Administrative Policies

Class attendance

Many clinical and translational science courses require regular attendance. Check the syllabus for the policy specific to each course. Students who miss more than the maximum allowable absences may either be advised to withdraw (if before the withdrawal deadline) or their final grade may be affected by either a grade reduction or an incomplete.

Students should contact the CCaTS curriculum team at ctsceducation@mayo.edu and the course faculty in advance of a known absence

Grant and Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences citations

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grant be cited by authors who receive funding through Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) or who use any CCaTS services to support their research. As a Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program scholar, you have received CCaTS support and must cite the grant.

CCaTS relies on these citations as a critical performance measure when reporting productivity (publications) to NIH each year. Read more about properly citing the grant.

You are also required to site Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Minimum GPA

The minimum cumulative GPA required to complete the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Grades of "satisfactory" ("S") are not calculated in the GPA. At least half the credits taken must be graded using the A-F system.

Probation and dismissal

Poor academic performance or poor nonacademic conduct may result in probation or dismissal from the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program. Review Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences probation and dismissal policies for more information (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network).

Plagiarism

Mayo Clinic considers plagiarism a form of scholastic and scientific misconduct. All instances of suspected plagiarism are investigated. If plagiarism is proved, it may result in a failing grade or other disciplinary action.

Anytime you use someone else's published works — either directly (verbatim) or in an edited or summary form — and do not cite the original author, you have plagiarized that author's work. All nonoriginal (or previously published) work must be noted through quotations, citations and proper references.

The American Medical Association Manual of Style explains plagiarism this way: "In plagiarism, an author presents as his or her own ideas, language, data, graphics or even scientific protocols created by someone else, whether published or unpublished, without giving appropriate credit."

Source: Iverson C, et al. American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 9th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1998.

More information about plagiarism is on the Mayo intranet (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network).

Release time

When applying to the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program, you must demonstrate adequate protected time from clinical responsibilities to complete your research project and coursework within your defined career development plan.

Residence requirement

Regardless of how many transfer credits are awarded, you must complete a minimum of one year in residence after admission to the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program.

Scientific misconduct

Ethical conduct in clinical practice and research constitutes an integral part of Mayo Clinic's culture. The Office of Research Integrity, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, defines scientific misconduct this way:

"Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification or plagiarism in proposing, performing or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.

  • Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
  • Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results or words without giving appropriate credit.
  • Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion."

Review Mayo's policies regarding the responsible conduct of research for more information (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network).

Time requirement

All requirements for the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program must be satisfied before completion of your Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education residency or fellowship, or within five years of admission to the program if you are a Mayo staff member. From the date you defend your thesis, you have 30 days to submit all final paperwork and your final thesis to Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Transfer credits

A total of six didactic credits may be transferred into the Postdoctoral Master's Degree Program. For more details, please see the Credit Transfer Policy on the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Policies and Procedures intranet page (must be logged in to the Mayo Clinic network).