Candidacy Examination and Dissertation Proposal
The Candidacy Examination and the Dissertation Proposal together
constitute a single test of the doctoral student’s ability
to conduct and report the results of independent research in his
or her chosen field. The Candidacy Examination takes the form of
a literature review in the field of research, and a report of the
preliminary research already completed by the doctoral student. The
Dissertation Proposal constitutes a plan for completing the doctoral
research, including at least a description of the proposed methodology
and the expected results. The Candidacy Examination and the Dissertation
Proposal are combined into a single document, which forms the basis
of the first chapters of the doctoral Dissertation. The document
should follow the format specified in the latest edition of the Graduate
School’s manual, Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation.
The doctoral candidate distributes copies of the Candidacy Examination
and Dissertation Proposal document to all members of the IDC at least
two weeks prior to the Candidacy Examination.
The doctoral student presents the Candidacy Examination and the
Dissertation Proposal before the IDC; this is usually the second
official meeting of the IDC. The IDC examines the doctoral student
and provides written comments and recommendations concerning the
technical aspects of the preliminary research and its proposed completion.
These comments and recommendations generally also address the issues
of the organization, style, neatness, grammar, and clarity of the
presentation. The Dissertation Proposal and the written recommendations
of the IDC become a part of the student’s file in the College
of Engineering; these provide a formal record of the interaction
between the doctoral student and the IDC concerning the proposed
research.
After the doctoral student passes the Candidacy Examination, he
or she becomes a doctoral candidate and may submit the Advancement
to Candidacy form to the Graduate School. The Advancement to Candidacy
form must be submitted no later than May 15 for the January commencement,
and no later than September 15 for the May commencement. These forms
are available from the Graduate School or in the ECE office. If the
doctoral student fails the Candidacy Examination, then one re-examination
is permitted within a period specified by the IDC. If the student
fails the re-examination, then the student will be dismissed from
the doctoral program in engineering.
Dissertation and Oral Defense
The Doctoral Dissertation must represent a significant contribution
to knowledge, demonstrating the doctoral candidate’s competence
in independent research and scholarly exposition.
The doctoral candidate distributes draft copies of the Dissertation
to each member of the IDC at least two weeks prior to the Dissertation
Defense.
The IDC administers the Dissertation Defense. This is usually the
third and final official meeting of the IDC. This examination is
open to the graduate faculty. At the opening of the Dissertation
Defense, the doctoral candidate makes an oral presentation of the
dissertation. Students and any other guests are allowed to attend
this presentation, and then dismissed for the rest of the exam. The
IDC examines the candidate and offers recommendations and corrections
to ensure that the research meets the scholarly standards appropriate
for the doctoral degree.
At the end of the examination, the IDC votes on the Dissertation
Defense (pass or fail). For the candidate to pass the Dissertation
Defense, the “pass” vote must be unanimous. Each committee
member casts a positive or negative vote by affixing his or her signature
to a single form. The form is sent to the Graduate School indicating
that the defense has been held, and that the candidate has passed
or failed. This form must be on file in the Graduate School at the
time the dissertation is officially submitted.
The doctoral candidate incorporates the recommendations and corrections
of the IDC into the Dissertation and prepares the final draft. The
format of the Dissertation must conform to accepted professional
standards and to the specifications of the Graduate School’s
manual, Guidelines for Preparing a Thesis or Dissertation.
Finishing Up
The Dissertation is signed by the Dissertation Director, the members
of the IDC, the ECE Department Chair, the Dean of Engineering, and
the Dean of the Graduate School. The candidate submits the approved
and signed Dissertation to the Graduate School. Two copies of the
dissertation are due in the Graduate School at least two weeks prior
to commencement.
Five copies of the completed and signed Dissertation are required
- two for the Graduate School, one for the department, one for the
Dissertation Director, and one for the doctoral candidate. An additional
copy is required if the candidate has a co-advisor. The candidate
submits the required copies to the Dean of the College of Engineering
for approval. A copy of the abstract is placed in the candidate’s
file and then the copies of the Dissertation are returned to the
candidate, who delivers them to the Graduate School. The candidate
shall provide to the Graduate School an additional copy of the abstract
to be sent to a centralized Dissertation Abstracts database. The
candidate should obtain from the Graduate School the necessary information
on the required form and length of the abstract, as well as the agreement
form required to submit an abstract to the database.
