Admission to Candidacy

Requirements for admission to candidacy are:
* Completion of all course work required for the Ph.D. Program; * Passing a written qualifying exam;
* Successful oral presentation of research proposed to the Student Advisory Committee; and
* Submission of an application for admission to candidacy.

Oral Defense of Dissertaion

* Upon completion of the coursework and research for the program, the student—through his/her advisory committee—may request that the Dean of Graduate
Studies and Research arrange a final oral examination to meet the degree requirements.
* The Dean of Graduate Studies and Research will appoint a dissertation committee consisting of all Advisory Committee members and one member from outside the university.
* The student must submit a completed copy of the dissertation to each member of the examination committee at least two weeks prior to the date of the exam.
* The focus of the oral examination will be the student’s research.
* Approval of at least four members of the dissertation committee is necessary for the student to pass the oral examination.

Changes and Review of Progress

Only the IBS Dean’s Council may approve changes in a student’s area of specialization, co-advisors, or Student Advisory Committee members, and such change(s) must be requested through the IBS Ph.D. Program Office. In the event the approval cannot be secured, the student may directly petition the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. The Student Advisory Committee will review the student’s progress at least once each semester and forward aformal report to the IBS Ph.D. Program Office and the IBS Dean’s Council. The Student Advisory Committee
will recommend to the IBS Dean’s Council whether to continue, place on probation, suspend or dismiss the student from the graduate program. A student whose
cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 is allowed one semester to raise the GPA to 3.0. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the program. Students who fail the
qualifying examination after two attempts may apply for a terminal Master’s degree in any of the established programs at Tuskegee University. In such cases, the student will have to meet the oral examination requirements of the Graduate School.

Submission of the Dissertation

Students must submit seven corrected copies of their dissertation signed by all members of the Student Advisory Committee and respective College Dean(s) to
the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

Residency Requirement

IBS Ph.D. students are required to be located at Tuskegee University for at least two years during the course of doctoral study.

The Limit for Graduation

All graduate credit submitted in fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D. degree must have been earned within the six years immediately preceding conferral of the degree.