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THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE HANDBOOK Outline: I. Admission
II. Purpose III. Advisement and Committee Assignment IV. Program of Study:
V. Course Work
VI. Comprehensive Examination VII. Thesis Performance Procedure and Deadlines VIII. Non-Thesis Options Deadlines
I. ADMISSION
A. Procedure The Admissions Procedure details are found in The University of Southern Mississippi Graduate Bulletin. Once all information is received, the information is sent to the Department of Medical Technology. The Senior Faculty evaluates the information and vote regarding acceptance. A majority vote of the faculty is required to admit a student. Data that the faculty reviews include: GPA in undergraduate program, GPA in science courses in undergraduate program, courses in undergraduate program, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and Michigan Level II or TOEFL of at least 550 if applicable.
B. Requirements For regular admission in both programs, the applicant must: • Hold a baccalaureate degree form an institution approved by a recognized accrediting agency. • Be eligible to re-enter in good standing the last college or university attended. • Present evidence, by official transcript, of a grade point average of at least 2.75 (figured on an A equals 4.0 scale) for the last two years of undergraduate courses in the field of proposed graduate study. • Present GRE score on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE. • Present a MTELP of "Proficiency II" or TOEFL of 550 (regardless of previous college experience, if English is not the native language this requirement must be met). • Satisfy the appropriate department chair, college dean, and Graduate Dean that he/she shows promise of satisfying graduate degree requirements.
PURPOSE OF THE GRADUATE MTC PROGRAM The Master of Science in Medical Technology degree program seeks to provide the student with skills and knowledge for professional enhancement. Graduates of the programs may be candidates for positions as laboratory managers, education coordinators, hospital or college/university medical technology faculty members, researchers, departmental supervisors, etc. The program is structured to provide the student with an area of emphasis, i.e. areas such as microbiology, chemistry, hematology, genetics, immunology, computer science, management, or education.
ADVISEMENT AND COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT Once the student has been accepted into the Masters program, the student will meet with the Chairperson preferably before the first semester, but definitely by the first day of class to plan the courses for the first semester. For the first semester, the Chairperson will try to register the student for courses that are generic and can be applied toward any emphasis. During the first semester, the student will select the emphasis area and identify three faculty members (two of which must be MTC faculty) to serve on the committee. The Chair of the Committee will typically be the MTC faculty member who teaches in the emphasis area selected by the student. A Committee form must be completed and sent to the Graduate Office by the Chairperson of the Department in order to confirm the Committee. After the Committee is appointed, the student should make an appointment with the Chair of the Committee to discuss a date for the Committee to meet and determine coursework to be taken. The student's input regarding courses will be considered by the Committee; therefore, the student should develop a list of courses, which he/she wishes to take. If the student has selected the Thesis Option, he/she will coordinate the thesis activities through the Chair of the Committee. Once appointed, the Chair of the Committee serves as the student's advisor each semester.
PROGRAM OF STUDY The Department of Medical Technology offers two curriculum plans leading to the Master's degree in Medical Technology. One program is for the individual who possesses certification as a medical technologist from a recognized national certifying agency. This certification is an entrance requirement. The second program is for the individual who does not hold certification as a medical technologist form a recognized national certifying agency. This program includes a medical technology practicum at the 500 level with hours that do not count toward the total hours required for the Masters' degree, but that allow the individual to become eligible to take a national certification examination. Certification from a recognized national certifying agency is a mandatory exit requirement. Two options are offered to students in either curriculum plan: • Thesis Option and • Non-Thesis Option. The Non-Thesis Option requires 36 hours of approved coursework. The Thesis Option requires 30 hours of approved coursework and 6 hours of Thesis. The student must declare the option prior to the Committee Meeting to determine coursework.
COURSEWORK A. Requirements: All students must take at least nine (9) hours of courses determined by the Committee to be scientific coursework. All courses may be in the College of Health or other colleges, as deemed appropriate by the Committee for the emphasis selected by the student. In addition, typically the committee will not allow practicum courses to apply to the Master's degree for students who are certified medical technologists. Exceptions may be made if the student did not have the course in their original practicum or the Committee feels that the length of time has been such that an update is necessary. B. Examples (not exhaustive) of courses acceptable as coursework:
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION Comprehensive Examinations will be both written and oral defense of the written. The Comprehensive Examination will be composed of at least six questions prepared by the Committee Chair and members. The Chair of the committee will be responsible for notifying the members regarding the deadline for submission of questions, compiling the questions and giving to the student, establishing deadlines with the student for completion of answers and returning questions/answers to the Chair, distribution of answers to Committee members for grading, and scheduling the defense of the written examination. Students will be given thirty (30) days to complete the examination (which includes weekends). The written examination requires answers that are referenced to current literature, which is generally considered to be within the past five years. The document is to be and double-spaced, with one inch margins and in a font comparable to Courier 10 cpi. The written comprehensive examination is to be in Standard English. Edit the document for correct use of sentence and paragraph structure, choice of words, use of punctuation, spelling and grammar. Most word processing programs have options to expedite the processes of revising editing. Each response should begin on a separate page, and the question should be restated as the title for the response. The response must be referenced in APA format. (APA guidebooks are available in the Hub bookstore if you are unfamiliar with the format.) Although references are essential, the response is to be in the student's own words. Plagiarism is to be avoided. A lengthy definition of plagiarism can be found in the Southern Miss Student Handbook. The penalty for plagiarism may be failure of the exam. The members of the committee have the right to reject an exam, or any portion of it, that does not meet the above guidelines. The Comprehensive Examination should be taken at the end of the semester that coursework is completed. The Comprehensive Examination absolutely must be taken within one semester following completing coursework. The time for the Comprehensive Examination must be established with and approved by the student's committee. For students on the thesis Option, the comprehensive and thesis may be defined at the same hearing if within one semester of completing coursework. Thesis chapter, written oral exam questions, etc. must be submitted to the committee members so that the members have 10 working days for reading.
THESIS PERFORMANCE PROCEDURE For students selecting the Thesis Option, the procedure is as follows:
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