The student must pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination , covering the core topics in computer science. Students entering the Ph.D. program from another school will be required to take the Ph.D. qualifying examination before being considered for advanced study. Note that students may not take the Ph.D. written comprehensive examination unless the Ph.D. qualifying exam has been successfully completed. Students have two attempts to pass the qualifying exam. The student must pass the Ph.D. comprehensive examination that covers the student's major and minor areas of study.
Students have at most two attempts to pass the written part.
The oral part may not be attempted unless the written part has been passed. The written part may not be attempted unless the student has successfully completed the qualifying exam. The exams are administered by the student's advisory committee. They concern residence, time limits, programs of study, acceptance of transfer credits, admission to candidacy, minimum GPA's, dissertation, and examinations. The student is responsible for initiating an application for admission to candidacy once all requirements, except the dissertation prospectus and the dissertation, have been completed.