Admission to Candidacy (A Exam)

The purpose of the Admission to Candidacy Exam, or A Exam, is to certify that a student possesses the academic and research skills necessary to present a Ph.D. thesis to the Graduate Faculty. Successful completion of the exam implies that coursework is nearly completed and that other Field requirements are either completed or nearly complete. The A Exam is conducted by a student’s Special Committee along with an additional Field member appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies. The role of the appointed Field member is to represent the Field in certifying that all Field requirements are satisfied and that the candidate is thoroughly versed in core topics of materials science.

Required before the start of the 7th semester.

Scheduling Process:

  • Coordinate date, time, location with full committee
  • No less than two weeks prior to exam:
  • If conducting exam over Zoom, GFA will schedule Zoom meeting and email the details to the student, committee, and faculty listserv.