Preliminary Qualifying Exam

The Preliminary Qualifying Examination (PQE) ensures students can create and discuss a robust research proposal with their chosen faculty team. It evaluates their foundational knowledge in scientific disciplines like genetics and molecular biology, as well as their skills in scientific scholarship and experimental design, essential for Ph.D. research and career advancement. By developing PQE proposals, students practice creating hypothesis or technology driven research plans, crafting detailed strategies, and performing rigorous analyses. This process enhances their ability to anticipate challenges, develop alternative strategies, and critically interpret data, aiming to produce innovative research proposals that advance their field and effectively communicate their ideas orally.

All students must successfully take and pass BBS330QC: Critical Thinking & Research Proposal Writing prior to taking their qualifying examinations. In BBS330qc, students work in small groups to develop a research proposal relevant to their thesis topic, which includes two specific aims. The course begins with an initial outline and progresses through multiple drafts. The PQE will be based on the two aims developed during BBS330qc plus a third aim, derived outside of the course, which is specific to the PQE proposal.  Exams are scheduled during the second half of the G2 year, from January through June.

As part of our protocol for the BBS PQE proposal submission, BBS requires a simple but explicit data management plan (DMP) outline for the proposed project  Unlike the current NIH requirement, our PQE DMP will focus mainly on practical issues relevant to the experimental study design. For the DMP, students are required to:

1. Data types and metadata – Identify the types of data to be collected and the key metadata features associated with each
2. Quality control and processing – Describe the data quality control pipeline(s) and analysis/processing tools to be used
3. Storage and archival needs – Estimate predicted dataset sizes and identify appropriate archival resources
4. Publication readiness – Anticipate required data formats and any open-access obligations associated with eventual manuscript submission

To support students in developing their DMPs, Julie Goldman, Research Data Services Librarian at the Countway Library, will lead a dedicated workshop during the fall semester. The workshop will cover how to evaluate data types, resource requirements, analysis processes, and data repository considerations.

Students must attend the PQE Information Session prior to taking their qualifying exams. A calendar invitation will be sent to all students in late summer.

The Chair of the PQE Steering Committee, Raul Mostoslavsky, offers an overview meeting each fall semester.  This meeting is mandatory before students are allowed to take their exams.  In addition, Raul is available to answer questions, clarify expectations, and provide guidance at any point during the exam preparation process.  For students that receive a “fail” - Raul will serve as examination chair during the retake.

Students are responsible for reaching out to faculty members and arranging their own PQE committee, as well as selecting the date and time for the exam.  Only BBS faculty members are eligible to serve on BBS exams. The PQE committee must include one chair and two examiners. Any BBS faculty member who has participated in at least three BBS exams is eligible to serve as the chair of the PQE.  It is advisable to start organizing the exam at least one month in advance of the desired date. Please be aware that exams typically last two hours and are generally held at the HMS campus. Students can book rooms trough Room Scheduling.

For more information, please refer to the PQE Guidelines below.

After you have scheduled your PQE, you must register your exam on my.harvard. Please refer to the PDF linked below for step-by-step registration instructions.

Exams must be completed by June 30th of their second year.

The initial DAC meeting must be held within 4 months of the PQE.  This means students need to start the process of scheduling this meeting within 2 months of the PQE given the complexities and time often required to establish a date suitable for all.  For more information, please visit our DAC webpage.