Ph.D. Requirements
After selection of the supervising professor, the sequence of steps that must be followed in studying for and obtaining the Ph.D. degree are as follows:
1. Passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Examinations (see sect. 5.5 of the graduate handbook).
2. Presentation of the Preliminary Oral Examination (see Sect. 5.6 of the graduate handbook).
3. Passing the Final Oral Examination.
No fixed number of course hours are prescribed for the Ph.D. degree. Students can pursue the Ph.D. degree without having earned the M.S. degree. A student’s Dissertation Committee, of which the supervising professor is the chair, reviews the courses taken by a candidate to ascertain whether or not they provide the proper background for the dissertation and to assure competence in other areas consistent with the student’s abilities and interests. The number of formal course hours for most programs ranges from 24 to 30, although there are exceptions. Ph.D. students who have previously earned M.S. degrees at other institutions normally take fewer courses.
To gain admission to candidacy requires approval of the graduate advisor. Application for admission to candidacy can be filed when the student has completed steps one and two above, which should be accomplished within the first two years. After admission to candidacy, any additional coursework required by the supervising professor and the Dissertation Committee is completed. At the same time, the dissertation research is carried on. After completion of the research, the draft of the dissertation is prepared, and the final step is the final oral examination on the research.
It is highly desirable for the student to obtain the Ph.D. degree within a reasonable period of time, consistent with fulfilling the traditional requirements of quality and breadth of knowledge in these studies and originality and professional contribution in his or her research. The elapsed time beyond the baccalaureate degree can be as little as three years and should not be longer than five years. While there is no applicable fixed timetable, the following may serve as a guide for a four-year program starting after the B.S. and culminating with the Ph.D. Degree.
First Year
1. In their first semester, the student should carry the maximum load of formal course work (nine hours credit).
2. The student should select the supervising professor and research problem. The student should initiate the research as soon as a supervising professor has been assigned and deemed ready.
3. The student must take the qualifying examinations by the end of the first long session of residence.
In extenuating circumstances, the student may request to take the exams at the end of the second semester.
Second Year
1. Additional formal coursework recommended by the supervising professor should be completed. In order to register for nine hours, graduate students can enroll in seminar (384) or individualized research (684, 385, 685) courses.
2. The student should request that the dissertation committee be appointed and should give an oral presentation on the research problem to the committee (the Preliminary Oral Examination; see sect. 5.6 of the Graduate Handbook). Return the Preliminary Oral Examination Form [PDF 104 KB] and the Evaluation of Chemical Engineering Learning Outcome Form [PDF 79.5 KB] to the Graduate Office for further instructions.
3. All other requirements for admission to candidacy must be fulfilled during this year and the student should apply for candidacy through the Graduate School. The application for Ph.D. candidacy is now online and should be completed by the students. The completed electronic submission will go to their supervising professor for approval, then the graduate advisor, and back to the Graduate School for final approval. The student will receive notification that they have been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy at which time one will register for the first dissertation course. It is of the most importance the candidate keep copies of the paperwork and supply the Graduate Office a copy as well. It is the candidate’s responsibility to track the process of their candidacy.
4. Apply for M.S. (no thesis) degree after taking 10 courses if desired; (see Section 4.4 of the Graduate Handbook).
5. The student should have done the Preliminary Oral Examination and registered one semester for X99R.
Third Year
1. The student should register for ChE 399 W, 699W or 999W and complete the major portion of the research during the third year.
2. Any remaining or special coursework (including research and seminar courses) should be completed.
3. The student should analyze and correlate research data and write periodic reports which become the corpus of the dissertation. Formal interim reports to the supervising professor are encouraged.
4. Student should begin to publish in conference proceedings and archival journals as first author.
Fourth Year
1. The student should continue to register for ChE 399W, 699W or 999W and should complete the research, if not completed in the previous year.
2. At the beginning of the semester in which the degree is expected, the student should request the graduate dean, through the departmental graduate advisor, to schedule the final oral examination. All of the forms required by the Graduate School should be completed to ensure the granting of the degree at the proper time (see Sect. 5.8 of the Graduate Handbook).
3. The written dissertation should be completed four weeks prior to the Final Oral Examination and given to the entire dissertation committee, including members outside the department.
4. The student should write journal articles based on his/her research either as the dissertation is being written or in parallel with writing the dissertation.
5. The student makes changes in the dissertation as suggested by the dissertation committee. This may entail some additional research, experiments, or calculations.
6. The expected length of time to complete the Ph.D. without a previous M.S. degree is four years. You should discuss the necessity of continuing beyond four years to complete the dissertation with your supervisor.