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Curriculum
The curriculum for the Ph.D. in Oral Health Sciences has seven main components: oral health sciences core requirements; graduate core courses; basic science courses; advanced courses; cognate courses; the preliminary examination; and, dissertation research. In keeping with doctoral requirements of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, students must complete a minimum of 36 credit (fee) hours in the curriculum before admission to candidacy. Each student must accumulate at least 68 fee hours overall, in course and dissertation research credits. The specific curriculum for each student is designed with the student's academic advisor, in consultation with the OHS Program Committee. Generally OHS students take the preliminary examination and advance to candidacy at the end of the second year in the Program.
Core Requirements
These courses are to acquaint the student with various areas of research and modern techniques in Oral Health Sciences and to provide basic knowledge applicable to all areas of the oral health sciences. The core requirements include:
Oral Health Sciences Seminar and Journal Club Series (OHS 811)
Seminars, symposia and journal clubs present current research problems and techniques in oral health sciences. The seminars and journal clubs include speakers or articles that incorporate basic, translational and clinical science approaches to research in oral health.
The OHS Seminar Series includes one to two special, student-directed speaker events each year. OHS students invite, host and organize the visit for these speakers, to include a full morning with the students for a breakfast discussion about career issues, followed by informal research presentations from OHS degree candidates, to elicit comments and critiques from the visitor. The morning concludes with the speaker’s noon seminar, open to University faculty members. These special speakers represent the range of research topics and approaches in OHS.
(1 credit per term for two years required; then noncredit participation) [4]
Biostatistics
Basic statistics and experimental design for a range of modern scientific approaches. The specific course will be selected from among several at the School of Public Health, to focus on essential design and theory or various applied approaches for health science – related design and analysis. Course options include Introduction to Biostatistics (Biostat 503), Biostatistical Analysis for Health-Related Studies (Biostat 523), Biostatistics for Clinical Researchers (Biostat 524), Applied Biostatistics (Biostat 553), and Fundamentals of Biostatistics (Epid 701).
(3 credits) [3]
Research rotations (OHS 812)
Individual research experience in the research programs and laboratories of members of the Oral Health Sciences Program. Each rotation should be with a different faculty member. Working with the academic advisor, students will select rotations to acquire breadth of scientific approaches and content. The rotations are key elements in determining the research program and laboratory for the dissertation research.
Under special circumstances, rotation research projects can be continued during an additional term (Dissertation Research Precandidate, OHS 990).
(3 rotations of 12 to 14 weeks each, at 3 credits each) [9]
Research Responsibility and Culture of Science (PIBS 530 and OHS Sponsored Workshops)
A lecture/seminar course and workshop series that covers a variety of topics relating to the academic research environment and the conduct of modern scientific investigation. Lecture/discussion topics include: scholarship and becoming an academic; ethics and scientific integrity; principles of authorship; role of the mentor; the nature of scientific information; data recording and analysis; occupational safety requirements; information management and technology; use of human subjects in research; use of animal subjects in research; understanding extramural funding; essentials of grant writing; scientific - industrial interactions. Workshops include focused discussions on the postdoctoral experience, negotiating an academic position, transitions to acquiring independent NIH grant funding, writing an NIH grant, and other topics.
(2 credits) [2]
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