MS Program Requirements

Master's Plan A (Thesis Option)

Initial Conference with Graduate Program Chair - Pre-Candidacy Progress (Form 1)

• During the first week of the first semester
• Appointment of an interim academic advisor
• Selection of specialization within the graduate program i.e. Clinical Research Track or Quantitative Health Sciences Track
• Date of preliminary conference (initial advising) with the interim academic adviser

Preliminary Conference(s) with Interim Academic Adviser

• During the first month of the first semester
• If any academic deficiencies are identified, a remediation plan will be developed between the interim academic advisor and the student
• Relevant sections of the Pre-Candidacy Progress (Form 1) will be used for the purpose of developing a remediation plan. The completed Form 1 will be submitted to the Graduate Division.

• 34 total credit hours for the MS program
• 24 credit hours of approved didactic core and elective course work (must be taken for an A-F letter grade)
• 2 credit hours of seminar component (A-F grade)
• Minimum of 8 credit hours of research component (at least 6 credits from BIOM 700; other credits can be from BIOM 699 or QHS 699)

MS Plan A Thesis Committee

• Selection of a permanent advisor by the end of the first year who will also serve as the chair of the thesis committee
• Appointment of at least two other members of graduate faculty to the thesis committee
• Preparation of individualized timeline for MS Plan A

MS Advance to Candidacy (Form 2)

• Appointment of thesis committee (if appointing a non-graduate faculty to the committee, attach justification and a current CV of the faculty)
• Approval of a research topic (Attach the appropriate approval(s) as necessary. (See below.)
• Results of the second foreign language exam (if required)
• Submit this form prior to registering for Thesis 700 or before the first day of instruction during this semester of registration
• Registration in Thesis 700 is allowed only after this form and all necessary attachments have been received and approved by the UH Graduate Division.
• Consists of a written proposal. The proposal should be based on the student's thesis research project, engaging in hypothesis driven research.
• Submission of the thesis topic and proposal to the thesis committee for review and approval as early as possible
• Written proposal and proposal seminar should be completed by the end of the third semester of the student’s training
• The proposal should be prepared in consultation with the student’s thesis advisor and thesis committee members
• The format of the written thesis proposal will be specified by the thesis committee, but should follow the general format of a grant proposal to a federal funding agency (e.g., NIH), including project summary and relevance, background and significance, specific aims, research design and methods, and preliminary studies.
• Upon approval from thesis committee, the Advance to Candidacy Form (Form 2) can be submitted to the Graduate Division.
• If the proposal is not approved, the student must resubmit proposal within 3 months. Failure to submit an approved proposal may result in dismissal from the graduate program and the Graduate Division.

Note: Approval for Research Topics - As required by federal, state and university regulations, UHM students who intend to conduct research that involves the use of subjects listed below must check with their respective academic departments, the Office of Research Services, and the appropriate office(s) listed below for approval and guidance. Depending on the nature of the research project, the student may need to obtain specific certification, approvals, and guidance as required, e.g.:

• Human Studies Program [Phone: (808) 956-5007]
• Environmental Health & Safety Office [Phone: (808) 956-8660]
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee [Phone: (808) 956-4446]

MS Thesis Defense / Final Examination (Thesis Evaluation (Form 3) and Thesis Submission (Form 4)

• The final defense is an oral examination open to the public, during which the student of a thesis demonstrates to their committee satisfactory command of all aspects of the work presented and other related subjects, if applicable.
• Exam conducted by the thesis committee.
• To be held at least 3 weeks before thesis submission deadline according to the UHM academic calendar (Note: this deadline usually falls around late March, early April)
• A student who fails the final examination may repeat it once at the discretion of the thesis committee and the Graduate Division.
• A student who fails the examination a second time will be dismissed from the program and the Graduate Division.

Please refer to Graduate Division website for details

Once the student has successfully passed the final exam, the Thesis Evaluation Form (Form 3), a certification of the final oral exam and thesis defense by the thesis committee, must be submitted immediately to the Graduate Division. With the approval of the written thesis by the thesis committee, the Thesis Submission Form (Form 4) can be submitted to the Graduate Division. By signing this form, committee members indicate approval of the content and the form of the finalized thesis manuscript. All University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Graduate Division Master's Plan A Forms (1-4) are submitted online.