Doctoral: After Second Year

Advancement to Candidacy

The student is eligible for Advancement to Candidacy after successfully completing all graduate program requirements except for the dissertation and exit seminar, and after passing the qualifying examination. Advancement to candidacy typically occurs in the fall or winter quarter of the third year. A student's Application for Advancement to Candidacy form (pdf) is signed and dated by the chair of the qualifying examination committee. PTX Graduate Group students are expected to advance to candidacy by the end of their seventh quarter of academic enrollment. A student must have advanced to candidacy by the beginning of the tenth quarter of academic enrollment to be eligible for continued appointment as a graduate student researcher or teaching assistant.


Dissertation Requirements

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is given under dissertation Plan B which specifies a three member (minimum) dissertation committee, and optional final oral examination (made on an individual student basis by the dissertation committee). All students are required to present an exit seminar.

Dissertation Committee Meetings

Yearly meetings of the student and dissertation committee are required. A written report must be filed with the PTX GG program staff program and academic adviser after each meeting.

Dissertation

The dissertation is carried out under the supervision of a member of PTX Graduate Group while the student is enrolled in the PTX GG program. The chair of the dissertation committee must be a member of the PTX Graduate Group and must be immediately involved with the planning and execution of the experimental work done to formulate the dissertation.

The dissertation must be submitted to each member of the dissertation committee at least one month before the student expects to make requested revisions.

The dissertation must be filed in a quarter in which the student is registered or on filing fee. Instructions on preparation of the dissertation and a schedule of dates for filing the dissertation in final form are available from Graduate Studies; the dates are also printed in the UC Davis General Catalog and in the Class Schedule and Registration Guide issued each quarter.

Exit Seminar

Each student must present a public seminar on the dissertation research. The seminar is arranged through the major professor and advertised by the PTX GG office.