SEAS Student Handbook

Doctoral degree status can be changed only once; students, therefore, must determine
which doctoral degree program is most appropriate for their academic and professional
endeavors.
Departmental requirements may include comprehensive written and oral qualifying
examinations. A student must have a satisfactory grade-point average to be admitted to
the doctoral qualifying examination. Thereafter, the student must write a dissertation
embodying original research under the sponsorship of a member of his or her department
and submit it to the department. If the department recommends the dissertation for
defense, the student applies for final examination, which is held before an examining
committee approved by the appropriate Dean’s Office. This application must be made at
least three weeks before the date of the final examination.
The defense of the dissertation constitutes the final test of the candidate’s qualifications.
It must be demonstrated that the candidate has made a contribution to knowledge in a
chosen area. In content the dissertation should, therefore, be a distinctly original
contribution in the selected field of study. In form it must show the mastery of written
English, which is expected of a university graduate.
Ph.D. Degree
A student must obtain the master’s degree (M.S.) before enrolling as a candidate for the
Ph.D. degree. Application for admission as a doctoral candidate may be made while a
student is enrolled as a master’s degree candidate. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree 3 must
register full time and complete six Residence Units. The minimum requirement in
coursework for the doctoral degree is 60 points of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree. A
master’s degree from an accredited institution may be accepted in the form of advanced
standing as the equivalent of one year of residence (30 points of credit and two Residence
Units). An application for advanced standing must be completed during the first semester
of study. Ph.D. candidates will be required to complete no less than 30 additional points
of credit in residence for a letter grade beyond the M.S.
Ph.D. candidates should obtain a copy of the bulletin of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, in which are printed the requirements of the department of major interest.
Eng.Sc.D. Degree
A student must obtain the master’s degree (M.S.) before enrolling as a candidate for the
Eng.Sc.D. degree. The minimum requirement in coursework for the doctoral degree is 60
points of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree. Eng.Sc.D. candidates will be required to
complete not less than 30 additional points of credit in residence beyond the M.S. for a
letter grade. A master’s degree from an accredited institution may be accepted in the form
of advanced standing as the equivalent of 30 points of credit. Candidates for the
Eng.Sc.D. degree must, in addition to the 60-point requirement, accumulate 12 points of
credit in the departmental course E9800: Doctoral research instruction (see below). The
candidate for the degree of Doctor of Engineering Science must submit evidence that his
or her dissertation has been filed in compliance with requirements set by the faculty of
Engineering and Applied Science.
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