Graduate Oral Candidacy Exam

Students who have passed the Qualifying Examination at the Ph.D. level are expected to continue to broaden their general mathematical background and to take courses in their areas of special interest. Before starting substantial work on a dissertation, the student is required to take the Candidacy Examination. This examination will be a comprehensive examination in the field of the major subject, and will be a substantially deeper test than the Qualifying Examination. The format of the Candidacy Examination will be determined by the student's Candidacy Examination Committee, which consists of a faculty member who has consented to act as a potential dissertation advisor for the student, plus two additional faculty members from the student's general research interest area. The Candidacy Examination Committee must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee. The Graduate Studies Committee will use the recommendation of the Candidacy Examination Committee to determine if the student will be admitted to candidacy for the PhD. The Candidacy Examination must be passed no later than nine months before the Ph.D. is awarded in order to ensure that the student satisfies the University requirement of earning 30 credits of Dissertation I after the Candidacy Examination has been passed.

It is expected that a full-time graduate student entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree will normally pass the Candidacy Examination prior to the end of the student's fourth calendar year at Kent State University. A full-time graduate student entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree is normally expected to pass the Candidacy Examination prior to the end of the student's third calendar year at Kent State University. Timetables for part-time students or students who transfer graduate credit from another institution will be set in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator. When an extension of this deadline seems to be necessary, both the student and the student's academic advisor must petition, in writing, the Graduate Coordinator. Extensions will only be granted by the Graduate Coordinator in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee.

Candidacy Check List

• This list should help you keep track of your paperwork and responsibilities surrounding the Candidacy exam.

Candidacy Notification

• Please provide the Math office with a copy of the notification form for your Candidacy Exam at least one week before your exam date.

Candidacy Form

• Located at the top of this linked page.  Fill out before you take the candidacy exam.