Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology
Questions about these requirements? See the contact information at the bottom of the page.
Satisfactory Progress
Satisfactory progress is required for speech and hearing bioscience and technology (SHBT) students to continue enrollment in the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). SHBT determines progress by considering the following: performance in courses; performance on their preliminary qualifying examination; demonstration of adequate research ability and/or level of improvement; acceptable ethical conduct; participation in other scholarly activities of the student's program; completing work prescribed by the dissertation advisor; and required activities of the program.
Ordinarily, students are expected to complete their dissertation by the end of their sixth year. Under no circumstances will students be allowed to register beyond the 10th year at Harvard Griffin GSAS. Depending on progress, a student may be allowed to enroll in the program between 7 and 10 years.
Required Coursework
The SHBT curriculum is concentrated in the first and second graduate years (G1 & G2); core courses provide a breadth of scientific and clinical knowledge, and exposure to diverse ways of thinking that are necessary to be an effective leader in the speech and hearing sciences. SHBT curriculum electives also allow students to tailor several of their course selections to suit their concentration.
Students are required to take the following core courses in their first year:
- SHBT201
- SHBT 301qc
- SHBT 202
- SHBT 205
Students will take two elective courses, selected in consultation with the student’s concentration advisor and dissertation advisor.
Students in their G2 year will take Medical Sciences 300qc, a discussion-based course on ethics and the proper conduct of science. Students in their sixth year will take Medical Sciences 302qc.
The speech-language pathology concentration provides interested SHBT students with the opportunity to complete the academic and clinical requirements set by the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association (ASHA) for certification as a speech-language pathologist.
In accordance with the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS), all degree candidates must maintain a grade point average equivalent to 3.0 or better to continue in the program. Satisfactory progress is reviewed annually and students who fall below the grade minimum will ordinarily be given one term to improve their grades.
Students are approved to participate in an internship under limited circumstances as outlined in HMS OGE PhD Program policies. If approved, students must enroll in Med-Sci 325 during the time of their internship participation.
Laboratory Rotations
Laboratory rotations provide an important opportunity for students to explore a variety of scientific environments to help them find the one that best fits their interests for pursuing dissertation research. Rotations offer a unique source of experiential training in different experimental models, approaches, and technologies. Additionally, students should try to identify the features of laboratory life they can enjoy and thrive in, such as mentorship style and lab culture.
SHBT students complete at least two 12- to 16-week rotations during their first year in HILS faculty laboratories. Following the rotations, students will select a suitable dissertation advisor by March 1 of their second year.
Advising
Advising of students is multilayered—distributed among advisors, committees, program heads, program administrators, the HMS Office for PhD Programs, and Harvard Griffin GSAS.
During their first academic year (G1), students will be advised by a SHBT faculty member who will be assigned to serve as their program advisor. The program advisor generally guides the student through their course of study. Program advisors will advise students on choosing appropriate courses, rotation laboratories, a dissertation laboratory, and can also help solve problems that might arise as students adjust to life in graduate school. Program advisors are expected to discuss the student’s IDP once a year before the student selects a dissertation advisor.
In the spring of the G1 year, each student chooses a concentration advisor to help them craft a coordinated set of coursework, research, and independent study in a specific research area to be tested in the qualifying exam. The concentration advisor typically also serves as chair of the qualifying exam committee. Due to this, the concentration advisor cannot be the student's dissertation advisor.
Once a student selects a dissertation laboratory, they will form a dissertation advisory committee (DAC). In parallel with the dissertation advisor, the DAC monitors the student’s progress, offers assistance, and determines when the student can write and defend the dissertation.
Qualifying Examinations
The qualifying exam (QE) is designed to test the student’s preparedness for doing research in a chosen area. Examiners will assess the student’s knowledge, aptitude, and readiness for research. It is distinct from a dissertation research proposal. Student are required to submit a request for an oral exam no later than August 31 of their G3 year. The QE must be taken by October 31 of their G3 year.
To advance to PhD candidacy, students are required to successfully complete the qualifying exam by June 30 of their G2 year. Continued enrollment for any student who has not attained a clear pass after a second examination, if one has been approved, will be determined by a committee of faculty from the student’s program and the HMS Dean for Graduate Education.
Dissertation
Selecting a Dissertation Advisor
When a student decides on, and is accepted by, a dissertation advisor, they initiate this process with a Dissertation Advisor Declaration form (DAD) which then must be approved by the SHBT Program. The deadline to declare a dissertation advisor is March 1 of a student’s second year.
Dissertation Advisory Committees (DAC)
Students must establish a dissertation advisory committee (DAC) to provide timely and considered advising. The DAC helps set logical goals for the completion of the dissertation and monitors progress toward completion of degree requirements.
The student’s DAC should be formed in consultation with the student and the student’s dissertation advisor. The committee should have three members, not including the advisor. The dissertation advisor serves as an ex officio member. The student should meet with their committee no more than seven months after the preliminary examination, and every nine months thereafter. Students beyond their G5 year must hold DAC meetings every six months. The dissertation advisory committee may decide to meet more frequently.
Students must have the final dissertation advisory committee report on file stating that the student may begin writing the dissertation with approval of the general outline and content of the dissertation prior to processing dissertation defense paperwork. After receiving approval and permission from the committee to write the dissertation, students should then defend their dissertation no later than six months from the date of permission to write.
Dissertation and Defense
The PhD dissertation is expected to contain a substantial amount of independent research work of publishable quality. In addition to chapters of research, each dissertation must contain introduction and conclusion chapters that present the themes of the dissertation and summarize the accomplishments. In some cases, the student has done all the work in the dissertation; more often, portions of the dissertation result from collaborative research. In all dissertations containing collaborative results, the dissertation should indicate concisely who contributed the work.
Students are expected to give a public seminar on their dissertation research. Granting of the degree requires the approval of the candidate’s defense committee members, who review the dissertation and examine the student on the contents of the dissertation.
Master’s in Passing
Students may apply for a non-terminal AM degree (also known as a master's in passing) en route to the PhD degree. Normally, this application is made after a student has passed the qualifying exam and fulfilled coursework requirements. A thesis is not required for the non-terminal AM degree in SHBT. Students must additionally meet the minimum Harvard Griffin GSAS requirements for a master’s degree as it pertains to residency, credits, and GPA.
SHBT offers PhD training and does not accept candidates for a master’s degree. Only under exceptional circumstances does the program award a terminal master’s degree. Eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.