Timeline - Engineering Science Ph.D. | College of Engineering | SIU

Timeline - Engineering Science Ph.D.

Although the time to completion of the doctoral program changes from individual to individual, the average completion time is about four years. The following outline shows the steps for completing the program, with links to various forms needed to show completion of the various stages of the program. Forms shown in italics are required by the Graduate School.  The other forms are required by the College of Engineering.

1. Admission to the program.
2. Student completes the core and concentration courses.
3. A candidacy (qualifying) exam committee, comprised of at least three faculty members and chaired by the advisor, is formed (Candidacy Committee Form).
4. Student takes the candidacy (qualifying) exam: first the written exam and within two weeks the oral exam. Advisor reports the exam results to the Director of the PhD program (Candidacy Exam Results Form). The advisor sends the form to the Director of the PhD program along with copies of the graded written exam papers. A candidacy request form is then sent to the Graduate School to request candidacy status for the student. The advisor, student, and the Director of the PhD program sign this form (Admit to Candidacy Form).
5. A Ph.D. Committee, comprised of at least five faculty members (one of which is from outside our college), and chaired by the advisor, is formed to guide the student in his/her dissertation research. (Graduate Faculty Committee Approval Form).
6. Student defends dissertation proposal. The advisor sends the form to the Director of the PhD program along with a copy of the proposal (Dissertation Proposal Approval Form).
7. Student defends dissertation (Oral Defense Form). The Dissertation Approval Form is to be completed and deposited at the Graduate School (Dissertation Approval Form, to be printed on 25 % cotton paper). A copy of this form must be filed at the Dean's Office. The dissertation is to be submitted to the Graduate School electronically in a pdf format.  For spring, summer, and winter graduation dates and deadlines check the Graduate School website.