Deadline

➔ PhD students may take the candidacy examination as early as their second semester in the program. Students must pass the examination before the completion of their eighth semester or they will be expelled from the university.

Note: A leave of absence will not be counted as part of the eight-semester deadline. However, you cannot take the candidacy examination during a leave of absence.

 Dates

The Candidacy Examination includes a written portion and an oral defense.

➔The written portion of the candidacy examination is held within the first month of any semester. You must apply for the examination before the preceding semester ends. To apply, complete the PhD Candidacy Examination Registration Form and submit it to our institute office. (Applicants studying in a field related to biotechnology must also complete the Dissertation Advisor and Review Committee Form).

➔Individual programs determine the schedule for oral defenses. However, students must apply no later than two weeks before the expected date of the oral defense. You must submit the PhD Candidacy Examination Registration Form andDissertation Advisor and Review Committee Form to the institute office when applying.

➔Make sure to find out if external examiners on the review committee would like to drive the day of the defense. If they do, make sure to notify the institute office and complete the Guest Parking Pass Application Form.

Regulations on dissertation advisors and the composition of review committees are determined by individual programs. Please refer to our institute’s Academic Regulations.

   PhD Candidates

 ➔A student only becomes a PhD candidate after passing both the written examination and the oral defense. Our office will then submit a list of PhD candidates to the Office of Academic Affairs for review and record-keeping.