Source: Requirements for the Doctoral Degree, Georgia Tech
This roadmap provides planning targets. Program-specific policies and guidance from the advisor, program lead, and area lead take precedence.
| Stage | Planning Target |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Integrate into the graduate program, build the advising relationship, begin publication-oriented research, participate in campus activities, and complete CETL. |
| Year 2 | Attempt the qualifying exam with the required research portfolio. |
| Before Year 3 | Complete the GTA requirement. By Year 3, the minor should be complete or nearly complete. |
| Year 4 | Complete the dissertation proposal. |
| Year 4 or 5 | Defend the dissertation. |
The first year establishes the habits and relationships that support the rest of the PhD:
Become involved in campus activities and the graduate community.
Establish regular research meetings with the advisor.
Bring concrete progress to every advising meeting.
Keep a research notebook or shared log that records decisions, next steps, and outstanding questions.
Begin research intended to lead to a publication.
Take courses seriously. Coursework and class projects may lead to publishable research.
Plan the first GTA assignment and required CETL course with the advisor. See Chapter 6: Teaching Requirement.
Submit the first-year spring self-evaluation on time. See Chapter 11: PhD Review.
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy recognizes demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in research. After adequate preparation, the candidate must successfully complete both comprehensive examinations in their academic field and a searching and authoritative investigation of a special area in the chosen field, culminating in a written dissertation. The program of study for each doctoral degree program must include, at a minimum, 30 approved credit hours.
See Chapter 5: Core Requirements for details on RCR training requirements.
To qualify for candidacy, students must do the following:
Requisite form: Admission to Candidacy (formatted in DocuSign)
See Chapter 7: Qualifying Exam for details.
Before a student becomes a candidate, they should present a formal statement for the approval of the school chair or college dean and Graduate Education that outlines the student's dissertation advisor, the topic selected for investigation, the objectives, and the steps by which the student proposes to achieve them. (Note that individual programs may have additional requirements for approving the dissertation prospectus or proposal before approval by the chair/dean and Graduate Education.) The dissertation topic must give promise of being either a genuine addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known.
Students must complete all degree requirements within seven years from the end of the term in which they pass the comprehensive examination. If they exceed the seven years, they must submit a petition to faculty to extend the time to complete their degree.
The dissertation must demonstrate that the candidate possesses powers of original thought, talent for research, and ability to organize and present findings. Resources such as the Thesis and Dissertation Manual, deadlines, checklist, and templates are found in the Thesis and Dissertation website. Dissertations must be submitted electronically via the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation link available on that resource site.
The format of the dissertation (in general appearance) must meet the criteria published in the Thesis and Dissertation Manual. For other format or style questions, students should refer to style manuals appropriate to their disciplines.
If the dissertation advisory committee finds the dissertation satisfactory, it schedules the candidate for an oral examination on the subject matter of the dissertation and the field in which it lies. An examining committee approved by Graduate Studies on behalf of the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education will conduct the examination. The candidate's academic unit should forward the announcement of the oral examination, including the names of the examining committee members, to Graduate Education at least 10 working days prior to the exam.
If a candidate should fail to pass the final oral examination, the examining committee may recommend permission for one additional examination. In the case of failure, the Registrar does not receive a report of the examination results.
See Chapter 5: Core Requirements for details on the Minor Requirement.
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In addition to the requirements listed elsewhere, the candidate is required to complete the following:
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