Candidacy
In
thesis programs, the attainment of candidacy marks the completion of
all requirements for the degree other than those related to research
leading to the writing, submission, and defense of the thesis.
Candidacy Petitions
Each thesis student must petition for candidacy. Petitions for candidacy are available here.
Students may
take the final oral examination in defense of their thesis only after the Dean
of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies approves their candidacy.
Time Boundaries and Deadlines for Petitioning for Candidacy
Ph.D. students must be approved for candidacy before the beginning of the
ninth semester of their residency at Rice. Master's students must be approved
for candidacy before the beginning of the fifth semester of their residency at
Rice. Additionally, if a student plans to defend and submit a thesis for the next degree conferral, students must file their applications for approval of Ph.D. and M.A./M.S.
candidacy in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before November 1
for mid-year conferral and before February 1 for May commencement.
Additional information on time boundaries is available here.
When
candidacy is approved, a thesis committee consisting of at least three
tenured or tenure-track faculty or research fellows is appointed. This
committee is responsible for reviewing the thesis and for examining the
candidate on the subject matter contained therein. Almost all other
actions necessary for final completion of the remaining degree
requirements is the sole responsibility of the candidate. Some of these
responsibilities are listed below in the order in which they need to be
undertaken. Resources for thesis defense and thesis submission are located on this website .
The Candidates Responsibilities
Consult with members of the Thesis Committee about the nature and progress of research as the project develops.
NOTE:
The writing of the thesis should be a serious concern. Correct grammar
and spelling, as well as logical organization and a clear, literate
prose style are expected. Guidelines for thesis format are available on the GPS website.
Thesis Defense
Thesis Submission
Frequently Asked Questions