Effective for students entering Fall 2024: Outside Readers are not permitted.

The Department requires the Dissertation to be approved by an Outsider Reader as part of the requirements for the completion of the PhD and PharmD/PhD programs.

The Outside Reader should normally hold a doctoral degree, and have demonstrated relevant expertise as evidenced through peer-review publications.

The Outside Reader must not hold an appointment in the UB Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, or be connected with the dissertation research project as a collaborator or investigator. The Outside Reader however may serve as an advisor to the project prior to the submission of the Dissertation.

With the advice and consent of her/his major advisor, the candidate should submit, in writing, the names of 1-3 potential Outside Readers to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval. Such submission should be accompanied by 1-2 pages of PUBMED or MEDLINE printout of the Outside Readers’ recent publications pertaining to the investigative areas of the thesis. The interaction between the candidate and the proposed Outside Reader, prior to the completion of the thesis, must also be described.

After the Director of Graduate Studies approval of potential Outside Reader(s), either the candidate, or her/his advisor, should contact these individuals to determine their availability. It is acceptable to invite more than one approved Outside Reader, and the acceptance of the thesis by any one of these Outside Readers would suffice.

The Outside Reader Response Form should be sent by the candidate/major advisor to the approved Outside Reader(s) along with the thesis.