Oral Qualifying Examination and Advancement to Candidacy
All graduate students in the Ph.D. program are required to take an oral examination, called the oral qualifying examination, for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree. Students typically complete this examination between their seventh and twelfth quarter in residence.
Students will demonstrate that they have a sufficient understanding of their Ph.D. thesis problem. Any student who has not passed their oral exam by the end of the fourth year may be subject to academic probation or dismissal from the program.
The Report on Qualifying Examination Form must be filled out by the qualifying examination committee immediately following the examination. The form can be found on the Graduate Division website or can be provided by the Mathematics Department. The form should be turned in to the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator for review and submission to the Graduate Division. The student may request to see a copy of the report.
If the student fails the examination, a re-examination can be given within the next three months. The membership of the examining committee usually remains fixed.
Qualifying Examination Committee Composition
The examining committee consists of the student’s faculty advisor, at least two other faculty members from the Mathematics Department, and at least one outside tenured faculty member from either another discipline at UCSC or another academic institution (involved in research and graduate education of the same or different discipline). The student, in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor, selects the committee. The chair of the committee must be someone other than the student’s faculty advisor.
The Graduate Division must approve the committee. The Committee Nomination of Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Form must be completed and submitted at least one month prior to the requested exam date. The form can be found on the Graduate Division website or can be provided by the Mathematics Department. The form should be turned in to the Graduate Advisor and Program Coordinator for review and submission to the Graduate Division.
The committee decides on the topics for the examination, which should be broad enough to encompass a substantial body of knowledge in the area of the student’s interest. The written list of topics to be included in the examination, along with a short bibliography, is prepared by the student. A copy is given to each committee member and a copy is put into the student’s permanent records.
Advancement to Candidacy
To make satisfactory progress, a Ph.D. student should advance to candidacy by the end of their fourth year. A Ph.D. student who has not advanced to candidacy by the end of the fourth year will be placed on academic probation or be subject to dismissal from the program.
Students must complete the following in order to advance to candidacy:
- Complete the preliminary examinations and core sequences in accordance with the requirements outlined on this website;
- Satisfy the language requirement;
- Pass the qualifying examination;
- Have a dissertation reading committee approved by the Mathematics Department and the Graduate Division;
- Have no incomplete grades (I) on their record.
An advancement to candidacy fee will be billed to the student’s account. The student will be officially advanced the following term after all of these requirements are met.
