CANDIDACY

A Ph.D. student must satisfy all Graduate School requirements to become a candidate. Acceptance to Ph.D. candidacy is contingent upon the completion of all core courses with A or B grades and successful completion of a written and an oral test in the student's area of concentration.

The examination in the area of concentration is organized and administered by the student's academic advisor. The candidacy examination committee consists of at least three faculty chosen by the advisor in consultation with the student. Normally, the examination can be conducted at any time during the year when classes are in session. In the written examination, the student is tested in at least two major topics of the area of concentration with an appropriate number of questions prepared by the members of the student's candidacy committee. Each student has to score at least 70% in each major topic test in order to successfully complete the written part of the candidacy examination. If a student fails to pass any topic test of the written examination, a second chance is given for the failed topic test. If a student does not successfully complete the written examination after two attempts, he/she will not be accepted to candidacy in engineering science Ph.D. program. A student is qualified to take the oral examination only after successfully completing the written examination.

The oral examination is conducted within two weeks of the successful completion of the written examination. In the oral examination, the student is tested again in the area of concentration by at least three candidacy committee members. If a student fails to pass the oral examination in the first attempt, a second chance is given. If a student does not successfully complete the oral examination after two attempts, he/she will not be accepted to candidacy in engineering science Ph.D. program.