Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

December 2002

This document describes formal requirements for the doctoral Degree in the Department of Geological Sciences. It articulates Departmental policies and restates some University requirements, but each student is personally responsible for acquiring familiarity with the University requirements contained in the Catalog of the Graduate School.

General
The Ph.D. degree combines formal coursework with a research project carried out under the supervision of a member of the Graduate Studies Committee that culminates in the preparation of a doctoral dissertation. A student is considered an Ph.D. "aspirant" after he or she has been accepted for admission by the Department and has enrolled in the Graduate School. All incoming graduate students are required to take a "diagnostic examination" offered during the orientation period during fall and spring semesters. Recording a satisfactory score on the diagnostic examination or receiving a CR in the course GEO 392M Modern Geological Sciences completes one aspect of the qualifying process for Ph.D. aspirants. After coursework and other requirements are completed and after successful completion of a qualifying examination based on a dissertation research proposal, the aspirant makes formal application to the Graduate School for admission to candidacy for the degree. After the dissertation is approved by the supervisory committee, and the additional dissertation requirements set forth below are met, the degree is awarded.

Strict deadlines for completion of some requirements and the filing of essential forms are enforced by the Department and by the Graduate School; the student bears sole responsibility for learning of these deadlines and meeting them.

Coursework
Preparatory work: All applicants to our Ph.D. program are expected to have completed a minimum of two college level courses in calculus, physics, and chemistry, with a grade of C or better, as well as courses in geological sciences, including field training appropriate for the subject of interest. Specific programs may require additional prerequisite coursework. Any deficiencies in these areas must be addressed early in a student’s program. Other areas of study that are identified by a student’s mentor and examining committee as deficient should also be addressed early in a student’s program, and compensating coursework must be successfully completed before the Ph.D. degree will be awarded.

Required courses:
On the Program of Work, courses are normally divided into the major area and supporting work At a minimum, the Program of Work should show evidence of formal study in those areas that are relevant or necessary to provide an adequate background to carry out the proposed research. The supporting work should demonstrate that the student has not specialized too narrowly and is able to bring the discoveries, techniques, and theories of another discipline to bear on the dissertation topic.

Coursework in Geological Sciences: 1) A minimum of six (6) courses must be taken for a letter grade in addition to 6 hours of dissertation (699) plus 2 or 3 credits in GEO 193 (see next page). 2) Each student should design his or her program of courses in consultation with the research supervisor and the examining committee. All of the completed coursework that is included in a degree program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the preceding six years and a minimum of six (6) courses should be taken for a letter grade. Supporting work: Admission to candidacy requires supporting work in fields outside the major. Judging the adequacy of the supporting work is primarily the responsibility of the research supervisor and the examining committee, but the supporting work must be approved by the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee (who is normally the Graduate Advisor) and must ultimately be acceptable to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Supporting work is generally interpreted to mean outside the graduate program area unless that area covers more than one department. At least three courses or the equivalent from outside the major area should be included in every Program of Work.

1. Technical Sessions. A student who enters with a master's degree, including one from The University of Texas at Austin, is required to receive credit for GEO 193 (Technical Sessions) for two semesters. A student who enters with a bachelor's degree is required to receive credit for GEO 193 for three semesters. Each semester a student is allowed two unexcused absences. Two additional absences are permitted for academic reasons (e.g. field work, conferences, cruises) when the student presents suitable documentation to the course instructor.


2. Field Training. Students are expected to have received credit for a field course as an undergraduate or have comparable field experience. The examining committee will determine whether the field course work or other field experience of a student is appropriate for the individual student.

Further regulations:  These University requirements govern grade averages and Cr/NC grading:

1. Students must maintain a B average in all upper-division and graduate courses in both the major (courses within Geological Sciences) and the minor (supporting work in other Departments).
   
2. No more than 20% of the credit hours for coursework in the doctoral program may be taken on a Credit / No Credit basis.

Supervisor and Supervisory Committees
Supervisor: Each student must identify a member of the Graduate Studies Committee in the Department of Geological Sciences who will assume responsibility for overseeing the student's program of work, who will direct the student's dissertation research, and who will serve as chair of the student's supervisory committee. A Research Scientist who is not a member of the Graduate Studies Committee may serve as "research supervisor" when a member of the faculty is appointed as co-chair of the supervisory committee.

The UT Handbook of Operating Procedures describes these arrangements as follows:

Supervision of theses and dissertations is in the hands of a committee appointed by the Vice-President and Dean of Graduate Studies. The chairman or co-chairman of the thesis or dissertation committee serves as the supervisor of the research. In special circumstances, a Research Scientist, Research Engineer, or Adjunct Faculty member may be recommended by the Graduate Studies Committee to serve as the research supervisor for a specific thesis or dissertation. Any such recommendation is subject to annual review by the Committee on Graduate Studies and approval by the Graduate Dean. When a research supervisor is not a member of a Committee on Graduate Studies, a member of the Committee on Graduate Studies will be appointed as co-chairman of the thesis or dissertation committee.

Supervisory committees: The supervisory committee consists initially of a five-member "examining committee" that is responsible for overseeing the student's initial coursework and for conducting the qualifying examination. After the qualifying examination, the supervisory committee will be partially reconstituted as the final "dissertation committee" that is responsible for overseeing the student's research efforts and for evaluating the dissertation. Both the examining committee and the dissertation committee must contain three members of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Geological Sciences.

Examining committee: The examining committee must include three members of the Graduate Studies Committee in the Department of Geological Sciences who will also serve on the dissertation committee, and who are therefore referred to as "permanent members" of the committee. The fourth member of the examining committee is chosen by the student and the permanent members of the committee based on his or her expertise in the research area. This person may be any qualified scientist who is approved by the Graduate Advisor, but only in extraordinary circumstances can a person who does not hold the Ph.D. degree be appointed to a supervisory committee. Only if this person intends to serve on the final dissertation committee should he or she come from outside the Department of Geological Sciences. If more than three members of the examining committee remain on the dissertation committee, then a six-member dissertation committee must be constituted. The fifth member of the examining committee is assigned by the Graduate Advisor from a rotating list of members of the Graduate Studies Committee in the Department of Geological Sciences, without regard for area of expertise. The fourth and fifth members of the examining committee are referred to as "examining members".

Dissertation committee: The dissertation committee generally consists of the research supervisor and the two permanent members of the committee, plus two additional scientists who must come from outside the Department of Geological Sciences. Therefore, after successful completion of the qualifying examination, examining members of the committee from the Department of Geological Sciences must be replaced by qualified scientists who do not hold appointments in the Department. There is no requirement that these out-of-Department committee members come from outside the University, although that possibility is permitted. Scientists from outside the University must submit acceptable vitae and must provide a signed letter stating that he or she agrees to serve without financial remuneration; again, only in extraordinary circumstances can a person who does not hold the Ph.D. degree be appointed. In special circumstances, a six-member dissertation committee may be appointed. This allows the retention of an examining member from the Department's Graduate Studies Committee along with the appointment of two members from outside the Department.

Qualifying Examination
The purpose of the qualifying examination is to establish that a Ph.D. aspirant has the ability and breadth of knowledge to design and successfully complete a Ph.D.-level research project. The exam consists of two parts: (1) a demonstration of general knowledge of geological sciences, and (2) a research proposal that is written and successfully defended orally before the examining committee.

Procedures: A student's first responsibility is to discuss the planned program with a mentor who is a member of the Graduate Studies Committee during the orientation period, particularly to determine the means of satisfying the general exam discussed below. This starts the process of identifying a research supervisor and potential dissertation topic. The student and supervisor should identify the two permanent members and one examining member of the examining committee. Then the student should file a "Notification of Supervisor and Committee Members" form with the Graduate Advisor who will designate the fifth member of the examining committee. The student must then schedule a planning meeting at which all five members of the examining committee are present to: (1) discuss and evaluate the proposed research project, (2) identify specific courses to be taken before and after the qualifying examination, (3) agree how the field training, supporting work, and any other requirements will be met, (4) determine the format of the dissertation proposal, and (5) schedule the semester in which the research proposal will be defended. At this meeting, the student should fill out a "Plan for Doctoral Program" form and should secure on it the signatures of all committee members to document their approval of the plan. The approved plan must then be filed in the Graduate Office during the student's second semester in residence, in accordance with the deadlines set forth below.

General Exam: The principal objective of the general exam is to test breadth of geoscience knowledge. This foundation is expected of a professional earth scientist who can be a leader, whether in academia, industry, or government. This broad base also provides the necessary context for developing a dissertation project and conducting specialized research.

The general examination is intended to facilitate the Ph.D. qualification process, thus allowing students to move more quickly into a research program. An "incoming graduate student diagnostic examination" will be offered during the new-student orientation period during fall and spring semesters and will be based at the level of content found in introductory textbooks such as Understanding Earth by Press and Siever, or similar texts for physical geology, and Evolution of the Earth by Dott and Prothero, or similar texts for historical geology. Results of this diagnostic exam will be available to the faculty mentor who will use them to help plan a course of study. Ph.D. aspirants who score below 80% on the diagnostic exam will be required to receive a passing grade in the course "Modern Geological Sciences" before he or she can be admitted to candidacy. More information about this course (GEO392M Modern Geological Sciences) is available elsewhere on the website.

Research proposal: The proposal for dissertation research must be of sufficient depth to demonstrate that the Ph.D. aspirant has thoroughly reviewed the literature, formulated a valid dissertation problem, and carefully planned a procedure to accomplish the work. The text of the proposal must not exceed 15 double-spaced pages unless the examining committee permits otherwise. After the proposal is submitted to the examining committee, the members have two weeks to review it and provide a written critique. An unacceptable proposal may be revised and resubmitted, but the committee must approve the proposal before a date can be set to proceed to the oral exam. An aspirant who cannot successfully formulate a proposal within one semester of its initial submittal will be subject to termination from the program for lack of progress.

A supervisory committee may require additional proposals on similar or unrelated topics. The nature of these additional proposals and the requirements for their defense should be established at the initial planning meeting with the committee.

Scheduling of qualifying exam: The timetable for defending the research proposal is left to the discretion of the supervisor and supervisory committee. In ordinary circumstances, students entering with a Masters degree will complete both aspects of the qualifying process before the end of the third semester of residence, and students entering without a Masters degree will complete the qualifying process before the end of their fourth semester in residence. If special circumstances exist, the examining committee may consent to scheduling the exam for a later semester. In any case, the semester in which the exam is to be taken must be specified in the Plan for Doctoral Program form filed with the Graduate Office during the second semester in residence.

If a student finds that he or she is unable to take the exam in the specified semester, the student must submit a written explanation to the Graduate Advisor no later than two weeks before the end of the specified semester. A permanent departmental committee of three faculty members (the Graduate Advising Committee) will evaluate the request for a postponement. If this committee denies the request, it will be brought before the Graduate Studies Committee for discussion and a final decision. Students whose requests are denied are considered to be no longer in good standing in the department, and may be subject, by vote of the faculty, to loss of departmental financial support and other penalties including termination of the doctoral program for lack of progress.

The following regulations govern the choice of a specific day for the qualifying examination:

1. It must be scheduled at a time when all five members of the examining committee will be present. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all members attend the examination.

2. It must be held in the Geology Building during a long-semester session, after the beginning of the registration period and on or before the last day of final examinations.

3. The Graduate Advisor's office must be advised in writing of the aspirant's name; the members of the examining committee; the date, time and place; and the dissertation topic at least two weeks prior to the exam. This permits the Graduate Advisor's office to advertise the exam so that interested faculty members may plan to attend.

Report of examination: The examining committee can report an unqualified pass, a pass subject to specific conditions (e.g., successful completion of further coursework), a continuation for re-examination, or failure. Two votes against passing constitute failure. If the examining committee recommends a re-examination, the supervisor should notify the Graduate Advisor in writing when the re-examination will take place. The research supervisor or co-supervisor must formally report the results of the examination at a meeting of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of Geological Sciences, and this group will then approve or modify the examining committee's recommendation. The Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee will notify the student in writing of the Committee's action.

Application for Candidacy
After the qualifying examination has been passed and the supervisory committee reconstituted as required, the Ph.D. aspirant must file an application for candidacy with the Graduate School. An application for Ph.D. candidacy generally signifies that all departmental and Graduate School requirements have been met and only the dissertation remains to be completed. The application to candidacy is an online process accomplished through UTDirect at http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/pdn/candidacy.html Students should contact the Graduate Coordinator's office for additional details of the application process or questions regarding the process.

Once a student has been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy, the next semester they should register for x99R. They can register for the 3-, 6-, or 9-hour section depending on their hourly requirements for that semester. A student only takes the 'R' portion of dissertation once. In subsequent semesters, through the time they are finished, students should enroll in x99W. Again, this can be the 3-, 6-, or 9-hour section depending on hourly requirements.

Note for international students: International students admitted to candidacy need not register for 9 hours unless their employment requires it. They should consult with an Immigration Advisor in the International Office for more information.

Additional Degree Requirements

Progress reports:   After passing the qualifying examination, all Ph.D. students are required to submit reports of progress annually in mid-spring (see "Deadlines" below). These reports must be submitted on the one-page form for this purpose that is available in the Graduate Advisor's office. Students should obtain their supervisor's signature as approval, then submit the original to the Graduate Advisor and copies to all members of the supervisory committee.

Presentation in Technical Sessions:   Each student is required to present in Technical Sessions (GEO 193) a satisfactory oral report of results of the dissertation research. Policies governing scheduling of presentations and eligibility for speaking slots are determined by the faculty member responsible for GEO 193.

Dissertation and Oral Defense

Dissertation:  The dissertation must be read and approved by all members of the dissertation committee, and all members of the dissertation committee should be consulted during the writing of the dissertation. It is expected that preliminary editing of all dissertations will be done by a student editor, who should read the draft, make routine checks for accuracy, and provide stylistic and organizational suggestions. The supervisor and all members of the dissertation committee have the right to refuse to review a dissertation until it has received a student editor's approval. Customarily the dissertation is submitted first to the supervisor, whose preliminary approval is obtained before the dissertation is circulated to the other members of the committee. All members of the committee must be given at least 30 days to read and comment upon the final version of the dissertation before the dissertation defense. Students should ascertain well in advance whether committee members are available and willing to evaluate dissertations during the summer months.

A electronic version of the dissertation in PDF format must be provided to the Office of Graduate Studies; students should consult the OGS Electronic Dissertation website for the latest information about and help with its preparation. The student must provide a hard copy of the completed dissertation, bound in blue buckram, to the Geology Library. The library copy must have the author's name and the dissertation title printed in gold letters on the spine.

Defense of dissertation:   Before the final copy of the dissertation is submitted, it must be successfully defended in a public oral examination conducted by the dissertation committee. The following regulations govern the choice of a specific day for the oral defense:

1. It must be scheduled at a time when at least four members of the dissertation committee, including the dissertation supervisor, can be present. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the committee members attend the defense.
   
2. It must be held in the Geology Building during a long-semester session, after the beginning of the registration period and on or before the last day of final examinations. Exceptions require the unanimous consent of the dissertation committee and approval by the Graduate Advisor; they are granted only in extraordinary circumstances.
   
3. A form requesting that the dissertation defense be scheduled must be filed with the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the event, so that a notice of the defense can be published in the official University Calendar, and so that the Graduate Advisor's office can notify faculty. All interested students, research staff and faculty members are encouraged to attend the defense of the dissertation. A draft copy of the dissertation must be placed in the Geology Library two weeks prior to the defense so that it may be examined by interested persons.

Check-out

Each student must comply with a check-out procedure that ensures that all Departmental requirements have been fulfilled, that all borrowed books, keys and equipment have been returned, and that dissertation copies and materials have been appropriately archived. After submitting the final dissertation, students should obtain a "Check-out Sheet" from the Graduate Advisor's office, obtain all necessary signatures, and return the sheet to the Graduate Advisor's office.

Final approval for award of the degree cannot be granted until this check-out procedure is completed. To allow adequate time for processing, this procedure must be complete at least three working days before the final deadline set by the Office of Graduate Studies for completion of the Ph.D. degree.

Deadlines, Penalties, and Monitoring of Student Progress

Submission of plan for doctoral program: During the second semester in residence, every Ph.D. student must file with the Graduate Advisor: (1) a form identifying a supervisor, supervisory committee, and dissertation topic; and (2) a form with an approved plan for the doctoral program. These must be submitted at least one week prior to the beginning of registration for the following semester, which is typically in mid-April (for students beginning in the fall semester) or mid-October (for students beginning in the spring semester). Students who fail to meet this requirement are judged to be no longer in good standing (which affects award of Departmental support) and will be barred from further registration until the requirement is met.

Annual progress reports:  Approved annual progress reports are due at least one week prior to the beginning of registration during the spring semester, which is typically in mid-April. Students who fail to meet this requirement are judged to be no longer in good standing (which affects award of Departmental support) and will be barred from further registration until the requirement is met.

Completion of degree: Completion of the Ph.D. degree typically requires no more three years after the qualifying examination has been passed. If three years or more have elapsed since the qualifying examination was passed, the research supervisor has the option to resign. This will cause the student's committee to be dissolved, and the student must then requalify for admission to candidacy. All students who have not completed the Ph.D. degree within three years following the qualifying examination are subject to an annual review of progress, undertaken by the Graduate Studies Committee each fall. In the course of this review, the Graduate Studies Committee can recommend continuation of the student's program for one year; can establish formal requirements for timely completion of the degree; can impose new requirements that may have been adopted since advancement to candidacy, and can require additional coursework; or can recommend to the Graduate School immediate termination of the student's program for lack of progress. These recommendations are forwarded to the Dean of Graduate Studies for final action.

page modified on March, 2005