Program Overview

Important information regarding the Neuroscience Training Program can be found below.

If you have any other questions regarding the Neuroscience Training Program, please review the Student Handbook or contact the office at ntp@mailplus.wisc.edu.

Here are some guidelines to follow when preparing for your graduation and oral thesis defense.

Guide to Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation

Please review the Graduate school’s guide to preparing your doctoral dissertation here.

After you have completed your research, a meeting must be convened with your Advisory Committee before writing your Dissertation commences.  The purpose of this meeting is to plan with the Committee how your research will be presented in the Dissertation, its scope and the details of organization. You must also complete Part III of the Certification Form and file it with the Program Office.

Defense Warrant

At your final thesis defense your committee must sign a defense warrant. You must fill out and return a warrant request to the NTP office at least 4 weeks before your defense!

Oral Defense Announcements and Programs

The NTP Office creates and disperses announcements and a program for your oral public thesis defense. You need to send us your CV, thesis abstract, a headshot for the programs, and oral defense logistics like location, time, etc. Please make sure to send us this information at least 2 weeks before your defense so we have time to prepare them!

Thesis Copies

The NTP will pay for three copies of your thesis to be bound (one for you, one for the office, and one for your P.I.). You will need to drop printed copies off in the office and choose a color for your bound cover. If you would like additional copies made, we will have them bound, and you will need to reimburse us for the extra copies (typically about $8.00/each). If you would like to look at old thesis copies for ideas about formatting and style, please stop up in the office!

To complete the Neuroscience PhD Minor, you are required to complete 9 credits including NTP 610, NTP 611 and a NTP elective course. A link to approved electives can be found here.

Once the requirement has been met, please return the completed PhD Minor in Neuroscience Form to the Neuroscience Training Program office for signature by the program director.

The average time to degree for NTP Ph.D. candidates is approximately 5.1 years.

It is expected you will complete the Dissertation by the end of the sixth academic year. If this is not accomplished by the end of the summer following the sixth academic year, your major professor and one member of your Advisory Committee must meet with the Steering Committee to present a written statement that explains why the Dissertation has not been finished and describes plans that you and the Committee have agreed upon to ensure completion. You may attend this meeting if you wish. Continuation in the Program beyond the fall semester of the seventh year will be at the discretion of the Steering Committee.

N&PP students will be given an additional year and Neuro/Law students an additional two years to finish the Ph.D. degree.

To help keep you on track for your time to degree, please see here for a simplified sample timeline. To view a more detailed timetable for student progress please see the version in the student handbook here.