Advancement to Candidacy

A student is advanced to candidacy after successful defense of the dissertation proposal and with the recommendation of the doctoral program, after verification of the student’s program of study, and after HSRRC approval has been granted (if applicable). The doctoral program must request advancement to candidacy by submitting the GO-23 form to the Office of Graduate Studies.  If the student has not satisfied the residency requirement by the time of advancement to candidacy, a plan for doctoral residency must accompany the program’s recommendation for advancement. The Dean of Graduate Studies retains final approval authority for advancement to candidacy.

A doctoral candidate has a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years from the effective date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for graduation, including defense of the dissertation and its final approval by the Office of Graduate Studies (doctoral programs may have stricter requirements). Candidates must be continuously enrolled during that period. Failure to meet the five-year limitation will invalidate passing of the comprehensive examinations and remove the student from candidacy. Advancement to a second period of candidacy requires the passing of the regular, or a special, comprehensive examination. Approvals for a second period of candidacy are required from the doctoral program and the Dean of Graduate Studies; the maximum time limit (which will be less than five years) will be determined by the doctoral program and the Dean of Graduate Studies.