REQUIREMENTS FOR ENROLMENT THE CELL AND TISSUE BIOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM
I. SELECTION CRITERIA
The documents for enrollment, number of openings available, list of advisors, items for curriculum evaluation, grade for each item and the final average for approval and themes and literature indicated for the selection process, will all be included in a specific document that is released by the State of São Paulo Official Gazette (DOE) at each selection process
In general, the required documents required by the Graduate Committee (CCP) are:
1. Proof of Proficiency in English will be required at enrollment and will be proven through a certificate with a grade of Sufficient issued by the FFLCH/USP Language Center. The CCP also accepts the presentation of a certificate issued by those entities specified below as proof of proficiency in English, and which prove proficiency in accordance with the requirements described in item V. For those who are not native Portuguese speakers, there is an additional Portuguese Proficiency test that is administered to students while they are enrolled in our Program.
2. The selection process for entry in the Masters, Direct Doctorate and Doctorate in the Graduate Studies Program in Cell and Tissue Biology programs consists of 3 phases, all of which are eliminatory (minimum grade of 7.0 in each).
1st phase: Analysis of the Curriculum Vitae (weight 3): The Curriculum Vitae analysis will value:
a) previous scientific experience in the departamentl laboratory of choice proven by a document signed by the advisor and which shall detail all those activities exercised by the student during that period (weight 4);
b) publications (weight 3);
c) preliminary results obtained by the candidate in the proposed Master’s or Doctorate project (weight 3).
2nd phase: Seminar by those approved in the 1st phase: Presentation of the project shall be allotted a minimum of 10 minutes and a maximum of 15 min It should include a descprition of the experimental paradigm, material and methods and preliminary results (weight 5).
3rd phase: interview with those approved in the 2nd phase (weight 2).
3. The number of openings for each selection process for enrollment in the Program will be set by the CPP in the corresponding DOE document (see above).
4. Approval in the Enrollment Selection process, for purposes of enrolling in the Program, will be valid for 90 consecutive days for initial enrollment in the Master’s or Direct Doctorate program.
II. COURSE CREDITS
1. Candidates for Master’s degree must complete at least 96 (ninety-six) credits, as follows
■ a minimum of 32 (thirty-two) credits in courses (units or modules);
■ 64 (sixty-four) credits related to preparation of the Master’s Thesis.
2. Candidates for the Doctorate without prior obtainment of a Master’s Degree (Direct Doctorate), must complete at least 192 (one hundred ninety-two) credits, as follows:
■ a minimum of 56 (fifty-six) credits in subjects;
■ 136 (one hundred and thirty-six) credits for Thesis preparation.
3. The Doctorate candidate, with a Master’s Degree, shall complete a minimum of 160 (one hundred and sixty) credits, consisting of:
■ a minimum of 56 (fifty-six) credits in courses (units or modules);
■ 136 (one hundred thirty-six) credits related to preparation of the Doctoral Dissertation.
4. Maximum number of credits that can be assigned as special credits within the limit of 50% of the mandatory credits.
Master’s degree 16 credits
Direct Doctorate 28 credits
Doctorate w/ Master’s Degree 12 credits
III. FOREIGN LANGUAGE
ENGLISH
A grade of Sufficient issued by the FFLCH/USP Language Center in the test given graduate studies candidates for the USP ICB programs is required for demonstrating proficiency in the English language. Those certificates issued by the entities and the requirements described below are considered equivalent for demonstrating proficiency in English:
- TEAP (Test of English for Academic and Professional Purposes) = 70 and 65 points (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively).
- WAP (Writing for Academic and Professional Purposes) = 50 and 45 points (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively).
- TOEFL IBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet-based Test) = 60 and 55 points (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively);
- TOEFL ITP (Test of English as a Foreign Language – Institutional Test Program) = 500 and 480 points (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively);
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) = 5.0 and 4.5 points (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively);
- Cambridge University Exams – minimum requirement for Master’s (PET-Preliminary English Test – Level A Approval) and for the Doctorate degree (FCE-First Certificate in English – Level C Approval)
- Proof of an internship in a country where the official language is English, for a minimum period of 5 and 6 months (Master’s and Doctoral degree, respectively) in the past 5 years.
- The foreign student shall also demonstrate proficiency in Portuguese, evaluated by the Examination Committee indicated by the CPG, comprised of three members who have Doctorate degrees.
- For selection process purposes, all of the exams will be valid for 5 years.
PORTUGUESE
For those who are not Portuguese native speakers a further test of Portuguese proficiency will be required while they are enrolled in our Graduate Program. The Portuguese Proficiency test are administered by the FFLCH/USP Language Center regularly along the year.
IV QUALIFIER EXAM:
1 – The aim of the Qualifier Exam is to evaluate the student’s scientific maturity in his area of research, and is mandatory for all Master’s and Doctoral degree candidates.
2 – The maximum periods for registering for the Qualification Exam are:
■ 18 months: counted from enrollment in the Master’s program
■ 36 months: counted from enrollment in the Doctorate program
■ 42 months: counted from enrollment in the Direct Doctorate program
3 – The Qualification Exam will be taken within a maximum period of 120 days, counted from the approval date by the CCP’s Examination Commission.
4 – For registration in the Qualification Exam, it is not necessary for the students to have completed the credits in subjects, but they must obey the following criteria:
a) have been approved in one of the Program’s general subjects (BMH5752-Essentials in Tissue Biology or ICB-5702 Molecular Bases of Cell Functions or BMH5765-Essentials in Developmental Biology).
b) have been approved in one of the Program’s Advanced Topic subjects (BMH5747-Advanced Topics in Cell and Tissue Biology I or -BMH5749-Advanced Topics in Cell and Tissue Biology II);
c) Although not obligatory, it is strongly recommended for Doctorate and Direct Doctorate candidates to prove they have a paper submitted to or accepted by an indexed international journal with an impact factor greater than or equal to 1.35 as the primary author and related to the thesis.
6 – The candidate who fails the Qualification Exam can take it again, only once, within a maximum period of six months (one hundred and eighty days) counted from the date the first exam was taken and respecting the period stipulated in article 81 of the USP Graduate Studies Regiment.
The qualification exam is divided into 3 parts:
a) Theoretical Class at an undergraduate level on a topic selected by drawing. The drawing will be held by the student one week before the Exam in the presence of at least one member of the Examination Board. When registering for the Exam, the student will choose one of the three predefined themes (Cell Biology, Tissue Biology or Developmental Biology) by the Graduate Studies Program, and shall inform it to the Graduate Studies Secretary.
b) Presentation of a Seminar on the Research Project. The seminar shall address the results obtained thus far, contextualizing the work submitted in manuscript form, the main conclusions and the insertion of these results in current literature.
c) Argument by the Examination Board The candidate will be evaluated in accordance with the following:
- Theoretical class (organization, content, didactics, ability to answer correlated questions and degree of knowledge on the theme).
- Seminar on the research project, contextualizing the work submitted in manuscript form.
- In the items above, the evaluation shall preferably judge: the student’s familiarity with the project developed, capacity for critical analysis of the justification, project methodology and results and capacity for in-depth discussion of results obtained.
- Whenever the case, the manuscript will be evaluated for: presentation and organization, clarity of objectives and proposed hypotheses, justifications, pertinent literature review, fitness of proposed methods and discussion of results. However, it is not the Examination Board’s responsibility to correct the manuscript to make it fit for publication, but rather to provide suggestions and criticism that enable the candidate to improve it.
Important Observation: Noncompliance with the minimum time allotted of 35 minutes and maximum of 45 for each of the presentations will result in the candidate’s automatic failure.
Areas and points for the theoretical class drawing:
CELL BIOLOGY: 1 – Organization of the interphase nucleus; 2 – Cell cycle; 3 – Transcription mechanisms; 4 – Protein Synthesis; 5 – Plasma Membrane: structure and functions; 6 – Signaling; 7 – Intracellular compartmentalization and addressing; 8 – Endocytosis; 9 – Cytoskeleton organization and functions; 10 – Mitochondria and peroxisomes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY: 1 – Gametogenesis: molecular and cellular aspects; 2 – Fertilization (capacitation, acrosome reaction, cortical reaction and zone reaction); 3 – Gastrulation: molecular and morphogenetic aspects; 4 – Implementation: molecular and cellular aspects; 5 – Placentation; 6 – Standardization of the dorsal/ventral axis; 7 – Standardization of the anterior/posterior axis; 8 – Neurulation and standardization of the neural tube; 9 – Cardiovascular Development; 10 – Sexual determination: genetic and epigenetic factors.
TISSUE BIOLOGY: 1 – Epithelium lining; 2 – Glandular epithelia; 3 – Conjunctive tissue: cells; 4 – Conjunctive tissue: matrix; 5 – Cartilaginous tissue; 6 – Bone tissue: structure and functions; 7 – Ossification; 8 – Cytophysiology of neurons; 9 – Cytophysiology neuralgia; 10 – Muscle tissue.
V. GOING FROM MASTER’S TO DIRECT DOCTORATE:
a) You can only change from the Master’s program to the Doctorate program by means of the qualification exam at the student’s request with the advisor’s consent.
b) In this case, the justification and the proposal for complementing the project to the Doctorate shall be attached and the Examination Board will have at least 1 member from outside the Program. If the board agrees with this change in level, it shall issue a detailed opinion.
c) The change in Level does not eliminate the Qualification Exam needed for the Doctorate degree.
d) The CCP’s deliberation shall be submitted for approval by the CPG.
VI. UNSATISFACTORY ACADEMIC AND SCIENTIFIC PERFORMANCE
Besides dismissal based on Art. 54, the student can also be dismissed due to the academic and scientific performance evaluated by the requirements established herein.
The student will be dismissed from the graduate studies program due to unsatisfactory academic and scientific performance after approval by the CCP of a written and detailed opinion from the advisor concerning the student’s programmed activities.
The programmed activities are established at the beginning of the course by the advisor together with the student and the CCP’s approval.
These programmed activities involve courses to be taken as well as the elaboration of periodic reports on research progress and activities carried out during the period that should be submitted to the CCP.
Academic and scientific performance is considered unsatisfactory if the student does not hand in the report on the dates established by the CCP or if his report is not approved 2 consecutive times.
The deliberation of student dismissal by the CCP is forwarded to the CPG for approval.
VII. PROCEDURES FOR DEPOSITING DISSERTATIONS / THESES:
DEADLINES for THESIS DEFENSE
The maximum amount of time allotted for depositing the thesis defense documents for the respective degrees is: -Master’s Thesis: 30 (thirty) months -Doctoral Dissertation: 60 (sixty) months.
-Doctoral Dissertation, without prior Master’s Degree (Direct Doctorate): 72 (seventy-two) months
- The following documents shall be presented for depositing the Master’s Thesis and the Doctoral Dissertation:
- Declaration of consent from the Advisor;
- Thesis and dissertation covers are standardized and should be obtained at the ICB Library;
- 8 (eight) copies of the Master’s Thesis or 12 (twelve) copies of the Doctoral Dissertation, containing the Bibliographic Catalog Card issued by the ICB Library and the ICB Ethics in Research Commission Protocol;
- Completed USP Cultural Heritage Commission Form;
- Summary of the study objective for disclosure purposes;
- Requisition sent to the President of the CPG, initialed by the Advisor, including suggestions of examiners for comprising the Judging Commission;
- Electronic version of the Dissertation or Thesis in PDF for inclusion in the USP Digital Database for Dissertations and Theses;
- Although not obligatory, Master’s students are strongly recommended to deposit at least one study with an impact factor greater than or equal to 1.35 (submitted or accepted), as primary author, to the Graduate Studies Secretary of the Program. This study shall be related to the Master’s Thesis
XIII. NOMENCLATURE FOR THE DEGREE:
The degree granted:
- Master of Science, Cell and Tissue Biology Program
- Doctor of Science, Cell and Tissue Biology Program
DEFENSE COMMITTEE
For comprising the Judging Committee for Dissertations and Theses, the CCP adopts the criteria of the USP Graduate Studies Regulations (Articles 102 and 103) without additional restrictions.
