University Admission Standards
Eligibility for admission to a doctoral program should be limited to superior
students who have demonstrated intellectual ability, high achievement, and adequate
preparation for advanced study and research in a chosen field.
Minimum university standards for admission to a doctoral program require a
bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and a minimum of a 3.0 GPA
in the last 60 attempted semester hours of undergraduate studies, or a score
of at least 1000 on the combined verbal-quantitative portion of the GRE or a
combined verbal-quantitative score of at least 540 on the GMAT, or a master's
degree from an accredited institution and GRE or GMAT scores. A GRE or GMAT
(Business Administration) score is required of all applicants. However, meeting
minimum university admission standards may not satisfy doctoral program admission
requirements. Additional or higher criteria may be required by the college or
department.
Examinations
To avoid confusion of terminology for examinations, all programs should use
the following terms:
Qualifying Examination. This title designates the examination (optional
by programs) that is used to determine if students should continue with their
doctoral studies. It is normally given within the first year of the doctoral
program. This is a written examination and is permanently filed in the student's
records in the program.
Candidacy Examination. This title is used for the examination that
the student takes prior to admission to Candidacy Status. This is a written
examination and is permanently filed in the student's permanent records. It
is normally taken near the end of completion of course work, and must be passed
before being allowed to enroll in doctoral dissertation (XXX 7980) hours.
Dissertation Proposal Examination. After passing the general Candidacy
Examination, the student will write and defend a Dissertation Proposal in an
oral examination.
Dissertation Defense. This is an oral examination (or defense) of the
dissertation.
Completion of Qualifying Examination
Eligibility to continue a doctoral program should be limited to superior students
who have demonstrated intellectual ability, high achievement, and adequate preparation
for advanced study and research in a chosen field. The decision to allow a student
continuing progress toward a doctorate is made by the graduate committee of
the program area concerned and the Dean of the college on the basis of the qualifying
examination and/or other criteria as specified by the individual program area.
This exam is normally taken within the first year of a doctoral program.
Program of Study
A program of study (i.e., required course work) will be specified by the student's
program area and approved by the college. The particular plan of study, which
may vary from student to student, should be formulated jointly by the student
and the appropriate committee or adviser in the program area. Changes in the
program of study may be made at any time by the advisory committee.
Course Requirements
The course requirements for a doctoral degree will consist of lectures, seminars,
discussions, independent research, and independent study. Each program of study
will include a minimum of 72 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the baccalaureate
degree, with at least 6 semester hours of course work taken at UCF outside the
student's program area. A university-wide minimum of at least 15 hours of dissertation
hours are required for all doctoral programs. Specific programs may require
more.
Independent Study Hours
No more than 12 total semester hours of independent study (including those
hours counted toward a master's degree) may be applied to a doctoral program
of study.
Academic Standards
Academic standards for doctoral students will meet or exceed those previously
stated for master's programs.
Special Degree Requirements
Each student may be expected to demonstrate an appropriate competency in a
related area. The appropriate competency must be carefully defined by the program
area and approved by the student's committee and the Dean of the college. Any
course credit earned in attaining such a skill does not count toward minimum
hour requirements.
Residency Requirements
Each student is expected to complete two contiguous semesters in full-time
graduate student status after acceptance into a doctoral program.
Transfer Credit
Up to 30 semester hours of graduate credit from an accredited institution may be transferred into a doctoral program, and will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the graduate committee of the program area generally at the time the student is admitted to the program. The transfer hours will consist of a maximum of six hours of 4000-level work, no 3000-level courses, and no courses with grades of less than "B-." The College of Engineering and Computer Science allows up to 36 credit hours, including up to 6 thesis credits, to be transferred from a master's program. In all cases, the transfer work will constitute less than half of the course work hours necessary for degree requirements, per accreditation guidelines.
Graduate programs are permitted to accept up to nine hours of graduate course work taken at UCF while an undergraduate student as part of an undergraduate program of study. Oversight of the appropriateness of and discretion for accepting such courses into a graduate program of study will be provided by the instructor, graduate program director, and graduate college coordinator. Not all graduate programs permit students to use graduate credit hours for a graduate program of study if they have been used for an undergraduate degree. It is the student's responsibility to obtain advisement from the graduate program director of the specific program before registering in graduate-level courses. This does not
apply to 4000-level course work taken while an undergraduate student.
Time Limitation for Degree Completion
The student has seven years from the date of admission to the doctoral program
to complete the dissertation. No courses taken since the original program entry
date at UCF may be older than seven years and used in the program of study. Graduate course work taken elsewhere and not part of an earned graduate degree is subject to the 7-year rule.
Readmission
Students who do not maintain continuous enrollment (missing enrollment at the
university for a period of two major semesters [spring/fall], excluding summers)
must file for readmission to the university, although seven years is measured
from when the student was first admitted to the program. To file for readmission,
the student must complete a Reactivation/Readmission Application, or contact
UCF Graduate Studies by fax (407-823-6442) or e-mail (graduate@mail.ucf.edu)
and state a desire for readmission for a particular term. UCF Graduate
Studies will consult with the program about readmission. For more information
about readmission, refer to the "Admissions and Registration" section of this
catalog.
Doctoral students admitted to candidacy must continuously enroll in three hours
of dissertation course work (XXX 7980) each semester until the dissertation
is completed. Readmission decisions are individually made, based on such factors
as space in the program, reasons for the break in graduate education, progress
in the degree program, among others.
Examination Committee
In some programs a doctoral examination committee will be formed consisting
of several faculty members representing the appropriate disciplines and approved
by the Dean or college designee to administer qualifying and/or candidacy examinations.
In many cases this committee will consist of the program graduate committee.
All members will evaluate and vote as to whether students have successfully
completed the exams.
Candidacy
Admission to Candidacy
Students may not be admitted to candidacy until a Doctoral Committee has been
appointed, and the Committee has certified that the student has successfully
completed the Candidacy Examination and demonstrated the qualifications necessary
to successfully complete requirements for the degree. Only after admission to
candidacy may a student register for doctoral dissertation hours (XXX 7980).
The admission to candidacy will be approved by the graduate college coordinator
and forwarded to UCF Graduate Studies for status change.
Candidacy Examination
The purpose of the Candidacy Examination is for the student to demonstrate
knowledge of the field, including theory, bibliography, and research methodology.
The examinations must be written and should be based on the student's plan of
study and may be a defense of a written dissertation proposal. Written examinations
are administered and established on campus by the student's Doctoral Committee
in coordination with the college. All written original examination materials
will be kept in the student's file in the program.
Dissertation
Dissertations are required in all doctoral programs, with copies of the approved
dissertation being prepared in accordance with program requirements. The dissertation
is a significant contribution to the discipline for all completing a doctoral
degree and consists of an original research study. The dissertation consists
of a common theme with an introduction and literature, details of the study,
and results and conclusions. Since the work is original, it is very important
that care is taken in properly citing ideas and quotations of others. Failure
to do so is academic dishonesty and subject to termination from the program
without receiving the degree. An oral defense of the dissertation is required.
Enrollment in Dissertation Hours
The student must continue to enroll for at least three semester hours of doctoral dissertation credit (XXX 7980) each semester (including summers) after attaining candidacy status
until they complete the dissertation and graduate. Post-candidacy
enrollment is allowable for a maximum of four years subject to the seven-year
time limitation.
Dissertation Advisory Committee Composition
Doctoral students must have a Dissertation Advisory Committee prior to the
Candidacy Examination. The Committee will consist of a minimum of four members.
At least three members must be qualified regular faculty members from the student's
department (or college, if a college-wide program) at UCF, one of whom must
serve as the chair of the committee. One member must be from either outside
the student's department at UCF (or college, if a college-wide program) or outside
the university.
Only one adjunct or visiting faculty member may serve as a member of a dissertation
advisory committee. An adjunct, visiting faculty, or outside scholar may not serve as the chair,
but may serve as a co-chair. One of the co-chairs must satisfy faculty qualifications
for serving as a chair of a dissertation advisory committee. The other co-chair
must satisfy the minimum requirements for serving as a member of a dissertation
advisory committee. A member from outside the university may serve as co-chair without being appointed as an adjunct or visiting faculty member provided that all other membership requirements are met.
Program areas may specify additional committee membership beyond the minimum
of four. Qualifications of additional members must be equivalent to that expected
of UCF faculty members. UCF faculty members must form the majority of any given
committee.
Committee membership must be approved by the Dean or designee of that College.
All members must be in fields related to the dissertation topic. UCF Graduate Studies reserves the right to review appointments to a dissertation
advisory committee, place a representative on any dissertation advisory committee,
or appoint a co- chair. A student may request a change in membership of the
dissertation advisory committee.
All members vote on acceptance or rejection of the dissertation proposal and
the final dissertation. The dissertation proposal and final dissertation must
be approved by a majority of the committee.
Dissertation Preparation
The Graduate Studies Thesis and Dissertation Manual describes UCF's
formatting requirements for dissertations and outlines the steps graduate students
must follow to submit their dissertations to UCF Graduate Studies
for binding. Graduate students can obtain the manual from www.graduate.ucf.edu.
Additionally, the Thesis/Dissertation Editor maintains online workshops to
inform graduate students about procedures, deadlines, and requirements associated
with preparing a dissertation (www.graduate.ucf.edu).
Those students who have just passed Candidacy are strongly encouraged to visit
the online workshop.
Dissertation students will submit their dissertations electronically starting in Fall 2004. Electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submissions will be archived by the UCF library in digital format and will be more widely accessible. In addition, students will have the opportunity to use video and audio clips as well as other formats that may be appropriate for their field of study.
All dissertations that use research involving human subjects, including surveys,
must obtain approval from an independent board, the Institutional Review Board
(IRB), for this prior to starting the research. Graduate students and the faculty
that supervise them are required to attend training on IRB policies, so this
needs to start well in advance of the research start date. It is imperative
that proper procedures are followed when using human subjects in research projects.
Information about this process can be obtained from the Office of Research (http://www.research.ucf.edu).
Click on "Compliance" and the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is
available. In addition, should the nature of the research or the faculty supervision
change since the IRB approval was obtained, then new IRB approval must be sought.
Failure to obtain this prior approval could jeopardize receipt of the student's
degree.
Students who wish to complete their degree requirements in a given semester
must take their oral defense and turn in their final unbound copies to UCF Graduate Studies by the dates shown in the Academic Calendar. Doctoral students
also must provide their electronic copy for microfilming by University Microfilms
International (UMI). The editor will send dissertations to UMI, with the student's
completed UMI form and microfilming fee.
Dissertation Defense
The dean of the college or his/her designee will normally attend all dissertation
defenses. Dissertations will be approved by a majority vote of the advisory
committee. Further approval is required from the Dean or Dean designee and UCF Graduate Studies before final acceptance of the dissertation in fulfilling
degree requirements.
Public Access
Students, faculty, staff, and other interested parties are strongly encouraged
to attend dissertation final defense sessions. Notices providing
date, time, and location of such meetings must be distributed to all academic
departments.
These sessions are educational and informative for graduate students and provide
an opportunity for colleagues to observe the work of their peers with students.
At the discretion of the Chair of the Committee, questions may be invited from
the audience. That part of the session involving committee discussion leading
to a vote on the acceptance of the work will be closed. Sessions may be recessed
briefly to excuse visitors and the candidate before this stage begins.
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Graduate Students
