Ut doctoral program

As a consequence of early immersion in research, our PhD students are often already recognized in the wider research community well before they graduate.

They regularly travel to conferences, present papers, and often receive best paper awards. Interested in applying? Visit our Prospective Students page for information about applying to our program.

The University of Texas at Austin. Doctoral Program. Selection of a Dissertation Topic and Faculty Advisor The student should consult with his or her research advisor to decide on an appropriate dissertation topic immediately upon passing the qualifying exam, if not earlier. Research for Dissertation It is recommended that the doctoral committee meet at least twice after the initial meeting: one or more times to review and possibly redirect the dissertation work, and a final meeting for the dissertation defense.

Write Dissertation The candidate should recognize that it takes significant time to write the dissertation and should allow at least one long semester for the formal writing after all technical work is done.

Successful Defense of Dissertation At a time when the candidate and the research supervisor feel that the dissertation is complete and a draft has been completed, a defense is scheduled. Special requirements and restrictions Registration and Courses The 99 Hour Rule: after accumulating 99 credit hours toward their Ph.

A doctoral student should pass the qualifying examination and be admitted to candidacy before accumulating 50 credit hours towards their Ph. Each semester, you are advised in your academic area concerning courses. A faculty member from the area must sign a form listing your proposed courses.

If you are a continuing student, we strongly recommend that you pre-register. If you do not pre-register or if your registration is canceled due to non-payment , your appointment as a TA or GRA will be delayed. If you are a full-time student, you must enroll for at least nine credit hours in each long semester Spring and Fall. If you are a Ph. Summer appointees need to be registered for at least 3 semester hours. Teaching assistants are assigned by responsible faculty in the academic areas.

If you are interested in being a TA, you must complete a TA application. The application is available at the end of each semester for the following semester. This must be done every semester, even if you have served previously. An international student must be certified as competent in the English language before he or she can be appointed as a TA. Non-exempt international students depending on country of origin must pass the ITA English Assessment, which is administered by the International Office.

Graduate Research Assistants are assigned by faculty members holding research grants or contracts. If you are interested in a particular research program, you must contact the faculty member directly. In general, students that have not been a teaching assistantship for 2 long semesters will be given priority.

Doctoral Candidacy You must pass a qualifying examination to be eligible to apply for Doctoral Candidacy. All courses on your Ph. Program of Work must be taken on a grade basis. Since the process of applying for candidacy takes several weeks, apply for candidacy well before the semester in which you would like to register for dissertation credit. Once advanced to candidacy, you must continuously register during all fall and spring semesters unless granted a "leave of absence" by the Graduate School.

Apply to graduate in the semester you plan to graduate. First Year Evaluation: First year students are formally evaluated by their areas and then by the entire faculty at the end of the first year.

The evaluation considers grades and relative performance in core courses and statistics courses, performance in non-core courses, research aptitude and motivation, and professional competence.

Outcomes include "pass" with continuation in the PhD program, "probation" with reevaluation, or "fail" with possible option of completing an MA degree. Competency Evaluation: Each area is required to evaluate its students at the end of their second year or third year to determine their competence in their area of specialization. The specific form of this evaluation is determined by the areas and varies widely. The ten courses 30 hours required for the MA degree must include: a core course from two of the core course content areas; a statistics course; and the thesis courses A and B.

The thesis courses may not be taken simultaneously. An empirical thesis is required. Discuss area requirements with your area head. Students must complete their doctoral degree in seven years. No Departmental funding is provided after the sixth year. General Inquiries: