CONTENTS:
6.1     CANDIDACY STATUS
6.2      ENROLLMENT IN DISSERTATION CREDITS
6.3     CANDIDACY EXAMINATION
6.3.1  ELIGIBILITY FOR CANDIDACY EXAM[NATION
6.3.2  PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY EXAMINATION
6.3.3   CONSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDACY EXAMINATIONS

6.1. CANDIDACY STATUS

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Candidacy status indicates that a doctoral student is ready to commence writing the dissertation. A student is admitted to candidacy upon successfully completing all required coursework and passing the candidacy examination. The student's written request for candidacy must be approved by his or her research committee and forwarded to the program director, the academic dean and then to the Dean of the University Graduate School.

6.2. ENROLLMENT IN DISSERTATION CREDITS

Effective: April 18, 2006

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President
Dean of the University Graduate School

POLICY

A student may enroll for dissertation credits after completing all coursework, passing the candidacy examination and being advanced to candidacy.

Dissertation credits taken before advancement to candidacy will not be counted toward the degree. Candidates must comply with the continuous enrollment policy (See Section 4.2.6. ).

6.3. CANDIDACY EXAMINATION

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Candidacy examinations are designed to ensure that the student understands and can evaluate all aspects of the chosen field of study. Each doctoral program description must include clear instructions for admission to candidacy for the degree. Departments may establish other examination requirements at their discretion.

6.3.1. ELIGIBILITY FOR CANDIDACY EXAMINATION

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

To sit for the candidacy examination, a student must meet the following criteria:

     ·    the student must be in good academic standing in the University as defined in 4.2.1.

     ·    the student must have completed the program's residency requirement, if one exists, or must be enrolled for the course work which will constitute such completion at the time of examination

     ·    the research committee must certify that the student is capable of completing all required course work for the degree by the end of the semester in which the candidacy examination is given

6.3.2. PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY EXAMINATION

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Procedures for preparing and taking the candidacy examination must be specified by each graduate program. Students must be informed in writing of these procedures.

6.3.3. CONSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDACY EXAMINATIONS

Effective: March 28, 1989

AUTHORITY/SOURCE

Provost and Executive Vice President

POLICY

Each candidacy examination must be prepared and graded by a committee consisting of a minimum of three faculty of the academic unit offering the degree. Admission to candidacy requires that a majority of the committee members agree that the student passed the examination. A candidacy examination may not be passed conditionally. A "Pass" on the examination cannot be made contingent upon other factors such as the completion of additional coursework or the preparation of extra research projects.

Students must be informed in writing of the results of their performance on the examinations within 30 days of the examination date. If the student fails the candidacy examination the committee, at its discretion, may provide for reexamination at a mutually satisfactory time but no more than one year from the original date of the examination. Passing the candidacy examination is requisite to continuing in the graduate program. Students who fail the candidacy examination twice will be dismissed from the graduate program.