Thesis Requirement (Plan I)
Thesis committee meetings: The candidate and major professor should meet at least once a year with the other members of the thesis committee to discuss progress and any changes in research objectives.
Thesis: Research for the Master's thesis is to be carried out under the supervision of a faculty member of the program and must represent an original contribution to knowledge in the field. The thesis research must be conducted while the student is enrolled in the program. The thesis is submitted to the thesis committee at least one month before the student plans to make requested revisions. Students should expect to submit an approved thesis to the Office of Graduate Studies between the 6th-9th quarter of the program. Generally, an acceptable thesis presents a body of original scientific work in the area of Pharmacology/Toxicology which is published or publishable in a peer reviewed, national/international journal. Students should consult the Graduate Studies website for additional details regarding the filing of a thesis (pdf) .
For the thesis to be acceptable for the degree all members must sign the title page certifying that the student has completed the thesis to their satisfaction. If the thesis is regarded by the committee as of less than acceptable quality the student will be given an appropriate period of time by the committee in which to improve the work. If, after that period of time, (usually a quarter or more), the thesis is still unacceptable to a majority of the committee, the program may recommend the student for disqualification from the program to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The thesis must be filed in a quarter in which the student is registered or on filing fee. Instructions on preparation of the thesis and a schedule of dates for filing the thesis in final form are available from Graduate Studies; the dates are also printed in the UC Davis General Catalog and in the Class Schedule and Registration Guide issued each quarter. A student must have a GPA of 3.0 for the M.S. degree to be awarded.
Thesis Committee
The M.S. student (Plan I) in conjunction with his/her Major Professor and graduate adviser shall recommend a Thesis Committee consisting of the student's Major Professor (as chair) and at least two additional members to Graduate Studies. The committee member selection is provided on the advancement to candidacy form, which can be done after 3 quarters as a full-time student. All recommended members not authorized by the Graduate Group Bylaws to serve on graduate thesis committees must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. This committee will evaluate whether the thesis has been satisfactorily completed. Thesis committee nominations are submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies for formal appointment in accordance with Graduate Council policy.