Admission to the Ph.D. or the S.T.D. program does not imply admission to candidacy for the degree.
General requirements for Ph.D. candidacy are as follows:
- completion of language requirements
- completion of all course work
- completion of minor requirements, if applicable
- successful completion of the doctoral comprehensive examination
- Submission of the Candidacy form
- recommendation by the director of the specified Academic Area
General requirements for S.T.D. candidacy are as follows:
- completion of language requirements
- completion at least six credits of course work
The Area Director reviews the student's tracking sheet to determine whether the student is qualified to proceed to doctoral candidacy. Then the Area Director, in consultation with the Area faculty, evaluates the student for admission to doctoral candidacy.
The student is notified when he or she has been accepted for candidacy. Candidacy for the doctoral degree officially begins on the first day of the semester following approval of the student's admission to candidacy.
A student is generally granted five years from the date of formal admission to candidacy to complete, defend, and deposit the dissertation. But if STRS determines that too much time has elapsed between formal admission to candidacy and oral defense of the dissertation, the doctoral candidate may be required by STRS to re-take the comprehensive exam or fulfill additional requirements.