Advancement Information

Please refer to the relevant sub-sections of the ELP wiki for further details of each doctoral milestone.

You will be eligible for advancement into doctoral candidacy after you pass and complete all of the following:

  • Required courses
  • Mid-program Review
  • Specialization Paper SP (formerly the SQE)
  • Prepare, Complete and Pass Dissertation/ Treatise Proposal

.Each graduate student would normally expect to reach this point by the end of the third year. Doctoral Candidacy will allow you to focus solely on research and register each semester for Dissertation/Treatise coursework.

Assessment Stages

Complete Written Mid-program Review

  • Check with your advisor regarding your eligibility and method of completing this requirement. More information is available in the mid program review section of this ELP wiki.

Complete Specialization Paper (SP)

  • Administered by each program area: CSP, EPP, PHEL, and ExecEdD.  Check with your faculty advisor to determine your eligibility and method of completing this requirement. More information is available in the Specialization Paper Policy. 


Doctoral Dissertation process

The process for completing a Doctoral dissertation is fourfold. 

    1. A student will prepare and defend a dissertation proposal consisting of the first three chapters before all members of the dissertation committee, including the chair.
    2. Once the proposal is approved by the committee, the student must complete the advancement to doctoral candidacy application process.
    3. Upon successful advancement, the student will conduct the research activities under the guidance of the dissertation chair and committee. 
    4. The student will defend the completed dissertation before the committee.  After successfully defending and satisfactorily completing any required revisions, the student would earn the Ph.D.

Prepare Dissertation/Treatise proposal

  • Select chair/supervisor and members for the dissertation/treatise committee. Information about the composition of the dissertation committee can be found on the Graduate School website.
    • To determine if a faculty member is on the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC), which might impact their eligibility to be on your dissertation committee, talk to your advisor. It is the responsibility of the student to secure a faculty supervisor and committee that meets the requirements of the Graduate School.
    • The committee for a Doctoral dissertation must be comprised of four individuals.  The chair of the committee must be a faculty member with GSC status in the Department.  The second and third committee members must be faculty or and/or senior lecturers with GSC status in the Department. The fourth member must be an outside member, who holds a doctorate degree, who is not a member of the student’s GSC. The fourth member, if external to the University, will need to submit a curriculum vitae and a letter indicating his/her willingness to serve on the dissertation committee. 
  • Prepare your proposal (traditionally, this is the first 3 chapters of your dissertation/treatise; however, you should work with your dissertation chair to determine the contents of your proposal).
  • Once your dissertation committee chair approves your proposal draft, schedule a meeting for the oral proposal presentation and distribute copies to committee members.  
  • Schedule a room, with the Graduate Coordinator, in which to present your proposal.
  • After a successful proposal, you will complete your doctoral advancement kit for committee signature. 

Apply for Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement into candidacy requires an application and approval by the student’s supervising professor, the departmental Graduate Advisor, and the UT Graduate Dean.

The first part of the application procedure is completing the departmental candidacy application. This consists of listing all graded courses, selecting the dissertation/treatise committee, and obtaining signatures of all faculty who will serve on the dissertation committee. The Advancement Kit can be obtained from the ELP wiki section titled "proposal process."

After completion of the departmental application and approval by the Graduate Office, then the online UT doctoral candidacy application is undertaken. The name and rank of each person serving on the doctoral committee and an abstract of the doctoral research are submitted. The doctoral abstract can be broad and is changeable as the student progresses in the program. Once the on-line portion is submitted, it must be approved through UT Direct by the student's supervising professor, the Graduate Advisor, and the Graduate Dean.

PLEASE NOTE: The Graduate Advisor will not approve the on-line portion of the application unless the student completes all the paper forms in the application packet required by the Department. If you have questions about this process, please contact the Graduate Office.

Complete Dissertation/Treatise Research Activities

  • Only AFTER you receive graduate school approval for candidacy, may register for your first dissertation/treatise course
    • Two dissertation/treatise courses are required to be taken in consecutive semesters.  The first one is the dissertation research course (399W, 699W or 999W) followed by the dissertation writing course (399W, 699W or 999W).  The treatise research course numbers are 399K, 699K or 999K and the writing course numbers are 399L, 699L or 999L. 
  • An advising hold on your registration record will be in place until you meet the IRB Approval Pre-requirement.
  • Work with your chair to determine your progress.
  • Complete data collection and analysis (for peace of mind, be sure to back up your work).
  • Write the final dissertation/treatise draft.
  • Submit your draft to your chair for approval.

Dissertation Guidelines

In most cases, the a Doctoral dissertation will include five chapters:

  • Chapter I contains an introduction to the study and its context.
  • Chapter II contains an examination of the relevant literature. 
  • Chapter III presents a thorough discussion of the methodology for the research. 
  • Chapter IV features a careful, insightful, and comprehensive coverage of the results of the research. 
  • Chapter V includes interpretation, discussion, and implications of the research results. 

Of course, the focus of each chapter and the chapter order are only what is typical and thus do not necessarily apply to all dissertations. All decisions on these matters are completely in the hands of the dissertation chair and committee.  

It is expected that the writing, the use of citations, the review and understanding of the research literature, and the research skills would reflect the highest quality standards. In addition, the style guidelines are typically those of the APA format, those made available by the University, or any other legitimate style appropriate to the study and accepted by the dissertation committee.

Complete Final Oral Exam

Scheduling of the Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation/Treatise) will be predicated upon the quality of the execution, analysis, and writing of the dissertation/treatise and will be conducted only with Dissertation/Treatise Committee approval. While the Dissertation/Treatise Committee alone votes on the acceptability of the student's Final Orals, any member of the Graduate Faculty may participate during the Examination.

Oral Exams are to be scheduled by the student and the Office of Graduate Studies. The Request for Final Oral Examination must be formally submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies at least two weeks prior to the Examination. Normally, students must submit to members of the Dissertation/Treatise Committee a final draft of the dissertation at least four weeks prior to the Examination.

  • Submit the Doctoral Application to Graduate the first week of the semester in which you plan to graduate). 
  • Submit your dissertation/treatise to your Dissertation Committee at least four weeks before your defense.
  • Schedule your Final Oral Examination two weeks before the desired date using the Request for Final Oral form. Your committee signatures signifies that they approve of your request for the final oral exam and serves as a receipt that they received your dissertation/treatise draft. 

  • As soon as the committee and Graduate Advisor sign the form, you will receive an alert via Docusign. Please then submit the Request for Final Oral Examination form, along with the Dissertation “front matter” to the Graduate School at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu at least two weeks before the defense date.

  • Work with your chair to determine the elements and presentation method needed for your final oral exam.
  • Present your research results to your dissertation committee.  Be sure to have the necessary forms for them to sign at your final oral exam.
    • Effective Fall 2020, the Graduate School will not schedule your final defense within two weeks of the last class day of the semester. Reference the UT Academic Calendar for deadline information.


After a successful defense,

Attend Graduation and Celebrate!!!


Extension of Candidacy Policy and Process

Dissertation/Treatise Completion Requirements

  1. According to the Graduate School guidelines (Graduate School Handbook), students who have been admitted to doctoral candidacy have two years to complete their degree. The candidacy of each student is reviewed after two years and annually thereafter. At the end of the second year, the Office of Graduate Studies informs the Department Graduate Advisor that a student’s candidacy must be reviewed and a recommendation be made concerning an “Extension of Candidacy” or “Termination of Candidacy.”
  2. At the end of the second year of candidacy, an Extension of Candidacy for one last year may be requested and must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) of the department according to the process outlined in this policy.
  3. An extension of candidacy may be approved for up to one year (2 long semesters plus 1 summer semester) only. The student must be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
  4. Under extraordinary circumstances, candidates may request an additional extension of candidacy provided the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head support such a request.

Extension of one last year

  1. The department graduate advisor informs the dissertation/treatise committee chair and the program head of the need for an extension request.
  2. The student, in collaboration with the chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program head, writes and submits a completion plan to the graduate advisor. This plan must include detailed activities and dates to complete and defend the dissertation or treatise, and a support statement from the dissertation/treatise committee chair.
  3. The graduate advisor presents the request for Extension of Candidacy to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.
  4. The dissertation/treatise committee chair makes a brief report providing any additional information. The Graduate Studies Committee makes a decision regarding the extension request including any conditions, or termination of the student’s program.
  5. The graduate advisor informs the student of the decision including any conditions that might apply.
  6. The Graduate Advisor submits the Extension of Candidacy Recommendation to the Office of the Graduate Studies.
  7. This is the last extension of candidacy a student may request. 

Additional Extension

Only under exigent circumstances, as verified by the Chair of the dissertation/treatise committee and the program chair, a student may request an additional extension.

DOWNLOAD FORM:  Extension of Candidacy Application Form Get Word Viewer


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