Candidacy and Defense

Candidacy

Students are admitted to candidacy when they have completed all program requirements, including course requirements, foreign language requirements, and preliminary examinations. Once a student is admitted to candidacy, the only remaining requirements for the doctorate are completion of the dissertation and the dissertation examination, which is often known as the final defense or the dissertation defense. Admission to candidacy is known colloquially as being ABD, or "all but dissertation." Candidacy is noted on student transcripts. It does not change a student's status on the residence track (e.g. changing from Scholastic Residence to Advanced Residence), as residence is correlated to quarters of study rather than specific academic milestones.

Alternate Language Option

In some departments, language requirements can be fulfilled by alternatives to the University's foreign language reading examinations. Alternative options include departmentally administered language exams, upper-level language or literature courses, or proficiency as a native speaker. Completion of the alternate language option is listed on the transcript in the quarter in which the language requirement is fulfilled. If a student fulfills more than one language requirement through alternate options, completion of the alternate language option is listed on the transcript in the quarter in which the final language requirement is fulfilled.

Defense and Dissertation

Students should contact their departments to schedule the dissertation defense. Note that some departments do not schedule examinations in summer.

Final copies of the dissertation, abstract, departmental approval form, Pro Quest form, and Library form are due to the University's Dissertation Office no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday of eighth week of the quarter in which a student is graduating, seventh week in summer quarter. The defense should be held in sufficient advance of this deadline to allow revisions recommended by the student's dissertation committee.

Students should contact the Dissertation Office early in the quarter in which they intend to graduate in order to pick up current forms and to resolve any questions or problems they may have in preparing the dissertation. The Dissertation Office staff is willing to look at a draft of the dissertation. Having them do so avoids both the expense and headache of having to re-format the dissertation. They offer a schedule to help students plan for a smooth process to meet these deadlines.

Required forms are available for download from the Dissertation Office website. The Departmental Approval Form may only be signed by the department chair or another designated faculty member from the department.