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PhD Qualifying Exam Procedure

for the EA Track

 

 

The qualifying exam in EA serves two purposes.  The first is to ensure that the student has the necessary academic preparation to pursue a PhD degree.  The second is to ensure that the proposed dissertation research and the proposed approach are sound.  The timing of the qualifying exam is decided by the student in consultation with the dissertation advisor.  It is recommended that the student takes the exam at the beginning stage of the PhD research, once the proposed PhD topic is in place.  The qualifying exam entails the following three steps:

 

1) Formation of the Qualifying Exam Committee:   The student should contact potential committee members to get their consent to serve on the qualifying exam committee.  The committee shall consist of at least 5 members.  The supervisor (or co-supervisor) must be a member of the ECE Graduate Studies Committee (GSC).  There must be at least 3 ECE GSC members on the committee.  Excluding the supervisor or co-supervisor, at least one other member must be from the EA area.  There must be at least one faculty member from another department (who is not on the ECE GSC) or from outside of UT.  Members from outside of UT must have a PhD and need to fill out a form from the ECE graduate office to serve on the committee.  At least four weeks prior to the exam, the student should provide the EA Area Graduate Coordinator with a list of suggested committee members and the proposed title of the dissertation.  The EA Area Graduate Coordinator will determine the committee chair and issue a memo to the ECE faculty announcing the formation of the committee. 

 

2) Written Proposal:   The second step consists of a written dissertation proposal from the student.  The proposal should clearly outline the proposed topic, provide a literature review, give a succinct research statement and describe in sufficient details the approach and methodology.  There is no specific length requirement for the proposal, but it is usually between 20 to 40 double space pages, including figures.  The proposal should also include a brief (2-3 page) summary of the student's past research experience, a timetable for the completion of the dissertation project, and a list of all coursework completed after the bachelors’ degree and the grades received.  The proposal must be given to all members of the qualifying exam committee no later than two weeks prior to the date of the exam.

 

3)  Oral Exam:  The oral qualifying exam includes a presentation by the student on the proposed dissertation research, followed by a question and answer session.  The presentation should be limited to 45 minutes without interruption.  During the oral exam, the committee members may ask questions to ascertain that the proposed research is of sufficient depth and breath, and that the proposed approach is technically sound.  The committee members may also examine the student’s background to ensure that the student has sufficient preparation to carry out the proposed work.  At the end of the exam, the committee may decide that the student: (1) passes without any stipulations, (2) conditionally passes with the requirement of additional course work or research to remedy any deficiencies, or (3) fails and is allowed to re-take the exam once.  If the student passes the exam under condition (1) or (2), a PhD supervisory committee is determined by the committee in consultation with the student’s supervisor.

 

Upon passing the qualifying exam, the student should complete the Application for Candidacy.  After the official admission into PhD candidacy from the Graduate School, the student may register for the dissertation course EE x99R.  The student will take EE x99R the first semester and EE x99W every semester thereafter until final defense.

 

Appeals Procedure: 

 

In case the student wishes to appeal the decision made by the qualifying committee, the student must inform the EA Graduate Coordinator in writing within two weeks after the exam.  The Graduate Coordinator will then form an Appeals Committee to make recommendations to the ECE GSC on the case.

Electromagnetics and Acoustics Track Info