PROGRESSION TOWARD THE Ph.D. DEGREE: SEMINARS, REVIEWS, EXAMINATIONS, AND PROPOSALS

In addition to course requirements, Ph.D. students must successfully complete the four levels of progression toward the Ph.D. degree. The requirements differ slightly among the sub-disciplines, however the following description is applicable for all areas. In each of these steps, the student is evaluated by a committee consisting of at least four Program faculty, three of whom are from the student's sub-discipline, one of whom is outside this sub-discipline. The members of this committee are chosen in consultation with the student's research advisor. In order to best monitor the student's progress toward the Ph.D. degree, the committee should vary as little as possible, while accommodating the requirements as stated below.

1. Seminar/Literature Review
   • By the end of the third semester of study, each Ph.D. student should give an oral presentation on a topic chosen in consultation with the research advisor. In general, this will be on a topic different from the specific area of the student's thesis topic. At least one week prior to the seminar, the student will submit to the committee a written description of his/her talk. Students should check with their research advisor as to the format and length of this document. Should a student's performance on either the oral or written component be unsatisfactory, at the discretion of the committee he/she will be given a second opportunity to pass this requirement (within 4-6 weeks).
2. Advancement-to-Candidacy Examination
   • To be advanced to candidacy, the student must have:
     • completed required coursework with a grade point average of "B" or better,
     • demonstrated aptitude for creative, independent research, and
     • passed an Advancement-to-Candidacy Examination.
   • After completion of the course requirements and the seminar, and before the end of the fourth semester, the student will make an oral presentation on his/her research project. The presentation will include a description of the project and its potential significance, preliminary results, and present (and planned) directions. The written description of the project should be submitted to the Examining Committee at least two weeks in advance of the oral examination. Note that for students in the organic division, the research advisor is not a member of the committee during this examination. Students should be prepared to be examined on any material germane to their chosen area of concentration. Should a student's performance on any aspect of this examination be unsatisfactory, the student may be given a second opportunity within 4-6 weeks to successfully remediate, at the committee's discretion. The Advancement-to-Candidacy Examination is the critical entry to full-time work on the dissertation topic, and only students who successfully complete this requirement will be permitted to proceed toward the Ph.D. degree.
   • For part-time students, the timing of the Advancement-to-Candidacy Examination will vary from person to person but it is expected that the student will not take an inordinate amount of time to meet this requirement. After Advancement-to-Candidacy, the student will be required to spend at least a year in residence to fulfill his/her thesis research requirements.
3. Original Research Proposal
   • After completion of all the candidacy requirements, the student will write an original research proposal on a subject that is outside his/her specific area of dissertation research. The format of this paper is not rigid, but should contain a list of Specific Aims, a section dealing with the Background and Significance of the proposal, a section on Experimental details, and a list of References. The entire proposal should not be more than 20 double-spaced typewritten pages. Many students use this proposal as the basis of an application for a postdoctoral fellowship. The proposal should be submitted to the student's examining committee during his/her final year of study, and must be approved no later than three months before the final dissertation defense.
4. Final Dissertation Defense ("Final Examination")
   • The composition of the Dissertation Committee must conform to the rules of the Graduate School as described in the Graduate Catalog. In addition, every effort should be made to include the faculty who have served on the previous three progression examinations. The Dissertation Committee is recommended to the Graduate School by the student's advisor, and formally approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. The Committee, which is nominated six months prior to the projected date of the defense, will consist of at least five faculty, at least three of whom are regular members of the graduate faculty. Four of these faculty (including the student's advisor, who serves as chairman) will be from the Program (three from the student's sub-discipline, one outside this area), and the fifth member must be recruited from outside the Program.