Candidacy

Once students have completed the requirements for candidacy and submitted the Petition to Enter Candidacy form, students may register for research credits at the research mode reduced tuition rate. Doctoral students must apply for candidacy prior to scheduling the final oral examination. The primary purpose of the reduced tuition rate is to provide assistance to faculty who are supporting graduate researchers on external funds. 

Eligibility

Students must complete the following milestones prior to the first day of the semester they plan to enter candidacy.

Master's Candidates

It is optional for master's students to apply for candidacy. Master’s students who are also pursuing a PhD must meet the PhD candidacy requirements. 

Master’s students are eligible for candidacy and the research mode tuition rate when they have:

• submitted an approved Degree Schedule,
• completed all courses indicated on the Degree Schedule as well as the required number of credits for their degree (usually 30), 
• completed Basic and Advanced RCR Training, and
• appointed their Advisory Committee by submitting the Advisor Recommendation form and Committee Recommendation form.

PhD Candidates

PhD students must apply for candidacy prior to scheduling their final oral examination. PhD students are eligible for candidacy and the research mode tuition rate when they have:

• submitted an approved Degree Schedule,
• completed all courses indicated on their Degree Schedule,
• completed the minimum number of required research or coursework credits at the 3000 level and above.  Additional credit minimums apply in the following circumstances:
• 18 credits for PhD students who completed their master’s degree at another institution.
• 20 credits for PhD students who entered Michigan Tech without a master's degree. These are students who directly pursue a PhD after earning a bachelor’s degree.
• completed Basic and Advanced RCR Training, 
• passed their qualifying exam, as certified by the student’s home department or college in Banner,
• passed their research proposal examination, as certified by the student’s home department or college in Banner, and
• appointed their Advisory Committee by submitting the Advisor Recommendation form and Committee Recommendation form.

Entering Candidacy

To enter candidacy, students must complete and submit the Petition to Enter Candidacy form to the Graduate School by the deadline listed below. The Graduate School will review the form to ensure that the candidate meets the eligibility requirements.

Registration and the Reduced Tuition Rate

Candidates enroll in research credits under their advisor. They may register for any combination of research and coursework credits, but will be charged the reduced research mode tuition rate for any research credits taken.

All students must comply with registration and payment deadlines.

Full-Time and Continuous Enrollment

Students who need to be enrolled full-time (for example, supported students, most international students and students with certain types of financial aid) must ensure that the number of credits they take each semester is in compliance with all University regulations. All students must comply with the University's continuous enrollment policy.

Details on the policy including information on enrollment requirements for the summer session and for students with special circumstances can be found in the continuous enrollment policy section. The table below details the credit requirements for full-time status and continuous enrollment.