The Candidacy Examination is a comprehensive examination in the field of the major subject. The format of the Candidacy Examination will be determined by the student's Candidacy Examination Committee, which is composed of the student’s advisor and two other graduate faculty members. Download a generic guideline. The Candidacy Examination Committee must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator. The student must complete the Candidacy Examination at least one year before the Dissertation defense.
Students who have passed the Preliminary Examination at the Ph.D. level (outlined above) are expected to continue to broaden their general computer science background and to take courses in their areas of special interest. Before starting substantial work on a dissertation, the student is required to take the Candidacy Examination.
It is expected that a full-time graduate student entering the graduate program with a bachelor's degree will normally pass the Candidacy Examination prior to the end of the student's fifth calendar year at Kent State University. A full-time graduate student entering the Ph.D. program with a Master's degree is normally expected to pass the Candidacy Examination prior to the end of the student's fourth calendar year at Kent State University. Timetables for part-time students or students who transfer graduate credit from another institution will be set in consultation with the CS Graduate Coordinator. When an extension of this deadline seems to be necessary, both the student and the student's academic advisor must petition, in writing, the CS Graduate Coordinator. Extensions will only be granted by the CS Graduate Coordinator in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee.