Every doctoral student must pass comprehensive exams (or equivalent requirements as defined by each individual graduate program) in order to advance to candidacy.
Advancing to candidacy signifies that the student has completed their coursework, as well as other requirements as defined by their graduate program, and is ready to move forward to the dissertation phase.
Minimum Requirements
- Completed UO residency requirement
- Completed pre-advancement coursework required by the program
- Completed all program-level non-coursework advancement requirements
- Cumulative UO GPA of at least 3.0
- In good standing according to UO and program standards
Process and Timing
The requirements for advancing to candidacy in a particular graduate program should be outlined in the graduate handbook or on the website for each graduate program. Additionally, the procedures for scheduling and approving exams or other requirements are specific to each program. Students must be registered in their term of advancement. If they are not registered, they will be eligible to advance during their next enrolled term.
Students should contact the graduate coordinator or director of graduate studies in their department with any questions about departmental requirements.
Once a student has met the departmental requirements to advance to candidacy, the graduate coordinator for that program will record the completion of each requirement in GradWeb.
Once the advancement has been approved by the student’s advisor and the director of graduate studies and/or department head, the request is reviewed and approved by the Division of Graduate Studies and the student will receive an email confirming that they are officially advanced to candidacy.
Dissertation Credits
Students may only enroll in dissertation credits (603) after advancement to candidacy. At least 18 dissertation credits are required in order to graduate with a doctoral degree (except for the DMA in music performance – refer to the School of Music and Dance website for details).
Dissertation Committee
Only after a student advances to candidacy can the department submit the names of the student’s dissertation committee to the Division of Graduate Studies. Each department or program determines its own internal dissertation committee approval procedures. After the dissertation committee is approved by the department, the graduate coordinator submits the committee recommendation in GradWeb. Once the Division of Graduate Studies has reviewed and approved the committee, the student and department will receive an email confirming that the committee has been approved by the Division of Graduate Studies.
Departmental policies for membership of doctoral committees should be guided by Division of Graduate Studies policy, but may be more restrictive than the department's policy. Petitions for exceptions to the Division of Graduate Studies committee policies may be submitted using the general petition form.
For PhD and DEd students, the dissertation committee must be on file with the Division of Graduate Studies for at least 6 months prior to the date of the final oral defense. DMA students are not required to meet this 6-month requirement, but must be enrolled for at least two terms after advancing to candidacy.
Eligibility for GE Level III
Graduate employees become eligible for promotion to level III the term after they are officially advanced to candidacy.
Promotion is not automatic; upon receipt of the email confirming advancement to candidacy, the student should contact their hiring unit to request promotion to level III.