Qualifying Exam II:Defense Thesis Pr

All students must successfully complete a qualifying examination, which is to be taken at least two terms prior to the final defense of the PhD thesis. The qualifying exam, administered by the thesis committee, is an oral exam in which the students present their research proposal. The objective of the oral exam is to determine whether the candidate’s proposal and methodology are adequate for a PhD thesis. The candidate must show positive preliminary results and considerable promise of original research. It is the responsibility of the students to inform and update the thesis committee members about their research progress, especially during the period between the comprehensive and qualifying exams. Students who do not pass the qualifying exam are allowed to take it for a second time in the following term. Failure on the second attempt will result in the students’ discontinuation from the graduate program.