Advancing to Doctoral Candidacy

Upon advancing to doctoral candidacy, a graduate student becomes an official PhD candidate at UT Austin. This milestone involves identifying a general research area and tentative topic, as well as forming a dissertation committee of faculty members. The committee not only evaluates the student’s research and ultimately approves the dissertation but also serves as a group of subject-matter experts who provide ongoing guidance and support throughout the PhD journey.

ECE PhD students are expected to advance to doctoral candidacy within one year of attempting 33 or more credit hours of coursework in the Graduate Program (excluding approved leaves of absence). These credit hours may include individual instruction courses such as Research Problems. Once a student attempts 33 or more credit hours, the following semester marks the beginning of the one-year window to complete the candidacy requirements. Students are encouraged to pursue candidacy as soon as a research area and topic are identified. It is important to note that a student is not considered a PhD candidate until candidacy has been officially granted.

The process of advancing to doctoral candidacy consists of two main components:

Forming an approved PhD committee
Completing individual candidacy evaluation meetings with each non-supervisory committee member

Please note that you are expected to complete the six steps in order, and to advance to the next step only after you have satisfactorily completed all preceding steps.

Part 1: Form Your Committee

Step 1: Identify and Confirm Committee Members
With your supervisor’s guidance, identify 5–6 potential committee members. This must include at least one member external to the ECE Graduate Studies Committee (ECE GSC). Full rules regarding the composition of your committee can be found HERE. Share a brief (1–2 page) research summary and your coursework list with each member. Secure verbal or written agreement from each person to serve on your committee.

Step 2: Submit Committee Details
Email your Track PhD Coordinator with the following:

Your full name, EID, and academic track
Tentative dissertation title
Full list of committee members and their roles
CV of the external member

Step 3: Await Committee Approval
Your proposed dissertation committee will be announced by your Track PhD Coordinator to the ECE GSC (Graduate Studies Committee) and reviewed by the ECE GSC on a no-objection basis. Wait two weeks while your proposed committee is under review, and do not proceed to conduct one-on-one evaluation meetings with each proposed committee member until you have received approval from your Track PhD Coordinator confirming that you can proceed.

Part 2: Complete Individual Candidacy Evaluations

Step 4: Conduct Evaluation Meetings
Schedule individual 30-minute meetings with each non-supervisory committee member. A formal presentation is not required, but you may use slides or figures to provide context. Committee members may share specific expectations or evaluation criteria in advance.

Step 5: Obtain Formal Sign-Offs
Each committee member must confirm your readiness for candidacy and agreement to serve by signing the DocuSign ECE PhD Candidacy Evaluation Form HERE.

Step 6: Submit Final Application for Candidacy
Once all sign-offs are complete, wait for email instructions from the Graduate Advising Team. You’ll then have 2 weeks to submit your candidacy application online. Your application will go through multiple levels of review, with final approval granted by a Degree Evaluator in the Graduate School.

Note on Late-Semester Candidacy:
If your candidacy is approved after the 12th class day (or 4th class day in summer), you may still be able to get added to Dissertation course hours and dropped from the equivalent number of Research Problems course hours in that same semester or summer—provided the Graduate School’s internal deadline has not passed, and if you are already registered for Research Problems for 3, 6, or 9 credit hours. Contact Graduate Advising to confirm eligibility.