A graduate student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree when the student is granted formal admission to candidacy.  Such admission requires the approval of the student’s supervisory committee, the academic unit chair, the college dean, and the Dean of the Graduate School. The approval must be based on:

1. The academic record of the student
2. The supervisory committee’s opinion on overall fitness for candidacy
3. An approved dissertation topic
4. A qualifying examination as described above

 

The student should apply for admission to candidacy as soon as the qualifying examination is passed and a dissertation topic is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.  A student may not register for HLP 7980 (Research for Dissertation) until he or she is admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree.