Graduate Exams

Students are required to complete a research-based written report and oral qualifying exam before the end of their second year. Both the written report and oral presentation will focus on novel research completed by the student advised by a participating faculty member as part of the ASTR 298 (Directed Studies) requirement.  The written report should be submitted in advance of the oral exam and is expected to be in the style of a published peer-reviewed journal article. The oral presentation will be approximately ~30 minutes in length and will focus primarily on the context, methods, results, and implications of the research study. The oral presentation will be followed by questions on the specific research project (~20 minutes) and astronomical fundamentals covered in the required Core courses (~30 minutes). 

The qualifying exam is administered by the Graduate Advisory Committee consisting of three (3) faculty members and will include some faculty who have taught one or more Core A or Core B courses in the previous two (2) years. Each exam will be administered by three (3) of the committee members; if the Research Advisor is a committee member, they will not be eligible to serve as one of the examiners during that person’s oral exam.  

Qualified students will be required to constitute a Dissertation Committee prior to their advancement to candidacy, which is expected by the end of the third year of study. In rare and compelling cases, and with GEPA’s approval, extensions are possible. The extension should not be longer than  one (1) year. The Dissertation Committee will consist of four (4) faculty members: the student’s research advisor, two (2) faculty members from the Astronomy program, and one (1) tenured external faculty member from outside of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Department. Additional members are possible. Candidates will be required to submit a written thesis proposal and make an oral presentation to the dissertation committee. The committee may follow the oral presentation with additional questions to assess the candidate’s preparation for dissertation research. The paper should be delivered to the committee at least two (2) weeks prior to the exam.

The proposal and presentation should address the following elements:

• A general introduction, giving motivation, background and context. The introduction should include a literature review. The introduction should be accessible to any research scientist working in astronomy and astrophysics.
• The scientific context of the proposed research.
• Evidence of research preparation (related research up to this point).
• A section presenting relevant research results the student has obtained so far.
• A research plan for the remainder of the work leading to the Ph.D., including methodologies and required resources. The plan should contain goals, a road map and milestones.
• A dissertation timeline, including submission of publications, completion of dissertation, dissertation defense, and other relevant research activities (e.g., proposals, relevant training, instrument development/installation, conferences/talks, etc.).

The exam should consist of:

1. A presentation lasting no longer than 45-55 minutes, questions of clarification included.
2. A Q&A period of 20-30 minutes. Any aspect of the paper, presentation, plan or background is fair game.
3. Committee Discussion and Debrief as necessary.

Standardized criteria will be used to assess the preparation of the candidate for their dissertation research.

In adherence with Graduate Division requirements, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 will be required for advancement to candidacy.

In the case that the dissertation committee unanimously determines that the student cannot continue to candidacy, they will be charged to develop either a remediation or a terminal degree plan. The remediation plan must include a second candidacy exam to be completed within six months. A terminal degree plan must specify remaining course and/or research requirements to be completed within six months. Both remediation and terminal degree plans must be approved by the graduate advisory committee. A second outcome of No Pass, or failure to meet the six-month deadline, means the student must leave the Ph.D. program.

If the committee does not issue a unanimous report to the qualifying examination, the dean of the Graduate Division shall be called upon to review and present the case for resolution to the graduate advisory committee, which shall determine appropriate action.

After advancing to candidacy, the student will be required to provide a written yearly update on progress to the dissertation committee. The student will be encouraged to make at least yearly presentations on their work in various seminars in the astronomy group.

Ph.D. Candidates are required to complete a dissertation and oral defense in order to complete their degree requirements. Candidates should coordinate with their thesis advisor(s) and Dissertation Committees well in advance to schedule the completion of these elements, and to complete University requirements outlined on the Division of Graduate Education webpage.

The dissertation is a written exposition of the student’s thesis research work. It will be reviewed by the members of the Dissertation Committee, who are typically the same as the members of the candidacy exam committee. The form and style of the dissertation must conform to procedures described in the Division of Graduate Education Dissertations and Master’s Theses “Bluebook”. A final draft of the dissertation must be submitted to the Dissertation Committee no less than four (4) weeks prior to the planned oral defense date.

The oral defense is a public presentation of the thesis work, followed by a closed-door examination by the Dissertation Committee. This defense should be scheduled with the Dissertation Committee several months in advance of the anticipated completion date.

If corrections to the dissertation are mandated by the Dissertation Committee, these should be completed within four (4) weeks of the defense, or before the final submission date of dissertation materials to the Division of Graduate Education, whichever comes first.

Additional University requirements for the dissertation and defense, as well as templates for the dissertation file, can be found on the Division of Graduate Education webpage.