This PhD Milestones Agreement form is provided for the purpose of informing students about the academic milestones that they will be expected to complete in order to earn their Ph.D. degree as well as when they are expected to complete these milestones. 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.
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 are those that are included in our department PhD Guidelines that include the qualifying exam, getting into candidacy, completing the comprehensive exam and their final defense in order to complete the program. See attachments.
This is just asking that students indicate that they understand the expectations by logging into the following site to indicate they 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.
Milestones for PhD students in Civil Engineering
UT Austin Milestones
Expected Time of Achievement
Review degree requirements and milestones agreement form with adviser
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
Degree Plan Requirements
Recommended Steps for Completing a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering
Required
Recommended
Does not apply
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS / OPTIONS
Required
Recommended
Does not apply
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS / OPTIONS
√
Review Milestones Agreement Form with Adviser
✔
Satisfactorily complete second year paper
✔
Plan coursework / complete any required background coursework
✔
Define area of specialization / Identify dissertation topic
✔
English certification (if needed, before s tudent contact)
✔
Defend research proposal
✔
X98T, as needed
✔
IRB (humans) or IACUC (animals) approval from UT, if needed
✔
Proseminar / Introduction to faculty research
✔
Form dissertation committee
✔
Complete teaching assistant requirement
√
Copyright tutorial
✔
Safety training, as needed
√
Statement of Research with Human Subjects (IRB) Form Submitted
✔
Learn research protocols
√
Apply for candidacy
✔
Fulfill first foreign language competency
√
Enroll in dissertation/treatise hours (X99R, then X99W)
✔
Complete second foreign language competency
✔
Revisit career options
✔
Fulfill foreign language requirement, as needed
✔
Continue to develop research proposal / proposal review
✔
Complete lab rotations
✔
Give research presentation
✔
Identify supervising professor (or temporary advisor)
✔
Begin dissertation data collection and/or dissertation fieldwork
✔
Visit Career Center, or equivalent
✔
Apply for dissertation fellowship
✔
Complete required coursework for degree
✔
Develop timeline for dissertation completion with supervisor
✔
Complete Pre-‐Qualifying/Pre-‐Comprehensive Exam Procedure
✔
Complete data collection and/or dissertation fieldwork
✔
Prepare for major exams
✔
Internship
✔
Pass project proposal and defense
✔
Submit paper(s) for publication
✔
Write and submit research proposal
√
Apply to graduate / Provide placement data
✔
Establish qualifying exam committee
√
Contact committee members to schedule date for defense / defend
✔
Pass all written and/or oral qualifying exams
√
Submit dissertation to the Graduate School
✔
Completemaster’s level requirements
√
Approval of GSC Chair that all degree requirements met (“Gold Sheet”)
✔
Apply for pre-‐doctoral fellowship or other extramural funding
√
Exit interview
✔
Establish comprehensive exam committee
√
Survey of Earned Doctorates
✔
Pass comprehensive exams
✔
Register to attend convocation / Order regalia
✔
Formal request for admission to Ph.D. program
✔
Other: English Writing Proficiency
* Items in bold are Graduate School requirements of (nearly) all doctoral student
