Certification into the Ph.D. Program
Students do not automatically become candidates for a PhD degree. They must be certified into the PhD program by their supervisory committee.
Certification upon Completion of the MA
This process should occur during the semester that the student is graduating with the MA. Certification requires the submission of a letter from the committee chair to the Graduate Coordinator, signed by all members of the committee, stating that the candidate is qualified to continue for a doctorate. The committee may choose to submit the Certification into the PhD form instead of a letter. If the chair or any committee member declines to sign the letter, the student cannot be certified. The letter must be accompanied by a graduate transcript, and other materials may be included, such as a thesis, the publishable paper of a non-thesis MA candidate, term papers and other materials at the option of the committee chair. Students declined for certification may not enroll for coursework beyond the courses required to complete the MA degree.
Certification Bypassing the MA
An outstanding student can be certified as a PhD candidate after the completion of at least 18 units of credit in the department, by the unanimous recommendation of the supervisory committee that is relayed in writing and must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator and Department Chair. The committee may choose to submit the Certification into the PhD form instead of a letter. Such students bypass the MA degree (and its requirements of a thesis or publishable paper, oral defense, and written exam) and are admitted directly into the PhD program. Students certified for a PhD who do not have a master’s degree can apply the graduate courses they have completed toward the doctorate. Students taking this route should remember, however, that the MA degree is required to serve as an Instructor in the Department, and at other colleges and universities in the area.
