Admission to Candidacy for the PhD degree is a formal designation by the Graduate School which indicates that you have passed your Comprehensive Examination and have successfully proposed your dissertation research direction. Prior to Admission to Candidacy, a PhD student should register for STAT 9000, Dissertation Research; after, the student should register for STAT 9300, Dissertation Writing. You are responsible for initiating an application for Admission to Candidacy so that it is filed with the dean of the Graduate School at least two full semesters before the semester of graduation. This Application is a certification by the Department of Statistics that you have demonstrated ability to do acceptable graduate work in your chosen area of research and that: all prerequisites set as a condition to Admission have been satisfactorily completed; research skills requirements have been met; the Final Program of Study has been approved by the Advisory Committee, the Graduate Coordinator, and the dean of the Graduate School; an average of 3.0 (B) has been maintained on all graduate courses taken and on all completed courses onthe Program of Study; written and oral Comprehensive Examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School; the Advisory Committee, including any necessary changes in the membership, is confirmed and all its members have been notified of their appointment; a Dissertation Prospectus has been approved; and the Graduate School's residence requirement has been met. Once a student has been Admitted to Candidacy, the Department has an ethical responsibility to ensure that appropriate faculty mentorship is provided to the Candidate for completion of the degree.
