Current Student Materials
Below are some of the useful materials needed for RSD students during the course of their doctoral studies, including program forms and documents, graduation requirements, and course registration information.
Individual development plan
Students are required to create an Individual Development Plan their first semester in the program and update annually. Students should meet with their faculty advisor to discuss goals and objectives. The PDF version of the plan may be used to review with faculty advisor but the final version should be submitted online via the PHHP portal.
Supervisory committee information
Students should establish a supervisory committee as soon as possible and no later than the end of the student’s second semester in the program. Access essential resources and guidance on establishing, maintaining, and updating your supervisory committee, including step-by-step procedures, required forms, and helpful contact details to support your academic journey.
Qualifying exams
Successful completion of a written and oral qualifying examination is required of all doctoral students as they near the completion of their course work. This document provides details regarding the structure, timing, and format of the proposal.
The qualifying exam should be completed by the end of the student’s second academic year in the program. However, it must be completed no later than the end of the first semester of the student’s third year. The qualifying examination may be taken no sooner than the third semester of graduate study. The student should have completed the majority of their didactic coursework prior to taking the exam. There must be at least two terms between the oral portion of the qualifying examination and date of the degree. The term the qualifying examination is passed is counted as one of the semester if the examination occurs before the midpoint of the term. All work for the doctorate must be completed within 5 calendar years after the qualifying examination, or this examination must be repeated.
Dissertation resources
Dissertation Proposal
Guidelines
The dissertation proposal is required for all doctoral students. It addresses:
1. Why the research is relevant
2. The focus of the research
3. How the research will be conducted
Students prepare a written document and give an oral presentation to the supervisory committee.
Dissertation Proposal
Oral presentation template
The oral presentation template is to serve as a general outline for information Rehabilitation Science PhD students should cover in their dissertation proposal. Students are encouraged to customize the template to best suit their individual needs.
Dissertation
Defense guidelines
All Rehabilitation Science PhD candidates are required to take and pass a dissertation oral defense to fulfill the degree requirement. This occurs in the student’s final term. This document provides general guidelines regarding the structure of the defense. It outlines the expected structure of a defense with the understanding that PhD candidate and supervisory committee chair may reasonably adapt the recommended guidelines to better suit individual projects.
Policies and training
The University of Florida, the College of Public Health and Health Professions, and UF Health have a variety of policies that must be closely adhered to for the protection of your patients, students, and research subjects.