Meet with Concentration Advisor by May 1st of G1
Submit Plan for Concentration by June 1st of G1
By May 1st of G1 the student should have chosen and met with a Concentration Advisor to help them craft a coordinated set of coursework, research, and independent study in a specific research area to be tested in the Oral Qualifying Exam. The Concentration Advisor typically also serves as Chair of the Qualifying Exam Committee. Due to this the concentration advisor can not be the student's PI.
The Concentration Advisor and other advisors (e.g. academic, research, etc.) will help the student select elective coursework . The electives should be completed by the end of G2. The combination of coursework and research must lead to the student mastering a significant accomplishment in an academic area. As the student progresses in research and masters fundamentals, the Oral Qualifying Exam tests concepts in the concentration area.
The research project conducted before the Oral Qualifying Exam should have a scope equivalent to half-time effort for one academic term or full-time effort for a summer, and apply scientific principles from the chosen Concentration Area.
Elective coursework can be chosen from the full catalog of Harvard and MIT science and engineering offerings, including electives organized by the SHBT Program. Taking challenging elective coursework is encouraged to further knowledge and expertise.