Advancement to Candidacy
Students advance to candidacy for the doctoral degree upon successfully demonstrating a high level of scholarship in full-time study at the Ph.D. level, and upon completing all preparatory work and demonstrating readiness to proceed to the dissertation phase. This includes clearly communicating:
- Why the proposed research is needed
- The current state of knowledge
- Research approach
- Tools needed to carry out the work
- Anticipated outcomes and possible implications
- Any preliminary result
ESS Ph.D. students are expected to successfully advance to candidacy by the end of their second year of studies to remain in good academic standing.
Coursework Requirement
Students are expected to complete their coursework requirement (9 courses; in-progress courses allowed) by the time of advancement. Exception can be granted (typically for 8 completed/in-progress courses) if the student's advisor agrees that the student is ready to advance. To request an exception, please contact the ESS Graduate Vice Chair and the ESS Student Affairs Manager.
Advancement & Doctoral Committee
Advancement committee membership requires 4 members, including the student's research advisor. During the advancement phase, students must also select the members (at least 3) of their Doctoral Committee. The majority of these committees must be ESS Faculty. Faculty with joint appointments in ESS count toward the majority. Researchers, non-UCI Faculty, and personnel from outside organizations need to have an approved exception to serve on the committees. Full policy on committees is available on the UCI Graduate Division website here.
Advancement Paperwork & Deadlines
Prior to the advancement exam, please fill out the ESS Advancement Form so the department can assist you with paperwork for any needed exceptions. The exception process may take up to 2 weeks, so please plan accordingly.
After passing the advancement exam, the Chair of the advancement committee will notify the Student Affairs Manager with the result. The Graduate Division advancement form will be sent via Docusign to the committee, the student, and the Graduate Vice Chair to sign.
Please see the Graduate Division website for advancement to candidacy paperwork deadlines for the current academic year's Filing Deadlines. The ensure timely processing, please submit the ESS Advancement Form at least two weeks prior to your scheduled advancement exam date, which should be one to two weeks before the filing deadline of the quarter.
During the Fall quarter, the department will hold an Advancement to Candidacy Q&A session for current second-year students to review the Advancement requirements and procedures.
Questions?
he full ESS Guide to Advancement is available here. If you have any questions or concerns, contact studentaffairs@ess.uci.edu.