

7. The student’s Research Mentor may not serve on the qualifying committee.

These requirements are reflected in the standard committee below:

Member 1 (Committee Chair): Core member from student’s home campus

Member 2: Core member from opposite campus

Member 3: Core member from student’s home campus

Member 4: Non-core (outside or affiliate) member from student’s home campus

Students in rare circumstances that are seeking a qualifying exam committee outside of these

requirements should consult with their Head Graduate Advisor to put forth a petition to the

Program’s executive committee, and, in some situations, the student’s home campus Graduate

Division*.

To formally constitute a committee, students first complete the Program’s “Constitution of

Qualifying Examination Committee” form found in the Appendix of this handbook. After

receiving Program approval, students must then submit a petition to their Home Campus

Graduate Division to formally constitute their committee. This must be done at least three

weeks prior to the exam date. Home Campus Graduate Division petitions to formally constitute

a Committee are found online:

UCSF: Found on UCSF Student Portal

Berkeley: Found on student’s CalCentral

Information about membership in the schools’ academic senates can be found at:

http://academic-senate.berkeley.edu/bylaws/2-membership

http://www.ucsf.edu/senate/0-faq/index.html#anchor02

*A student may petition for one faculty member who is not a member of the Academic Senate.

UCSF: https://graduate.ucsf.edu/files/general-petition

Berkeley: http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/degrees-policy/#f49-exceptions-to-policies-on-

committee-membership

Content of the Examination

In this examination, students demonstrate their ability to recognize and attack research

problems of fundamental importance, to propose appropriate theoretical, experimental or

computational approaches to address these problems, and to display comprehensive

knowledge of their disciplinary area and related subjects.

Part I of the Examination

The first part of the qualifying exam is organized around the presentation of a research

proposal for a project that would last 6-12 months and should not cover the student’s entire

thesis. Written proposals should be 3-4 pages in length, outlining the general goals of the

project, their significance and the methods used to approach them; and submitted to the

committee three weeks before the exam. The exam itself consists of an oral presentation which

is typically (but not necessarily) presented in Powerpoint. Slides should be easily readable (22-

24 point minimum font suggested) and references properly cited. Most students present

approximately 15-20 slides, plus a few backup slides.

Q&A: The student’s presentation will be interrupted with in-depth questions probing the

student’s grasp of the basic challenges and principles underlying the project, the details of their

methods and competing approaches, the statistical methods employed, and the significance of

the project within a wider context. Involved questions are often answered at the chalkboard or

whiteboard. The Q&A is time intensive. Part I typically takes approximately 2 hours. The most

common failure mode is to inadequately answer the questions of the committee.

Sample Structure of the Qualifying Exam Research Proposal Part I

While students may choose to depart from this sample structure, below is a typical Part I talk

structure. The organization listed below is suggested and should not be taken as a rule.

STUDENTS SHOULD DISCUSS THE EXACT REQUIREMENTS/EXPECTATIONS WITH THEIR

COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY THEIR CHAIR, PRIOR TO THE EXAM.

1. Motivation for Project: What broad clinical, engineering, or biological problem do you

plan on tackling and why is it important? Include information on your clinical,

engineering or scientific collaborator(s) and how they will mentor you.

Example: Type II diabetes has high morbidity, mortality and health cost burden.

2. Open Challenge or Scientific Question to be Addressed. Define the challenge your

project will address and explain why solving it would be enabling in a clinical,

engineering, or scientific sense.

Example 1: The prevention of fouling of in vivo glucose sensors would allow for closed-

loop control of a diabetic patient’s glucose levels, alleviating the disease’s trauma.

Example 2: Control of stem cell differentiation into insulin-secreting cells would make

possible autologous pancreatic transplant therapies.

3. Engineering Specifications and/or Scientific Study Design Constraints. Here, you should

provide quantitative specifications for devices, chemistry, algorithm or simulation. For

scientific studies, specify the size required for a statistically reliable study.

Example 1: A useful in vivo glucose sensor needs 5% accuracy, 1-minute temporal

response, safe in vivo recharging, and 1-year lifetime.

Example 2: Optically imaged transplant stem cells must be detectable in vivo at 10^5

cells/mm^3 with 100-micron resolution and a scan time of less than 1 minute.

4. Prior Work on the Problem. Review and explain fundamentally why others have not

fully solved the open challenge or answered the scientific question.

5. Approach. Introduce your approach with a high-level description that explains why your

method or your study should fundamentally be superior to competing approaches.

Disclose any drawbacks to your approach and planned workarounds.

6. Implementation. Describe the implementation of your approach with a detailed

description, including progress and lessons learned.

7. Preliminary Findings. Show any preliminary data (if applicable) including theory,

simulations and measured data with appropriate controls. Justify your choice of control

experiments. Describe your plans for collecting statistically meaningful data, mitigating

risk, and improving performance. Note any conference or journal publications that you

have submitted.

8. Future Work. How will you extend your project and proposal’s results to the broader

challenge? List your key deliverables (e.g., presentations, manuscript submissions,

patent disclosures, etc.) on a timeline.

Part II of the Examination

Part II consists of questions exploring relevant areas of science and engineering, usually related

to subjects of the major and minor identified by the student. Also included are questions

pertaining to statistical and ethical aspects of Bioengineering. Part II of the exam typically takes

15-30 minutes.

Responsibilities of the Chair of Qualifying Examination

1. The student should select the Chair at least 2-3 months before the anticipated exam

date.

2. The Chair should meet with the student to discuss the composition of the qualifying

committee at least 2-3 months prior to the exam.

3. The Chair should ensure that the proposal (3-4 pages in length, outlining the general

goals of the project, their significance and the methods used to approach them) is

distributed to the committee members at least 4 weeks before the exam to allow

sufficient time for feedback to the student.

4. The Chair should explain the format of the exam (explained above) to the student.

5. The Chair needs to remind the student to complete the Graduate Division procedures

and documentation at least 3 weeks before the proposed date of the exam.

6. The Chair needs to obtain the student’s file and transcripts a few days before the exam

and take them to the exam (from Bioengineering Program Offices).

7. Following the exam, the Chair needs to discuss the outcome with the student.

8. If the student fails, a second examination has to be arranged. This final exam can be

limited to the section that was failed initially if agreed upon by the committee (all

members of the committee have to be present and have to take part in the exam).

9. The Chair needs to strongly advise the student to interact with all committee members

and their research mentor before the re-take.

3.6 Advancement to Candidacy

After students have passed their qualifying examinations, they must submit forms to advance to

candidacy. Students should submit these as soon as possible, and are required to do so typically

within six months of passing the Qualifying Exam. Delays in advancing to candidacy may

jeopardize the validity of the examination and limit the time in candidacy. At this stage,

advancing to candidacy simply requires completing the Graduate Division and Program forms

that identify the members of the Dissertation Committee and paying the candidacy fee ($90). See

Section 3.9 Dissertation (Selecting Dissertation Committee) for more details.

Basic requirements to Advance to Candidacy in the Program include:

1. Passing the qualifying examination.

2. Maintaining the minimum 3.0 grade point average in all upper division and graduate

coursework taken in graduate standing with no more than two courses having been

graded as incomplete.

Please note: Non-resident tuition (NRT) is waived after advancement to candidacy.

More information, and the required Graduate Division forms, are found below:

UCSF: https://graduate.ucsf.edu/forms (and on Student Portal)

Berkeley: http://grad.berkeley.edu/academic-progress/forms/ (and on CalCentral)

3.7 Research Conference Presentation

Students are required to present at a research conference at least once. This requirement may

be fulfilled by a poster presentation or a research talk. This requirement includes, but is not

limited to, a research presentation at the annual Program retreat. For more information about

the annual Program retreat, please see section 4.1 Annual Retreat. Students should report the

date, location, and presentation title on their Annual Progress Report forms.

3.8 Annual Progress Reports

Students are required to meet with their academic advisor and/or dissertation committee each

year and submit annual progress reports. These can be found in the Appendix, with additional

information found in Section 5.2 Required Forms and Documentation.

3.9 Dissertation

Students complete a dissertation based on original laboratory research.

In order to initiate this process, students must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Advancement to candidacy

2. Selection of a Dissertation Committee

3. Preparation of a dissertation proposal

Selecting the Dissertation Committee

The Program requires that the Dissertation Committee consist of three to five faculty members

representing both campuses. The Graduate Divisions of both UCSF and Berkeley require that

the Chair and two other members of the Dissertation Committee, designated as readers, are

members of the Academic Senate at UCSF or Berkeley. The fourth and fifth members of the

Dissertation Committee are intended to give breadth of input to the dissertation but do not

sign off on the dissertation. These non-signing members should be listed on the internal Group

form, but not on the form submitted to the Graduate Divisions.

Composition of the Dissertation Committee is subject to the approval of the Home Campus

Graduate Dean and is governed by these Graduate Division rules:

1. The Dissertation Chair may be any core member of the Bioengineering Graduate Group

faculty who is also a member of the Academic Senate on either campus. (In most cases, the

Research Mentor becomes the Dissertation Chair.)

2. Faculty members within the Group who are not Academic Senate members (such as

Adjunct or Clinical faculty) may not serve as the Chair of the Dissertation Committee or be

designated as a reader, but may serve on the Committee as a co-adviser if recommended by

the Bioengineering Executive Committee and approved by the Dean of the Graduate Division on

their Home Campus.

At UCSF the Graduate Dean must be petitioned using a General Petition Form (all

degrees): General Petition Form

For UC Berkeley, the petition procedure is explained at:

http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/faq.shtml#4

3. If a student wishes to work with a member of the faculty at UCSF or Berkeley who is not a

member of the Bioengineering Graduate Group, he/she must obtain approval of the Head

Graduate Advisor and/or the Executive Committee.

4. One of the readers on the Dissertation Committee must be a member of the academic

senate from the student’s Home Campus who is not a member of the Graduate Group (this

person is referred to as ‘the outside member’).

5. All committee members should have expertise enabling them to provide critical and helpful

advice in the area of the dissertation. Committee members must also be willing to read and

evaluate the dissertation.

The committee should serve the needs of the student. As projects proceed in new directions,

perspective changes, or the student feels the committee is not meeting his/her needs, the

composition of the committee can be changed by the student in consultation with his/her

graduate advisor and dissertation advisor.

Preparing the Dissertation Proposal

In consultation with their Research Mentor / Dissertation Chair, students submit a research

proposal to the Dissertation Committee. This is a document that outlines what will be

accomplished in the dissertation project and should be filed within six months of passing the

Qualifying Examination. It must be approved by the members of the Dissertation Committee

and should be updated as necessary.

Dissertation Committee Meetings

Students are required to meet annually with their Dissertation Committees to discuss their

research project, review results, and chart directions for completing their dissertation. Ideally

the meeting takes place by April 15

each year. The first meeting should take place not later

than 6 months after passing the qualifying exam.

Either the student or committee may initiate more frequent meetings as needed. Meetings may

be held when necessary without all committee members present. For each meeting, the

student is responsible for preparing a written summary outlining the dissertation project,

progress on this project and objectives for completion of the dissertation. This should include a

time table. A copy of this summary is to be given to the BioE Program Office. Students should

present and critically discuss the progress and status of their project. Students should be

current on the literature in relevant areas and should be prepared to discuss broader issues of

relevance and importance as well as experimental data.

The committee has the responsibility at each meeting to meet separately with the dissertation

advisor (without the presence of the student) and student (without the presence of the

dissertation advisor) at the beginning or end of the meeting to have confidential discussions on

any subjects relevant for the student’s progress and welfare.

The Committee should provide candid advice to both the student and advisor with the goal of

facilitating progress towards the best possible dissertation, as well as a timely progression

toward the Ph.D. The committee should consider at each meeting: project strengths and

weaknesses, the realism of the time table; the student's familiarity with the relevant literature;

student's experimental strengths and weaknesses; and the adequacy of advice provided to the

student by the Ph.D. advisor and others. The committee should provide advice in a positive

manner to provide as much support as possible to the student in what is a very difficult

undertaking.

The committee has the responsibility, particularly for dissertation projects that may be overly

ambitious, to set deadlines for obtaining significant results that would justify continuation of

the student's approach, and to explore with the student potential fall-back projects if the

present project fails. Between meetings, the committee members will be willing to meet with

the student for advice and discussions.

The chair has the responsibility to ensure that any concerns about the student’s progress,

interests, or welfare in his or her laboratory are conveyed to the BioE Executive Committee. The

chair should be acquainted with services provided by the university and the Program to

enhance student welfare and should facilitate student use of these services when appropriate.

The chair has to submit the Dissertation Committee Update form and the student’s summary

after each committee meeting.

Filing the Dissertation

Details for preparing the dissertation are available from the Graduate Divisions, and are on the

graduate division’s websites. When requesting a title page at the respective Graduate Division,

it is necessary to identify oneself as being part of the intercampus group in order to have both

campuses listed on the title page and diploma. A copy of the dissertation must be turned into

the Group office at the student’s Home Campus upon completion. Prior to graduation, each

student is required to present an exit seminar on the research results. This exit seminar is open

to all Group faculty members and students as well as any other members of the University

community.

3.10 Exit Seminar

Students will present a formal, minimum 45-minute seminar on the results of their research prior

to graduation. This exit seminar will be open to Program faculty members, students, and others

in the University community.

The following are guidelines for the exit seminar:

1. Dissertation complete and submitted, including depositing a copy with the Home Campus

Program Administrator.

2. The student’s Research Mentor will attend the exit seminar and is responsible for any

costs associated with the exit seminar including room rental fees and refreshments.

3. Program faculty members and students will be invited to attend the exit seminar by the

student, typically through an email to the Program listserv.

4. The student will notify their Home Campus Program administrative office of the date,

time, and location of the exit seminar.

Exit Interview

Prior to graduation, students must complete Exit Interviews with:

1. Graduate Adviser, to review academic progress and career plans.

2. Head Graduate Adviser, to discuss career plans.

3. Program Administrator on the Home Campus, to ensure their files contain the final

Program of Study, area requirements, transcripts, and dissertation title page. Students

are asked at this time to provide future contact information for the alumni database, as

well as current career information, such as employer, position title. Students are

encouraged to report future career and contact changes to the Program administration.

3.11 Academic Probation and Dismissal Procedures

The following represents a summary statement regarding academic probation and dismissal

procedures as applied for graduate students in the Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in

Bioengineering. Additional specific details and guidelines of this policy can be found:

 UC Berkeley Grad Division:

http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/coursework-grading-probation-and-dismissal-policy/

 UCSF Grad Division:

http://senate.ucsf.edu/0-bylaws/stugr.html

 UCSF Policy on Student Progress:

http://graduate.ucsf.edu/policy-student-progress

Criteria for satisfactory academic progress include the following:

 A specified grade-point average above a 3.0 in all upper division and graduate coursework

taken in graduate standing

 No more than two courses having been graded as Incomplete

 UCSF Graduate Division requires Incomplete grades be removed within 1 year

 Required coursework, program of study, and program requirements completed in a

timely fashion and at a given level of performance

 Completion/passing of the Qualifying Exam; according to the BioE Handbook section on

Qualifying Examinations

 Acceptance by a faculty member who agrees to supervise the student’s research and to

serve as chair of the dissertation committee

 Advancement to candidacy within 6 months of completing the qualifying examination

 Satisfactory standing on yearly progress reports from dissertation committee and

graduate advisors

Procedure for notification of insufficient progress includes the following in writing from the Head

Graduate Advisor to the student:

 Nature of the problem or deficiency

 The steps to be taken to correct the deficiency

 A reasonable period (typically 6 months) in which to correct the problem or to show

acceptable improvement

 The consequences of failing to resolve the deficiencies (e.g., dismissal)

 An approximate date on which the student’s record will next be reviewed

Dismissal decisions will be made following an in-depth review of the student’s academic

performance conducted by the Program’s Executive Committee. The Graduate Division will be

notified that the student is undergoing an in-depth academic review for early dismissal

consideration. Following the review, the dismissal process will adhere to the student’s home

campus guidelines.

4. OTHER

4.1 Annual Retreat

The Program holds an annual retreat for students and faculty at which research is showcased.

The retreat is generally held over a weekend in the fall. It is an excellent opportunity to hear

about contemporary Bioengineering research, seek out lab rotations, and hear of openings for

rotations and dissertation projects. Research mentors pay the registration fees for students who

are working in their labs. Students without a mentor (e.g. rotation students) attend using travel

funds or by fee waiver. The Annual Retreat planning is spearheaded by a student Retreat

Committee in coordination with the Program’s Executive Committee. Attendance at the retreat

is expected annually for all students.

4.2 Bioengineering Student Talks (BEST)

The Bioengineering Student Talks (BEST) are organized by student volunteers and provide

opportunities for students to practice presenting their research to their colleagues. BESTs are

scheduled during the academic school year and occur at both UCSF and Berkeley as needed.

Students who wish to practice for their qualifying examination are encouraged to present, as are

students from any year who are going to make presentations at scientific meetings, as well as

graduating students preparing for research talks at job interviews.

Goals

 To learn about research projects of students in the group

 To receive peer critique of research and valuable feedback

 To gain public speaking experience

 To give practice talks for qualifying exams and conferences

 To learn to communicate to people who are not in your field

Format

Most BESTs are given as a computer presentation (e.g. Powerpoint slides), but students are

encouraged to use a format relevant to them, including, but not limited to, a qualifying exam,

conference talk, or a job talk. The presentations should be professional and include background

information, the relevance of the project and an overview of the past, present or proposed

research.

Content

 Practice of talks to be given at future conferences

 Pre-quals talks

 Rotation reports for 1st and 2nd year students

 Project/thesis proposals

Coordinators

One UCSF-based and one Berkeley-based BEAST student are elected each year as the BEST

Coordinators and are responsible for arranging conference room bookings and ordering food.

Students wishing to give a BEST presentation should work with the BEST Coordinators to schedule

a date and time.

4.3 Graduation

Students are encouraged to participate in the commencement ceremonies held in May at both

Berkeley and UCSF. Upon completing their dissertation, students become eligible to participate

in the graduation ceremonies, and receive their diplomas that list both Berkeley and UCSF as the

degree-granting institutions.

Graduating students have an additional option of being hooded individually at their exit seminar.

If electing this option, a hood must be reserved three weeks in advance from the UCSF Program

administrative office.

4.4 Optional Master of Science

Students in the Program may also complete the requirements for a Master’s degree as part of

their doctoral program. The acceptable plan to earn a masters is Plan I which requires a thesis

and formal coursework as outlined below.

Plan I Requirements:

1. Completion of 20 semester units, eight of which are graded graduate level courses in the

major field of study, not including seminars. Of the remaining 12 units, up to three may

be individual research, while the remaining must be advanced undergraduate or graduate

courses in the major or other fields of study.

2. Completion of a Master’s Thesis. The Master’s Thesis must be read and approved by at

least three Program faculty members who must come from both campuses.

5. ADVISING OVERVIEW

The Chair of the Program, on behalf of the Executive Committee, nominates the Graduate

Advisers. The Graduate Division Deans at both UCSF and Berkeley receive these nominations and

make the formal appointments that legitimize the Graduate Advisers’ signatures on either

campus. The Head Graduate Advisers at UCSF and Berkeley oversee all advising activities.

Graduate Advisers

Graduate Advisers are matched to incoming students prior to registration, based on the students’

stated areas of interest. Students may later request a different, potentially better-matched

adviser by contacting a Head Graduate Adviser (see below).

The Graduate Adviser is the official deputy of the Dean of the Graduate Division in matters

affecting graduate students in the Program. Thus, the relationship between the Graduate Division

and the Graduate Adviser is a very close one, involving a high degree of cooperation. The objects

of both are the same: to guide students in an orderly fashion through the various steps necessary

for the attainment of their higher degrees.

The Graduate Adviser formally approves students’ Programs of Study, recommends their

advancement to candidacy, considers their petitions to add or change majors, to add or drop

course, or to apply for withdrawal or readmission, and speaks for the Program on matters

concerning the progress and standing of individual graduate students. In all these matters, the

Graduate Adviser must judge whether or not a student’s request or proposed action is in order,

is in the best interests of the student and the program, and is feasible under existing regulations.

Head Graduate Adviser

The two Head Graduate Advisers (UCSF and Berkeley) are appointed based on their considerable

experience as Graduate Advisers. They are responsible for overseeing and signing documents

pertaining to graduate enrollment, degrees, financial aid, student progress and student standing.

They are also available to all students for consultation on any matters relating to the program

and serve as ‘back-up’ when the student’s assigned Graduate Adviser is not available.

Area Adviser

The Area Advisers are Program faculty on each campus with expertise in a particular research

area. Area Advisers provide any Program student with focused, in-depth, area-specific advising

including selection of curriculum, program of study, faculty mentor, qualifying exam and

dissertation committee membership. The list of area advisers is available online.

Peer Adviser

Students have an active group of Peer Advisers that provide support to their colleagues. Every

entering student is assigned at least one Peer Adviser and is encouraged to consult them on a

broad variety of matters, including choice of courses and rotations. The Peer Advisers have

prepared a summary of information for new students called: “Into the Belly of the BEAST”,

available on the BEAST wiki.

5.1 Research Mentor

As described in the section on selecting a Research Mentor, this key faculty member is

responsible for overseeing all aspects of the student’s research training. The Research Mentor

and student work closely together toward the first major milestone: completion of the qualifying

examination. To assist students in being successful, mentors should participate with the student

in choosing an appropriate topic, selecting the members of the committee, preparing and

reviewing the proposal, and overseeing practice sessions for the examination.

Where necessary, mentors identify additional coursework that would help students to gain the

background necessary for completing their research and encourage students to attend relevant

workshops and research conferences.

It is critical for Research Mentors to continually monitor the progress students are making

towards completing their dissertation. This should include helping students publish sections of

their work in peer-reviewed journals and present material at national and international

conferences. Other responsibilities are to chair annual meetings of dissertation committees that

provide concrete feedback to students as to the progress towards their degree.

While some students hold extramural fellowships, the majority will require financial support from

their Research Mentor. It is therefore critical that Research Mentors have resources that are

sufficient to see dissertations through to completion.

Once a student has committed to pursue their dissertation research with a particular Research

Mentor, that mentor is responsible for providing the following, for the length of the student’s

dissertation project:

1. Stipend that meets the Program annual requirements as established by the Executive

Committee in conjunction with the UCSF and Berkeley Graduate Divisions.

2. Registration fees and non-resident tuition (if applicable)* as established by each campus

in conjunction with the Office of The President.

3. Conference registration fee for the annual Program Retreat

4. Travel to appropriate conferences and meetings

5. Expenses associated with research activities

6. Two weeks annual leave

*Usually only pertains to first year graduate students and continuing international students.

Progress Review

Students meet annually with their Graduate Adviser and, once applicable, their Research Mentor

and Dissertation Committee. These meetings are to review their progress and outline remaining

requirements. Students complete an annual Progress Report and other required forms with

appropriate signatures and submit them to the Program office of their Home Campus each year.

Program administrators communicate due dates each year via email. Required forms are listed

below and are available in the Appendix.

5.2 Required Forms and Documentation

Please refer to the Appendix for Program forms. Forms that require additional reporting to the

student’s Home Campus Graduate Division are noted.

Students are required to annually update and submit these forms:

1. Program of Study

2. Area Requirements

3. Unofficial Transcript (found at UCSF student portal and/or UC Berkeley CalCentral)

4. Annual Progress Report (submit appropriate form for candidacy status; Pre-Candidacy or

Advanced to Candidacy)

5. Dissertation Committee Update (only students advanced to candidacy)

First Year-Specific Forms:

1. Research Rotation Authorization (each rotation)

2. Research Rotation Evaluation (each rotation)

Students fill out the following forms typically only once:

1. Research Mentor/Dissertation Chair Commitment

2. Constitution of Qualifying Examination Committee**

3. Constitution of Dissertation Committee**

**Additional reporting to Home Campus Graduate Division required after Program form

approval. E-form found on UCSF’s Student Portal and Berkeley’s CalCentral.

Every April, the Head Graduate Advisers chair a meeting of Graduate Advisers on their respective

campuses to review material submitted by each student and report their progress to the

executive committee.

Standards of Scholarship

The Graduate Divisions at UCSF and Berkeley have different policies on Academic Standing. It is

strongly recommended that students review the most current versions of these policies on the

respective Graduate Division web sites, because the program will hold you to these standards.

Berkeley Graduate Studies Handbook, Section E: Academic Standing

http://grad.berkeley.edu/policy/#post-137

UCSF Graduate Division Bulletin, Section General Regulations

http://saa49.ucsf.edu/graduate/admin.htm#publications

A note to all Students, regardless of Home Campus

Students should routinely review their transcripts to ensure that grades are properly posted and

classes taken are accurately listed. In addition, because courses and grades from the other

campus can sometimes take several months to be transferred to the home campus it is important

to notify the Program office if the GPA on the Home Campus is below 3.0, but the combined GPA

is 3.0 or better. Promptly alerting the Program office of GPA issues may prevent students from

being placed on academic probation in error. Unofficial transcripts are available online on

Berkeley’s Cal central website, and through UCSF’s Student Portal.

6. ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW

Home Campus

Students are assigned in their first year to a Home Campus, Berkeley or UCSF, based on research

interests and initial funding source. Upon the start of the second year, the Home Campus will be

changed, when applicable, to the campus at which the student’s selected Research Mentor holds

their faculty appointment. The Home Campus is where fees are paid and health services are

based (except for emergencies when students will be covered at any Emergency Room). Forms

for qualifying exams, advancement to candidacy, and dissertation status are submitted to the

Graduate Division of the Home Campus. The Home Campus will also be a factor in the

composition of the qualifying and dissertation committees.

All students in the Graduate Program in Bioengineering have full access to courses, research

opportunities, and facilities (including the libraries and student unions) on both campuses

regardless of Home Campus assignment.

Home Campus change is possible prior to taking the qualifying examination and requires

academic justification with the approval of the Head Graduate Advisers by petitioning both

Berkeley and UCSF Graduate Divisions. Consult the program staff for details if considering a Home

Campus change.

Student Health Coverage

Berkeley Student Health Services:

http://uhs.berkeley.edu/students/insurance/

UCSF Student Health Services:

http://studenthealth.ucsf.edu/

Communication

Most communication for the group is conducted through email. Students are issued a Berkeley

email account when they make their statement of intent to register. The Program does not

provide mailboxes.

All students plus the Program staff are included on a list serve entitled

[email protected]

All Program Faculty plus staff are included on private list serve.

Students are encouraged to keep the Program administrative staff and the Office of the Registrar

on the Home Campus informed of current contact information, including address and phone

numbers.

This information can be updated here:

UCB: https://calcentral.berkeley.edu

UCSF: https://saa.ucsf.edu/studentportal/

Registration

Students are required to register for school each quarter / semester during the academic year

and maintain full-time student status (8 quarter units or 12 semester units). Students are

required to register (and pay fees) for summer school only if their fellowship requires it. Students

meet with their Graduate Advisers to review course enrollment plans each term.

Withdrawals

Students choosing to leave the program before completing a degree must officially withdraw

from the university. If choosing to return at a later date, they must apply for readmission.

6.1 Registration Guidelines based on Home Campus

Enrollment requirements vary depending on the home campus status of a student. See below for

specific requirements.

Enrollment Requirements for every Berkeley Semester

Enrollment Requirement for every UCSF Quarter

Berkeley Home Campus Students

UCSF Home Campus Students

Taking classes

at Berkeley

CalCentral (full-time enrollment is

12 or more units)

Submit UCSF Study List Filing form

Not taking

classes at

Berkeley

CalCentral, at least 12 research

units (299) if applicable, and / or

verify course enrollment at UCSF

at Berkeley CalCentral

Berkeley Home Campus Students

UCSF Home Campus Students

Taking classes

at UCSF

Submit Study List Filing online on

UCSF Student Portal

Submit Study List Filing online on UCSF

Student Portal (minimum 8 units, using

research units if necessary).

Not taking

classes at

UCSF

No action is required

Submit Study List Filing online on UCSF

Student Portal (minimum 8 units of

research: Pre-candidacy Bio 250,

Candidacy Bio 299)

Registration Resources Online

UCB CalCentral: Registration, Schedule of Classes, etc.

http://calcentral.berkeley.edu

UCSF Office of the Registrar online services

http://registrar.ucsf.edu/registration/how-register

UCSF Office of the Registrar web page for registration

https://saa.ucsf.edu/studentportal/

UCSF Course Catalog: http://coursecatalog.ucsf.edu/

Bioengineering Course Catalog: http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/

6.2 Berkeley Registration

Registration means 1) enrolling in classes; 2) paying fees, and 3) having no blocks to registering.

The student is responsible for enrolling in classes, checking to make sure all fee payments have

been made on their behalf and clearing registration blocks as soon as possible.

At Berkeley, students enroll in classes through CalCentral. UCSF Home Campus students also

utilize this system when signing up for Berkeley courses. (Students cannot enroll in UCSF courses

through CalCentral.)

Students use their CalNet ID and passphrase to access CalCentral. CalNet IDs are created when

students join the Program.

CalCentral Registration Timeline:

Phase I begins in April and ends in July.

Phase II begins in July and ends in August.

Students are assigned an appointment date to use CalCentral for each phase. Once the

appointment expires, students can access registration on CalCentral through the end of each

phase during Open Hours (Monday through Friday from 7:00 to 8:00 am and 7:00 pm to

Midnight). Registration through CalCentral is available through the end of the third week of

classes.

To be registered at Berkeley, every Berkeley based student must enroll for a minimum of 12

Berkeley units each semester (note that full-time enrollment for graduate students is 12 units).

If a student is not taking classes, or their classes do not add up to the required 12 units, the

student must register for additional units of BIOE 299 (independent research) and / or 298 (group

research / journal club). Contact the Berkeley Program administrator for the correct Course

Control Number to use for BIOE 299.

UCSF-based students are not required to carry a full course load at Berkeley. However, all

students taking courses at Berkeley are to follow the procedures described here and observe the

relevant deadlines. UCSF-based students not taking courses at Berkeley must enroll in a one-unit

dummy course at Berkeley each semester.

Any schedule changes (whether the student is UCSF or Berkeley based) made after the third week

of classes will require a “Petition to Change Class Schedule.” The petition must be signed by the

student and the professor of the class the student is adding, if applicable. The original signed

petition must be submitted to the Berkeley program administrator by the last day of instruction.

Consequences of Late Registration

It is essential that all students be registered by the 15th day of classes. Certain penalties apply to

students who do not register on time and there are significant budget consequences to the

department when students fail to register by the census date. A “Petition for Late Enrollment /

Registration” will need to be submitted and a Late Enrollment Fee of $150 is charged to

continuing students who fail to use CalCentral to enroll in at least one class by the end of Phase

II. Students with eligible appointments (i.e., 25 percent time or greater per semester as a

Graduate Student Instructor or Graduate Student Researcher) must be registered by the end of

the third week of classes or they may lose their fee remissions.

Consequences of Not Registering

Students who are not registered have access only to those University facilities that are accorded

to the general public, and they may not consult with faculty about matters pertaining to their

programs. International students who choose not to register must continue to pay for health

insurance, moreover are subject to policies set forth by the United States Citizenship and

Immigration Services. Such students will be “administratively cancelled” and will have to petition

for re-entry and pay a fee if they want to register at Berkeley again.

6.3 UCSF Registration

Each quarter, all students should check the UCSF Student Portal summary tab for registration

holds and update relevant information (e.g. address). The UCSF Office of the Registrar has strict

due dates and will charge students a late fee for missed due dates.

Further requirements depend on a student’s home campus:

UCSF Home Campus Students:

UCSF Home Campus students must register every quarter at UCSF by filling out their study list.

Review the UCSF registration procedures on the web (http://registrar.ucsf.edu/registration/how-

filing)

Every Quarter, UCSF Home Campus students must file a UCSF Study List online on the UCSF

Student Portal with a minimum of 8 units. If necessary, students enroll in research credit to reach

the minimum 8 units using the course BioE 250: Research. In a student’s final quarter, students

may instead use BioE 299: Dissertation if they do not hold a GSR appointment.

Note: UCSF’s online system does not include Berkeley courses. Students that take Berkeley

courses will see these added to their UCSF transcripts once grades are exchanged between each

campus’ Registrar’s Office.

UCSF Graduate Policies

Berkeley Home Campus Students:

Berkeley Home Campus students that are not taking UCSF courses are not required to submit a

study list filing, but they should review and update their contact information on the UCSF Student

Portal. Students that are taking UCSF courses should complete the study list filing for that

quarter.

6.4 Filing Fee Status

Students must be registered OR on filing fee status when they file their dissertation. Filing Fee

Status is an alternate status used in lieu of registration, and is appropriate for students who have

completed all course work and who have no occasion to use University facilities or to make use

of faculty time other than for the final reading of their dissertation. Filing Fee status is not

equivalent to registration. This status allows students to file their dissertation without having to

pay registration fees.

Filing Fee Status may only be used once. If the student does not complete the final degree

requirements during their eligibility period, the fee is forfeited and the student must pay regular

registration fees during the semester in which they do complete those requirements.

Limitations of Filing Fee status

Students on Filing Fee status may not take course work or use any University facilities not

accorded the general public. Services such as Financial Aid, Student Health and Student Union

membership are not available, except by special arrangement. Nor may they hold graduate

student appointments (GSR and GSI) at Berkeley.

Applications and campus specific Filing Fee policies are available from the Graduate Division

offices on each campus. Students applying for the Filing Fee status submit a check or money order

payable to the UC Regents for the fee with their application.

Berkeley Graduate Division

Degrees and Petitions: 510/642-7330

UCSF Graduate Division

415/476-2111

UCSF Graduate Forms

UCSF Policy

7. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Financial Support

Full financial support is provided to all students for the duration of the doctoral program, and is

contingent only on students maintaining satisfactory academic progress. Support includes

stipend and fees (which includes comprehensive health and dental insurance). Non-resident

tuition for out of state students will be covered for the first year; all eligible students must obtain

California residency by their second year.

The Executive Committee sets the annual minimum level of stipend support within the

parameters established by the Graduate Divisions. The current minimum annual stipend is

$40,000. During the first year, funding is typically provided by a combination of Federal, State, or

fellowship sources. This includes extramural fellowships and research appointments with faculty

during the summer. In the second year, students are partially supported by teaching

appointments, by extramural fellowships that they have obtained and by appointments with the

research mentors that they have selected.

One factor that allows the Program to maintain a large student body is the ability of some to

secure extramural fellowships. Continuing students are responsible for applying for such financial

assistance. The Program keeps students informed of available fellowship opportunities and

provides necessary supporting documentation for applications.

The Financial Aid Office (UCSF) and the Graduate Fellowships office (Berkeley) are resources for

information on many different kinds of specialized fellowships, scholarships, loans, and other

opportunities. Students are urged to apply for any extramural pre-doctoral fellowships, and all

students are required to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which

can be found at:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Due to the restrictions of many funding agencies, opportunities for international students are

limited. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents do not qualify for California

residency and are not eligible for certain types of support. Funding sources for international

students do include fellowships, research assistantships and non-resident tuition (NRT)

scholarships.

Once a student begins dissertation research under the guidance of their Research Mentor, that

faculty member becomes responsible for the student’s financial support. The arrangements of

this support are specified in the Dissertation Lab / Mentor Commitment form. Students are

responsible for discussing funding with their Research Mentor. This discussion should occur early

in the relationship. In addition to stipend and fees, Mentors also provide support for registration

fees for the annual Program Retreat and participation at national conferences.

7.1 Residency

California Residency and Nonresident Classification

California Residency is a classification for University tuition purposes. A California resident

(defined by UC policy) is a financially independent adult who has lived in California for more than

one year prior to the first day of instruction for the term during which they are claiming residency.

Students who do not meet these criteria or have not applied for Residency status are considered

nonresidents and subject to nonresident tuition (NRT) as well as registration fees. The Program

does not support NRT beyond eligible students’ first year, on the assumption that all eligible

students (e.g. not international students) will apply for reclassification as a California Resident.

Continuing students eligible for California residency are strongly encouraged to begin

establishing residency upon arrival in California. To gain resident classification students must

submit a petition to their Home Campus Registrar’s office (at Berkeley online via CalCentral:

http://calcentral.Berkeley.edu/) showing that they have lived in California for more than one

year.

The deadline to file the petition is the last working day before the first day of instruction of the

term for which they are seeking residency status (typically, Fall of the second year). Students may

review the complete policy and procedures available from the Home Campus Registrar’s Office

and online:

UCB http://registrar.Berkeley.edu/Residency/legalinfo.html

UCSF http://registrar.ucsf.edu/registration/residency

Eligible students who do not petition for California residency will be responsible for paying

their own NRT.

Common documents needed with the petition for change classification are:

 Documents confirming arrival in California prior to the start of fall semester of the

previous year

 CA driver’s license or state identification card (if non-driver)

 CA vehicle registration

 CA Voter registration card

 CA bank statements

 Documents confirming prior summer whereabouts (e.g., job offer letters, summer

session, registration, etc.)

 Prior year’s W-2 and State and Federal Income Tax Returns.

 Berkeley campus Personnel Action Notice confirming last Fall employment

For specific residency questions, contact the Berkeley Registrar’s Office (510) 642-1614 or the

UCSF Registrar’s Office (415) 476-8280.

7.2 Stipend Guidelines

The Program’s Executive Committee annually establishes a minimum stipend level. Committed

to staying on par with comparable programs, the Committee regularly reviews the stipend

amount.

Bioengineering Graduate Student minimum stipend level:

Annual (12 months): $40,000.00 (2019-20)

This stipend level is a commitment made by the Program to the students of the incoming class.

As most students advance, their funding will be provided through the mechanism of research

rotations and their Research Mentor’s resources. It is expected that future appointments for

research rotations and dissertation research will adhere to these minimum stipend guidelines.

Appointment guidelines for Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) are sent out annually to the

group. Appointments for bioengineering graduate students are initiated in the faculty mentor’s

department with their financial or human resources assistant. Rotation and Research Mentors

should address questions to the Program’s administrators.

7.3 Fees

This section should be read in conjunction with the preceding Section 7.1 Residency: California

Residency and Nonresident Classification.

UCSF Fees include the University Registration Fee, Educational Fee, Student Health Insurance

premium, Student Union fee, Graduate Student Association fee (see fee details at the UCSF

Graduate Division).

Berkeley Fees include the Student Services Fee, Tuition, Health Insurance fee, Class Pass fee (AC

Transit), and Berkeley campus fee. See more details on fees at the Registrar’s Office.

The fees listed above are covered as part of each student’s support package, in addition to the

annual stipend, during the academic year. Fees are paid to the student’s Home Campus each

academic term except for the summer session fees, which are not included. Students are

responsible for informing their Home Campus administrator in a timely manner of any fee issues,

including holds and unpaid fee notices.

7.4 Online Resources

Berkeley Registrar’s Office

http://registrar.Berkeley.edu/Registration/feesched.html

Berkeley Graduate Fee Remission Eligibility

http://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/fee-remissions/

Berkeley Graduate Studies Handbook

http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/policies/ggp/ggp.pdf

UCSF Registrar’s Office

http://registrar.ucsf.edu/registration/fees

UCSF Graduate Division Financial Support

https://graduate.ucsf.edu/financial-support

Defined Contribution Plan (DC Plan)

The University of California is required by law to make social security contributions or provide a

safe harbor provision retirement plan for graduate students, the Defined Contribution Plan (DC

Plan). UC-employed Graduate Students are required to contribute to the DC Plan Pretax Account

through payroll withholding. These funds are available to the student when they leave the

University, at which time the funds may be rolled into an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement

plans.

For additional information regarding DC Plan and Medicare, contact:

 UC Benefits Customer Service at (800) 888-8267 x 70651

 UCSF Benefits Office at 476-1400

 HR Assistant processing your appointment.

Online DCP References:

UCSF Human Resources

http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/benefits/residentsfellows/info.html?x=1254

Berkeley U.C. Defined Contribution (DC) Plan

http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/forms_pubs/spd/dcpspd.pdf

Taxes

IMPORTANT NOTE: One complication with training grants (and most other nonwage awards,

including the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship) is that there are laws that have made this

income taxable, yet no taxes are withheld. Consequently, to avoid owing penalties for late taxes,

some students must either file quarterly estimated taxes or request that additional tax be

withheld from any wage-type job (e.g. RA or GSI/TA) the student holds while on the training grant

or fellowship. Most of the administrators on campus are forbidden by the school from giving tax

advice, but copies of the tax forms can be found at the Berkeley Public Library in downtown

Berkeley. The estimated tax forms and instructions are also available for download from the IRS

website. Further details and resources for taxes are provided below.

Fellowship and Training Grant Income

The University does not issue a Form 1098 or W-2 for fellowships or training grants to degree

candidates, and does not withhold taxes from the stipend portions of fellowships or training

grants. Fellowship and grant funds used to pay tuition, fees, and course-related expenses are not

subject to tax, but funds used for living expenses are taxable. Students should therefore report

the portion of their awards used for living expenses as income and are responsible for the

payment of estimated taxes. Students on a non-immigrant visa (F-1 and J-1) are in an exceptional

category, and must consult with the HR representative in the Faculty Sponsor’s department.

Payroll Appointments: GSR and GSI

Students who receive some or part of their funding through GSR and/or GSI appointments

receive wages, (payments for services), which are subject to income tax withholding. The

University will issue a W-2 to any student who held a payroll appointment at the end of each

calendar year identifying total income received and taxes withheld. Tax withholding amounts

may be adjusted by completing a W-9 form, which should be available in the office where the

payroll appointment is set up.

International Students

The University reports awards made to international students to the IRS. A percentage of such

fellowship stipends is withheld for federal tax, unless the student’s home country has a tax treaty

with the United States that exempts its citizens from withholding. State tax is withheld for

international students and other nonresidents of California if they receive over $1,000 per month

or $10,000 per calendar year. Students may call the Foreign Tax Unit of the disbursements Office

(415/642-3002) to see if there are tax treaties between the United States and their country of

residence.

Tax breaks for Graduate and Professional Students

The 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act includes substantial tax breaks for college students and their

families. Graduate students who have children or other family members attending college may

qualify for the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit for undergraduate study, and graduate students

repaying student loans may qualify for the student loan interest deduction. For more information

on the educational provisions of the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act, see the Loans and Receivables

Office Web site:

http://students.berkeley.edu/finaid/parents/tax.htm

More information is available in the following IRS publications:

Educational Expenses

508

Highlights of the Tax Reform Act of 1986

1339

Scholarships and Fellowships

520

Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax

505

U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens

519

U.S. Tax Treaties

901

Your Federal Income Tax

8. BEAST and STUDENT AFFAIRS

Bioengineering Association of Students (BEAST)

BEAST (BioEngineering Association of STudents) is the official organization for the Program’s

students. There are no dues associated with membership. Members participate in monthly

meetings, academic discussions, weekly happy hours, and other fun activities, such as ski trips,

movie night, pizza, and more. Officers are elected in the Fall semester. For more information see

the Beast Wiki.

BEAST Wiki

URL: http://ucbeast.berkeley.edu

UCSF Graduate Student Room

Mission Bay Campus, Byers Hall

1700-4th ST

Room BH217

Access by UCSF photo ID card

Phone number: 415/476/2745

Graduate Student Resources

UCSF Student Academic Affairs (SAA) is a resource for student health services, international

students and scholars, student relations, career center, financial services and more. Review their

web pages: http://saawww.ucsf.edu/

UCSF Resources website offers more information on academics, administrative, campus and

community resources and events: http://www.ucsf.edu/education

UCSF Graduate Student Association (GSA) is another resource for graduate students offering

information on graduate student life, development, and enrichment and social events happening

in the Bay Area: http://student.ucsf.edu/gsa

Berkeley Graduate Division is the resource for information on fellowships, teaching and research

opportunities, student life, health, development, housing, and other campus services:

http://grad.berkeley.edu/

Berkeley Graduate Assembly (GA) is the graduate student government. That provides resources,

intellectual activities, a social network and advocates for graduate students:

http://ga.Berkeley.edu/

Additional information on student organizations can be found on the web at:

UCB: https://callink.berkeley.edu

UCSF: https://studentlife.ucsf.edu/involvement/registered-campus-orgs

9. Appendix: Required Forms and Documentation

This appendix includes Program forms that students are required to complete as they make

progress toward their degree. Please note, in some cases additional forms and/or online

documentation must be submitted concurrently to the Graduate Division of a student’s Home

Campus (e.g. Constitution of a Qualifying Examination Committee).

A. Program of Study: Major and Minor

B. Program of Study: Area Requirements

C. Research Rotation Authorization

D. Research Rotation Evaluation

E. Research Mentor/Dissertation Chair Commitment

F. Annual Progress Report: Pre-Candidacy Students

G. Annual Progress Report: Students Advanced to Candidacy

H. Constitution of Qualifying Examination Committee

I. Constitution of Dissertation Committee

J. Dissertation Committee Update

See Section 5.2 Required Forms and Documentation for additional details. Requirements are as

follows:

Students are required to annually update and submit these forms:

1. Program of Study

2. Area Requirements

3. Unofficial Transcript (found at UCSF student portal and/or UC Berkeley CalCentral)

4. Annual Progress Report (submit appropriate form for candidacy status; Pre-Candidacy or

Advanced to Candidacy)

5. Dissertation Committee Update (only students advanced to candidacy)

First Year-Specific Forms:

1. Research Rotation Authorization (each rotation)

2. Research Rotation Evaluation (each rotation)

Students fill out the following forms typically only once:

1. Research Mentor/Dissertation Chair Commitment

2. Constitution of Qualifying Examination Committee**

3. Constitution of Dissertation Committee**

**Additional reporting to Home Campus Graduate Division required after Program form

approval. E-form found on UCSF’s Student Portal and Berkeley’s CalCentral.

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Program of Study: Major and Minor

Last Name: ______________________ First Name: __________________________

Approval: ____________________________ Date: ___________________________

(Graduate Advisor’s Signature)

Major_________________________________________________________________

16 semester units required (Quarter Units = 1.5 x semester units)

Classes

Course #

Campus

Sem Units

Term Taken

Grade

Area Req’t.

Major Total Units__________

Minor ________________________________________________________________

8 semester units required (Quarter Units = 1.5 x semester units)

Classes

Course #

Campus

Sem Units

Term Taken

Grade

Area Req’t.

Minor Total Units__________

Other Requirements

Requirement

Course #, Title and Faculty Instructor

Campus

Term Taken

Teaching Assistant

(GSI)

For Office Use Only:

Head Advisor’s initials Date entered in database

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UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Program of Study: Area Requirements

Last Name: ________________________ First Name: ___________________________ Date: ________________________

Area Requirement

Required

Sem/Qtr Units

Course Title(s)

Course #

Campus

Units

Term

(e.g. Fall 2016)

Grade

Anatomy, Physiology,

Biology

9/13.5

Biochemistry &

Chemistry beyond General

Chemistry

3/4.5

Engineering in a traditional

discipline & Computer

Science

7/10.5

Mathematics & Statistics

2/3

Year Seminar UCB

Bioengineering 200

200

Year Seminar UCSF

Bioengineering 281

281

Ethics 1

Year

Ethics 4

Year

Approval: _________________________________________ ________________________________________

Graduate Advisor Signature Date

For Office Use Only:

Head Advisor’s initials Date entered in database

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Research Rotation Authorization 2019-2020

Student Name: ________________________________________________

Rotation Mentor: ________________________________________________

Please submit to your home campus administrator BEFORE the rotation begins:

(check one)

____ 1

rotation ____ 2

rotation ____ 3

rotation

(9/23-11/15) (1/6-2/28) (3/2-4/24)

Research Project Title:

Describe the research topic and overall objective. Be as specific as possible.

Approval Signatures:

Rotation Mentor ___________________________ Date: _______________

Student ________________________________ Date: _______________

Graduate Advisor __________________________ Date: _______________

(required for exceptional authorizations only)

Return to Bioengineering Administration UCSF Byers Hall BH 216 or Berkeley 306D Stanley Hall

For Office Use Only:

Head Advisor’s initials Date entered in database

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Research Mentor/Dissertation Chair Commitment

Student Name:

Research Mentor/Dissertation Chair:

Research Mentor Department:

Start Date:

The student’s research mentor is responsible for providing the following support for the

length of a student’s dissertation project:

 Stipend that meets the Program’s annual requirements established by the Executive

Committee in conjunction with the UCSF and UCB Graduate Division requirements.

 Registration Fees and Non-Resident Tuition (if applicable*) as established by

each campus in conjunction with the Office of The President.

 Bioengineering Annual Retreat Registration Fee to attend the Program’s Annual

Conference & Retreat.

 Travel to appropriate conferences and meetings.

 Expenses associated with research activities.

 Leave two weeks annually.

*Non-Resident Tuition (NRT) applies to international students and out-of-state first year students only.

Eligible students (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) are required to obtain California residency by

their second year. NRT is reduced substantially upon advancement to candidacy.

I accept this student into my lab for their dissertation research project and agree to the funding and

mentoring requirements of the Bioengineering Program.

Research Mentor Signature Date

Student Signature Date

Graduate Advisor Signature Date

For Office Use Only:

________________________________________ __________________________

Department Chair Signature (UCSF Required) Date

___________________________________

BioE Head Advisor Signature Date Date entered in database__ ______

Administrative Contact/HR/Payroll Contact for Lab

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Annual Progress Report: Pre-Candidacy Students

To satisfy Program and Graduate Division reporting requirements, this form should be completed,

signed, and returned to your home campus administrator in the Spring, on a date specified via email.

Student Name: ________________________________________ Date:______________________

Year Entered Program: ___________________ Student ID #: _____________________________

Student Comments: Describe annual progress (e.g. rotations, coursework, identified Research

Mentor or QE committee, etc.). Use reverse side or additional page if needed.

What is your source of support next year? (Lab funds, fellowship, etc.)

Support Details (list fellowship or lab name):_____________________________________________

Anticipated Date/Term of Qualifying Exam: ______________________________________________

Student Signature: Date:

Graduate Advisor (1

years) or Research Mentor Section:

Student’s Progress is: (Select one.)

More than satisfactory Satisfactory Improvement Needed

Describe the student's research and/or Program of Study progress. If Improvement Needed,

recommend specific areas and methods for improvement:

I have met with and reviewed this student’s progress on (date):

Faculty signature: _______________________________

Signature Print name

Research Mentor Commitment of Support: I commit to financially support and academically

mentor the above listed student according to the by-laws of the Bioengineering PhD Program.

$_________________________

(Annual stipend level)

Account manager name and contact information:

_________________________________

Name email

Signature: Research Mentor Print Name

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Annual Progress Report: Students Advanced to Candidacy

To satisfy Program and Graduate Division reporting requirements, this form should be completed,

signed, and returned to your home campus administrator in the Spring, on a date specified via email.

Students advanced to candidacy should also meet with their Dissertation Committee and complete a

Dissertation Committee Meeting Update form on an annual basis, at minimum.

Student Name: Date:

Year Entered Program: ___________________ Student ID #:

Date Qualifying Exam Passed: Date Advanced to Candidacy:

Program Requirements (check if completed):

Program of Study (Courses) Minimum 3.0 GPA

Research Presentation Teaching Requirement (GSI/TA)

Student Comments: Describe annual progress (e.g. publications, coursework, research presentation

date/location/title, etc.). Use reverse side or additional page if needed.

Student Signature: Date:

Research Mentor Section:

Student’s Progress is: (Select one.)

More than satisfactory Satisfactory Improvement Needed

(If Improvement Needed, recommend areas on students’ Dissertation Committee Update form).

Mentor’s Commitment of Support: I commit to financially support and academically mentor this

student according to the by-laws of the Bioengineering PhD program.

(Annual stipend level)

Account manager name and contact information:

Mentor Signature Print Name Date

Graduate Advisor Section (UCSF Required):

I have met with and reviewed this student’s progress on (date):

Graduate Advisor’s Signature Print Name Date

For Office Use Only

Head Advisor’s initials Date entered in database

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Constitution of Qualifying Examination Committee

Student Name: __________________________________________ Date: ________________

Research Mentor: _________________________ Home Campus: ______________________

Note: This Program form should be approved and submitted to a student’s Home Campus

administrator. Students must then file the appropriate online form with their Home Campus

Graduate Division to formally constitute their Qualifying Exam Committee. This must be

done at least three weeks prior to the exam date.

The Qualifying Exam is administered by a committee of four academic senate faculty members.

Composition of this Committee is governed by Graduate Division policy and Program guidelines;

see Section 3.5 for details. A student’s Research Mentor cannot serve on this Committee. A

standard Bioengineering Qualifying Exam Committee includes the following:

Member 1 (Committee Chair): Core faculty member from student’s home campus

Member 2: Core faculty member from opposite campus

Member 3: Core faculty member from student’s home campus

Member 4: Non-core (outside or affiliate) member from student’s home campus

Students in rare circumstances seeking a qualifying exam committee outside of these requirements

should consult with their Head Graduate Advisor to put forth a petition to the Program’s Executive

Committee, and in some situations, the student’s home campus Graduate Division. See Section 3.5

for more details.

Approved: __________________________________________ _______________________

Head Graduate Advisor Date

Exam Date: Location:___________________________Time: __________

Name

Campus

(UCB/UCSF)

Core

Faculty?

Academic Title

and Department

Member 1 (Chair):

Yes

Member 2:

Yes

Member 3:

Yes

Member 4 (Outside member):

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Constitution of Dissertation Committee

Student Name: __________________________________________ Date: ________________

Research Mentor: _________________________ Home Campus: ______________________

Note: This Program form should be approved and submitted to a student’s Home Campus

administrator. Students must then complete and file the appropriate forms with their Home

Campus Graduate Division to formally constitute their Dissertation Committee and Advance

to Candidacy. Failure to do so in a timely manner after the Qualifying Exam may jeopardize

exam results. See Section 3.6 Advancement to Candidacy, and 3.9 Dissertation.

The Dissertation Committee consists of the Dissertation Chair (Research Mentor) and at least two

additional Academic Senate faculty: one non-core faculty member from the student’s Home

Campus (‘Outside Member”), and one core member from the opposite campus. Fourth and fifth

members of the Dissertation Committee, while optional, can add breadth of input to the student’s

Dissertation and ultimately serve a beneficial role in the student’s academic and professional

development.

Name

Campus

Full Academic Title

Dissertation Chair (Research Mentor)

Second Reader

Third Reader (Outside Member)

Fourth Member (optional)

Fifth Member (optional)

*The two optional committee members are listed on this form, but not required on the Graduate Division form.

Approved: ______________________________________________ _____________

Head Graduate Advisor Date

For Office Use Only:

Head Advisor’s initials Date entered in database

2019-2020

UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering

Dissertation Committee Update

After advancing to candidacy, students are required to meet with their dissertation committee on an

annual basis, either as a group or individually. The purpose of this meeting is to provide research

updates and discuss the student’s progress toward completing the dissertation. After each meeting,

this form should be signed and submitted to the student’s Home Campus administrator.

Student Name: Date:

Year Entered Program: ___________________ Student ID #:

Date Qualifying Exam Passed: Date Advanced to Candidacy:

Student comments: Describe progress toward attaining your degree during the past year (e.g.

publications, abstracts, presentations, etc.). Use an additional page or back side as needed.

Describe remaining requirements and progress necessary to complete the dissertation:

Research Mentor and Dissertation Committee Section:

Student’s Progress is: (Select one.)

More than satisfactory Satisfactory Improvement Needed

Describe the student’s progress on their dissertation this year. If Improvement Needed, recommend

specific areas and methods for improvement. Use an additional page or back side as needed.