Requirements & Courses

Requirements

Courses

Required Core Courses (22 credit hours)

• BME/CSE/ESE, Mathematics of Imaging Science (3 credit hours)
• ESE 506, Seminar in Imaging Science and Engineering (1 credit hour)
• BME 593, Computational Methods for Imaging Science (3 credit hours)
• ESE 589, Biological Imaging Technology (3 credit hours)
• BME/ESE 5907, Theoretical Imaging Science (3 credit hours)
• BME/ESE/CSE, Practicum in Computational Imaging (3 credit hours)
• BME 601, Research Rotation (3 credit hours, see Section III.D)

At least 12 credit hours in elective imaging coursework must be completed that span any of the following categories:

• Computational Imaging & Theory
• Imaging Sensors & Instrumentation
• Image Formation & Imaging Physics
• Translational Biomedical Imaging
• Medical Physics 

Progression of Courses (typical)

• BME/CSE/ESE, Mathematics of Imaging Science (3 credit hours)
• ESE 506, Seminar in Imaging Science & Engineering (1 credit hour)
• BME 601, Research rotation (3 credit hours, see Section III.D)
• Elective (3 credit hours)

A written qualifying exam will be administered during the spring of their second year of graduate school. The examining committee, who will develop and grade the exams, will consist of three members of Imaging Science PhD Program Committee. The Director of the Graduate Program will approve the committee, whose members will be suggested by the thesis adviser.

Students will choose three out of the four exam topics:

• Mathematics of Imaging Science
• Imaging Physics & Image Formation Methods
• Theoretical Image Science

Finding a Thesis Research Mentor

Because the PhD is a research degree, the student is expected to become integrated within a research group. By the end of the first year of study, the student should have found a thesis adviser who will oversee his/her PhD research and assume financial responsibility for stipend, tuition, health insurance, and student fees. The thesis adviser must be a faculty member in Imaging Science PhD Program Committee with the title of Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor. Failure to find a research adviser by May 1 will result in the student being placed on probation that can last up until August 31. During that time, the student must continue to seek a research adviser. Failure to find a research adviser by August 31 will lead to dismissal from the PhD program and termination of funding.

The student's admission application should include transcripts and letters of evaluation. The Graduate Admissions Committee will review all applications and construct a ranked list of candidates. This list and the associated application packages will be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval for admission to the Program. Following approval by the Dean of the Graduate School and the Director of the Graduate Program, the Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee will notify the students accepted by letter.   

Research Presentation/Thesis Proposal 

Before the end of the student's third year, the student will give an oral presentation of his/her proposed PhD project, with the necessary background to support it, to the Thesis Committee. As described in Section V.A, this committee will consist of six members. Four members must be members of the Imaging Science PhD program committee. At least one committee member must be chosen from outside the Imaging Science PhD Program Committee, and must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at Washington University. The committee will be chaired by the PhD mentor.  At least two weeks prior to the presentation, the student will present to the Thesis Examination Committee a written document outlining the research background, proposed procedures, preliminary results, and plans for completion.  The required document will be typically between fifteen and thirty pages in length and must contain a comprehensive bibliography.

The student will be placed on probation if he/she fails to pass their Thesis Proposal by the sixth semester. The student will be given a second opportunity to pass the exam during their seventh semester. If the student passes the second exam and meets the other program requirements (e.g. grades), they may continue the program without prejudice. If the student fails the exam a second time, they will be terminated from the PhD program.

Dissertation 

The student will prepare a written dissertation for examination by the Thesis Examination Committee and will defend the dissertation before this committee. Should a member of this committee be unable to participate, the Director of the Graduate Program, in consultation with the PhD mentor, will choose a replacement. If the committee members feel that the dissertation has deficiencies, they may recommend that the candidate address them and send the revised dissertation to the committee members for approval. The committee may also recommend that the candidate present another oral defense of the modified work. The Thesis Committee will inform the Director of the Graduate Program, and he/she will warn the student in writing that they must submit a revised dissertation and pass the oral defense (if recommended) in order to complete the PhD program. If, after revision and reexamination, the Thesis Committee still finds deficiencies and cannot reach unanimous agreement to approve the dissertation, the Graduate School's Policy on Dissenting Votes will apply.

Teaching Requirements

Students in the PhD program will receive formal pedagogical training by attending a minimum of two Teaching Workshops offered by the Washington University Teaching Center. He/She will be expected to fulfill the teaching requirements of his/her designated administrative home department. The teaching requirements must be completed before the student submits his/her doctoral dissertation to the graduate school.