Masters Equivalent Coursework if Applicable (32 credit hours)
Students are often admitted to the PhD program with an applicable MS/MA and can proceed directly to Stage II; however, if you were admitted directly from a BS/BA degree, you will need to complete these 32 credit hours of MS coursework. The MS Equivalent coursework can be found in the PhD Degree Requirements.
Please understand that we are not overly rigid that you must complete ALL aspects of these 32 credit hours; however, it is highly recommended that you have the Masters equivalent coursework done by the time you complete your qualifying exams. While we anticipate you will pass the exams, you are not able to continue with the PhD program if you do not. Therefore, it is highly advised you have the Masters equivalent coursework complete in case you must exit the PhD program with your Masters.
Advisor Agreement
PhD Students are required to select an advisor for their thesis research/dissertation. To get this process going, students should:
- research the advisors in your research area
- learn what the faculty in your research area via their faculty webpage. You can also view this faculty research listing.
- meet with faculty members you are interested in working with
- submit an Advisor Agreement no later than Reading Day of their first semester of your program (students on a full fellowship during their first year may extend this deadline to the end of their 2nd term–not including summer). The advisor agreement may be severed at any time by the faculty member or the student. If you wish to terminate your advisor agreement, you must submit the advisor agreement termination request.
It is sometimes the case that a student finds a faculty advisor outside of ISE. This is completely fine; however, you must also have a faculty advisor from ISE who will serve as your advisor as well. In this case, both the faculty member outside of ISE and the faculty member in ISE would serve as co-advisors. Please alert the Graduate Programs Office to this and we will provide you with details on how to add your faculty member from outside of ISE.
Qualifying Examinations
Qualifying Examinations are required of all ISE PhD students and consists of two components – the written exam and the oral exam. More information about each component is provided later in this section.
This examination serves as a screening device for selecting qualified doctoral candidates. In addition, the examination permits early identification of deficiencies of otherwise qualified candidates so that remedial action can be taken. Admission to PhD candidacy is based on the faculty's evaluation of the student's research potential, scholastic competence as evidenced by grades, and satisfactory performance on the PhD Qualifying examination. The written exam is offered at the beginning of both the fall and spring semesters. The oral exam is offered near the middle of both the fall and spring semesters.
When the Qualifying Exams are Held
The written portion of the qualifying exam is typically held on or around the following dates:
- Fall Exams – on or around September 1
- Spring Exams – on our around February 1
The oral portion of the qualifying exam is typically held on or around the following dates:
- Fall Exam – on or around October 15
- Spring Exam – on or around March 15 (will be before/after spring break when there is a conflict)
The oral exam scheduling varies based on when the faculty completes their grading of the written exams, when the committee can be scheduled, etc.
Breadth Requirement
Preliminary Examination