This PhD Milestones Agreement form is provided as a roadmap to the Ph.D. Students are expected to reach each milestone within the specified time period in order to make satisfactory progress through the program. Students who are not making satisfactory progress may lose funding, be placed on academic probation, or be dismissed from the program.
Milestones for PhD students in Civil Engineering
UT Austin Milestones
Expected Time of Achievement
Review degree requirements and milestones agreement form with advisor
First semester beyond MS degree
Successful completion of Qualifying exam needed to advance to candidacy
End of 1st year beyond MS degree
Complete all required, formal coursework
End of 2nd year beyond MS degree
Advancement to Candidacy
2nd year beyond MS degree
Comprehensive or Prelim exam
End of 2nd or early 3rd year beyond MS degree
IRB (human testing) approvals (if needed)
Beginning of 3rd year beyond MS degree
IACUC (animal testing) approvals (if needed)
Beginning of 3rd year beyond MS degree
Dissertation/treatise (or equivalent) completed, successfully defended, and approved by committee
End of 5th (or 6th) year
Student completes and files all paperwork required for graduation
End of 5th (or 6th) year
Dissertation/treatise (or equivalent) accepted by Graduate School
End of 5th (or 6th) year
Exit interview completed and submitted to Survey of Earned Doctorates
End of 5th (or 6th) year
Other program specific requirements Describe:
3rd year beyond MS degree
Recommended Steps for Completing a PhD in Civil Engineering Required Recommended PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS / OPTIONS ✔ Review Milestones Agreement Form with advisor ✔ Plan coursework / complete any required background coursework. Meet with your faculty advisor each semester to discuss courses. ✔ Safety training, as needed ✔ Learn research protocols ✔ Identify supervising professor (or temporary advisor) ✔ Complete required coursework for degree ✔ Prepare for major exams ✔ Pass project proposal and defense ✔ Visit Career Center, or equivalent ✔ Write and submit research proposal ✔ Establish qualifying exam committee ✔ Pass all written and/or oral qualifying exams ✔ Complete master’s level requirements ✔ Apply for pre-‐doctoral fellowship or other extramural funding ✔ Establish comprehensive exam committee ✔ Pass comprehensive exams ✔ Formal request for admission to Ph.D. program ✔ Define area of specialization / Identify dissertation topic ✔ Defend research proposal ✔ Apply for IRB (humans) or IACUC (animals) approval from UT, if needed ✔ Form dissertation committee ✔ Copyright tutorial ✔ Statement of Research with Human Subjects (IRB) Form Submitted ✔ Apply for candidacy online at https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/theses-and-dissertations/doctoral-candidacy ✔ Enroll in dissertation minimum 6 hours (X99W) ✔ Continue to develop research proposal / proposal review ✔ Give research presentation ✔ Begin dissertation data collection and/or dissertation fieldwork ✔ Apply for dissertation fellowship ✔ Develop timeline for dissertation completion with supervisor ✔ Complete data collection and/or dissertation fieldwork ✔ Submit paper(s) for publication ✔ Apply to graduate in the final semester through the Graduate School web page / Provide placement data ✔ Contact committee members to schedule date for defense, submit Request for Final Defense form to Graduate School by the posted deadline. ✔ Circulate draft to committee one month in advance. Observe all deadlines posted by the Graduate School. ✔ Submit dissertation to the Graduate School by posted deadline. ✔ Approval of GSC Chair that all degree requirements met (signature on Report of Dissertation Committee, due to Graduate School by posted deadline) ✔ Exit interview ✔ Survey of Earned Doctorates ✔ Register to attend convocation / Order regalia ✔ Other: English Writing Proficiency for international students Please visit the following Graduate School website and follow the instructions on this page after you have read this form and have had the opportunity to discuss the information contained in it with your advisor:
https://utdirect.utexas.edu/ogs/gdp/index.WBX. Please review the form to understand the academic milestones that you are expected to reach in order to successfully complete the CAEE program, as well as the expected timeline for completing these milestones.The Milestones include the qualifying exam, advancing to candidacy, the comprehensive exam and the final defense.
This form asks students to indicate that they understand the expectations and have reviewed the items: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/ogs/gdp/index.WBX
- Select the link to “See Your Program of Work at a Glance.”
- Select the “Program of Work” link for your doctoral degree plan.
- After your review, select “I have reviewed my Milestones” as the bottom of the page.