International Applicants

• International students must submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS or PTE academic scores) and immigration and financial documentation.
• See the Graduate School website for more information about the additional requirements for international students.

PhD Advisor and Guidance Committee

The PhD student’s research advisor is central in directing the student’s development. Upon admission to the doctoral program, new students have as their advisor the ECE director of graduate programs until an advisor is identified on the PhD Principal Advisor/Guidance Committee Form. A Guidance Committee Form should be completed during the first semester in residence.

The guidance committee must have a minimum of three members, two of whom must be from the ECE department (including the principal advisor). Each of these members is expected to take an active role in supervising the student’s development. Members, in addition to those mentioned above, may be added to enhance the committee. An outside examiner will be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School.

When a proposed committee has been identified, the names and signatures are submitted on a PhD Principal Advisor/Guidance Committee Form to the ECE director of graduate programs. Once approved, the form is forwarded to Watson College’s administrative coordinator of graduate affairs. When the guidance committee is approved, the form is placed on file with the administrative coordinator of graduate affairs. Any subsequent changes made to the membership of this committee must be documented on a new copy of the PhD Principal Advisor/Guidance Committee Form.

Learning Contract

The new doctoral student should start to work immediately with their advisor to develop a learning contract. The purpose of the learning contract is to define the knowledge and skills required in order to pass the comprehensive examination. The learning contract should identify core courses and concepts that must be mastered in order to provide breadth of background, as well as specialized courses and concepts germane to the proposed area of research. The learning contract may be modified later if additional knowledge is required or if the field of research is changed. A model for the learning contract is available from the administrative coordinator of graduate affairs.

A copy of the learning contract, with signatures indicating approval of the guidance committee, is placed in the student’s file in the office of the administrative coordinator of graduate affairs.

Qualifying Examination

Students are encouraged to attempt this examination as early in their program as possible, preferably within the first three semesters. On the qualifying examination, students must demonstrate quantitative skills and subject knowledge in math and at least two core areas within ECE. A description of the qualifying examination is given in the ECE Graduate Handbook.

Comprehensive Examination and Admission to Candidacy

After completion of the required courses, and before completion of a significant portion of the dissertation research, the student must complete the comprehensive examination. This is an individual examination, with responsibility for the content given to the student’s guidance committee. The ECE director of graduate programs is an ex officio member of the comprehensive examination committee to ensure uniformity in the level of examinations within the department. Once the guidance committee and ECE director of graduate programs have agreed on the examination content and format, it is clearly explained to the student and the examination date set.

After successfully completing the comprehensive examination and any additional requirements such as the development of communication skills, the student is admitted to candidacy for the doctorate. The Graduate School is notified of the satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examination and the student’s admission to candidacy on the Recommendation for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree Form. Note that the candidate is required to defend the dissertation within five years of admission to candidacy.

Dissertation Prospectus

Upon completion of the comprehensive examination, the candidate prepares a prospectus describing the proposed research. This prospectus is presented and defended in an open colloquium. Upon acceptance of the prospectus by the guidance committee, a copy is filed with Watson College’s administrative coordinator of graduate affairs.

Evidence of Proficiency in Teaching

The candidate is required to meet the teaching proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

• Be an instructor of record in an undergraduate/graduate course.
• Complete practicum in teaching course and teach one or more seminars or a portion of a course.
• Show evidence of past teaching experience comparable to the first and second choices above, which must be verified and approved by the guidance committee.

Dissertation Defense

If an outside examiner was not chosen at the time the Recommendation for Admission to Candidacy for Doctoral Degree Form was submitted to the Graduate School, then the chair of the guidance committee makes a recommendation to the ECE director of graduate programs, who, upon approval of the recommendation, forwards it to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. The vice provost and dean makes a formal appointment of the outside examiner. The outside examiner reviews and participates in the dissertation defense with the guidance committee. After distribution of the dissertation for review, an oral defense of the PhD dissertation is scheduled. The PhD candidate is required to present an oral defense of his or her dissertation in an open colloquium.