GSBMS Policy on Part-Time Ph.D. Students

I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for practicing professionals who wish to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree offered by the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBMS) at New York Medical College (NYMC) while continuing their professional activities at the place of their employment.

II. Policy

Practicing professionals who wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree while continuing their professional activities at the place of their employment can apply to the Ph.D. program offered by the GSBMS on a part-time basis. Such applicants must satisfy the same admission requirements as applicants for the full-time Ph.D. program and must demonstrate that their chosen Ph.D. course of study is relevant to their professional activities.

A student admitted to the Ph.D. program on a part-time basis is expected to be self-funded, and as such is responsible for the payment of all tuition and fees. A part-time Ph.D. student will not receive a financial aid package (stipend, tuition waiver, or medical insurance) from NYMC; the full financial commitment by NYMC to such student is forfeited. The student shall be responsible for all costs associated with obtaining the degree, including but not limited to, tuition and health insurance coverage.

A student enrolled in the Ph.D. program on a part-time basis must comply with the requirements of the current Ph.D. regulations and is required to complete in a timely fashion the regular benchmarks of the full-time Ph.D. program such as core and program-specific courses and electives, research rotations, qualifying exam and teaching activities. Attendance at classes, seminars and journal clubs is mandatory, thus a part-time student must make necessary accommodations to their professional activities to satisfy this requirement. During enrollment in the Ph.D. program, a part-time Ph.D. candidate is expected to complete a research project, which will result in a thesis dissertation and a defense of dissertation research. The dissertation research must be distinguishable from the student’s professional activities and approved in writing by the Dissertation Advisor at the time of joining the research laboratory.

The usual completion period of the Ph.D. requirements for most part-time students is 5 to 6 years. Students must complete the program within 10 years from enrollment.

III. Scope

This policy applies to students enrolled in the GSBMS Ph.D. degree program on a part-time basis.

IV. Procedures

A. Applicants to the part-time Ph.D. program are advised to identify a research laboratory and Dissertation Advisor for their thesis research in advance of applying to the program.

B. Upon acceptance into the program, financial support and conflict of interest agreements must be signed between NYMC, the student, and the student’s employer, to:

a. describe the amount and duration of tuition support by the employer to the part-time Ph.D. candidate during the period of their enrollment in the Ph.D. program at GSBMS (either direct tuition payments by the employer or tuition remission payments to the student whereby the student is responsible for tuition payments and is reimbursed in part or fully by the employer);

b. attest to provision of healthcare insurance either by the employer or by the student (e.g., personal insurance or through spousal employment);

c. describe intellectual property rights and research data sharing arrangements.

C. The research project conducted by a part-time Ph.D. student should be conducted primarily at NYMC under the supervision of a Dissertation Advisor, who is a graduate faculty member at NYMC, and an Advisory Committee consisting of faculty at NYMC and the student’s supervisor at the place of employment, who will serve as an external member. A student and their Dissertation Advisor must agree on an appropriate work schedule and timeline for completion of the dissertation project.

D. In some cases, when resources permit, certain parts of the dissertation research can be performed in collaboration with the site of employment with prior knowledge and approval of both the work supervisor and the Dissertation Advisor. This arrangement must comply with the NYMC Policy on Financial Conflicts.

E. A part-time Ph.D. student is responsible for ensuring communication and cooperation between NYMC and the student’s employer to accommodate the demands of the Ph.D. curriculum so that students can successfully complete their program of study in a timely fashion.

F. Transfers between part-time and full-time Ph.D. programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis if the student’s employment is terminated. If a transfer to full-time Ph.D. status is approved, the Dissertation Advisor will assume financial support of the student according to the Ph.D. Student Financial Support Policy.

G. If the part-time Ph.D. student assumes a new position of employment while in the Ph.D. program, they will remain in the part-time standing, and new financial support and conflict of interest agreements must be signed between NYMC, the student, and the new employer.

V. Effective Date

This policy is effective immediately.

VI. Policy Management

Executive Stakeholder: Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Oversight Office: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Dean's Office