To be eligible to take the qualifying examination, the student must have completed at least 24 units applicable toward the degree in residence at USC and must have achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 on all USC course work available for graduate credit. A student must enroll in GRSC 800 during the semester in which the qualifying examination is to be taken if not otherwise enrolled.
When the student and the guidance committee have determined that the qualifying examination can be taken, the student should obtain, in the Student Services Office of the Graduate School or in the student's home department, the Request to Take the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination form. The student secures the signatures of the department chair, the guidance committee and the Graduate School, which verifies that the student has met residency and GPA requirements. The student should return the completed form to the Graduate School the semester before and not later than 30 days before the beginning date of the examination. The examination must be taken during the semester for which permission is granted. The qualifying examinations may be scheduled by the department at any time during the semester, provided all members of the guidance committee are available to administer it. All portions of the examination must be completed within 60 days. Postponement of the examination after permission has been granted must have approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The written examination will be prepared, administered on campus and read by the guidance committee; in a few departments there will be a department-wide committee examining all doctoral students. When the student's written examination is satisfactory, an oral examination is given covering, in depth, topics discussed in the written examinations or touching upon additional material. The fact that a student has done well on the written examination is not to be construed to mean that the oral examination is to be a pro forma exercise. The oral examination is a serious and integral part of the qualifying procedure. If on the written examination the judgment of the committee is such that an oral examination cannot counterbalance a poor performance, the committee is not obliged to give an oral examination and the report to the Graduate School will be one of failure. In the case where the written examination is marginal, the committee may use the oral examination as an opportunity to confirm or alter its judgment of the student's performance.
A student must pass both the written and oral portions of the qualifying examination in order to pass the examination. The examination may not be reported as being passed if there is more than one dissenting vote. Ph.D. examinations cannot be passed conditionally. A pass on the examination cannot be made contingent upon other factors such as the completion of additional course work, the preparation of extra research projects, etc.
During the oral examination, all members of the guidance committee must be present and must render a judgment on the student's qualifying examination. Only the guidance committee may participate in the oral portion of the examination.
A student who fails a qualifying examination may be permitted, at the discretion of the faculty, to take it a second time. The student may not be required to repeat parts of the qualifying examination which were passed on the first administration. The retaking of a failed qualifying examination must be scheduled at a time mutually satisfactory and not less than six months from the date of the first examination. The second examination must be completed before the end of the second consecutive semester (excluding summer session) following the first examination. Requests for an exception must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies. A student may not take the qualifying examination more than twice and must be appropriately enrolled at USC during the semester in which such an examination is taken or retaken. A student who fails the qualifying examination a second time may not continue in the degree program after the end of the semester in which the second examination was taken. No exceptions are allowed.
Dissertations are expected to be written in English. Exceptions require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies prior to beginning the work and will be granted only when there is strong scholarly justification.
The student is expected to be enrolled in 794 Doctoral Dissertation each semester excepting summer sessions after admission to candidacy until all degree requirements are completed. Registration for the dissertation in the two semesters, excluding summer sessions, following admission to candidacy, is the minimum requirement entitling the candidate to dissertation supervision by the dissertation committee. Enrollment in 794 prior to admission to candidacy is not permitted and such registration is invalid. If the dissertation is not completed and accepted within two semesters the candidate must continue to register for 794 each semester thereafter until the dissertation has been approved and the Approval for Final Typing card has been signed by the dissertation committee. Students may enroll in 794 during one summer session but may not register for more than two units of 794 during a given semester. No more than eight units of credit in 794 may be received regardless of the number of semesters the candidate may be required to be enrolled. Department approval is required for registration in 794.
A candidate who finds it necessary to be excused from registration in 794 for a semester must request a leave of absence by petition to the Graduate School prior to the beginning of the semester. Endorsements from the committee chair, department chair and the line (program) dean are required. During a leave of absence the candidate will not be entitled to assistance from the dissertation committee or to the use of university facilities. The granting of a leave of absence will take into account the candidate's responsibility for meeting the time schedules for the completion of degree requirements.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995