USC Viterbi School of Engineering : Step By Step to the PhD

ACTION	REQUIREMENT	IMPORTANT NOTES
● Prepare for Screening Procedures. Enroll in course work and/or research units following advice from faculty in your area of interest. Identify your research advisor as soon as possible, preferably in the first year. ● Pass screening before completing 24 units at USC, or earlier if required by your dept.	Requirements vary by dept. Screening may consist of examinations and/or a review of performance and progress in the PhD program. Dept. staff record the results of the Screening Procedures on SIS as Screenpass or Screenfail. Students who fail the screening may not be permitted to continue in the PhD program.	Attend screening meetings if held by your department. Read all available information on screening requirements. Consult with faculty responsible for screening. Apply for screening in your dept.
● After passing Screening Procedures, develop research topic for dissertation in consultation with your research advisor. Prepare for qualifying examination.	If full-time, register for at least 6 units for graduate credit (course work and/or research) each semester. Part-time students may register for fewer than 6 units, as agreed upon with the research advisor.	Follow Catalogue requirements and dept. advice. Every course requires advance advisor approval. Do not assume that any course will be accepted for the degree, but instead follow your advisor's recommendations.
● Form the Guidance Committee for the Qualifying Examination. The Guidance Committee should be established at least 60 days before taking the Qualifying Examination. Obtain signatures on the Appointment of Committee form.	Guidance Committee requirement: a minimum of five tenured or tenure track USC faculty, three of whom must be from the home department, at least one of whom must be tenured, and a tenured Outside Member from a different Ph.D. granting department at USC. Review the role of the Outside member, online at http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/documents/StuServices/Role_of_Outside_Member.pdf	You initiate the paper work. 1. Download the Appointment of Committee form available online at http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/documents/StuServices/Appointment_of_Committee.pdf 2. Have your committee members sign the form. 3. Obtain your Department Chair's signature. 4.Take the form to Dean Margery Berti, OHE 332. (Exceptions to requirements must be approved by Dean Berti.) 5. Return the form to your department office to be placed in your file.
● Make request to take Qualifying Examination. Download the Request to Take the Qualifying Examination form. This form should be completed at least 30 days before start of the examination.	Requirements for taking the Qualifying Examination are: a minimum of 24 units in residence, a GPA of at least 3.0, and a Guidance Committee approved and on record. Please consult the University Catalogue section on the Qualifying Examination at http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/cat2007/uscgraduate/policies.html	You initiate the Request to Take the Qualifying Examination form, which is available online at http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/documents/StuServices/Request_to_Take_PhD_Qual_Exam.pdf form requires your dept. chair's signature first and Dean Berti's signature second. It is your responsibility to schedule the Qualifying Examination at a time when all Guidance Committee members can be present. The
● Pass the Qualifying Examination. The Guidance Committee reports the results of the PhD Qualifying Examination to the Graduate School using the Report of the Results of the Qualifying Examination form. ● The Graduate School recommends that the Qualifying Examination be taken not later than the fifth semester. Your faculty research advisor determines when you are ready.	The Report on Qualifying Examination form is provided by dept. staff to the Guidance Committee at the time of the oral portion of the Examination. Your signed “Appointment of Committee” form should also be provided to the Guidance Committee at that time. This form must be completed and signed by all members of the Committee immediately following the oral portion of the examination and returned directly to the Department Chair for signature within 48 hours. The Department Chair must forward a copy to the Graduate School within five days. A prompt return of this form to the Graduate School will facilitate a prompt entry of the Date of Candidacy on SIS.	Check with your advisor to make sure the results of the Qualifying Examination have been reported to the Graduate School. Immediately after passing the Qualifying Examination, Dept. staff enter the Application for the PhD degree on SIS and check that courses have been applied on SIS. Check your STARS report on OASIS to make sure all requirements for the PhD degree are being met. Consult with dept. staff if you note problems in the STARS report. YOU SHOULD RECEIVE A COPY OF THE REPORT ON QUALIFYING EXAMINATION AFTER IT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE DEPARTMENT CHAIR. The original form should be filed in the Department.
● Appoint Dissertation Committee using Appointment of Committee form at http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/documents/StuServices/Appointment_of_Committee.pdf The Appointment of Committee form should be completed as soon as possible after passing the Qualifying Examination.	If you have passed your Qualifying Examination, you are now required to nominate a Dissertation Committee as soon as possible. You may nominate all or some of the Guidance Committee. The Dissertation Committee will consist of a minimum of three tenured or tenure track USC faculty, two of whom must be from the home department, at least one of whom must be tenured, and an Outside Member from a different Ph.D. granting department at USC, is required.	Until you appoint a Dissertation Committee, the Guidance Committee will have responsibility for your program of study. Please use the “Appointment of Committee” form for this purpose. 1. Download the Appointment of Committee form. 2. Have your committee members sign the form. 3. Obtain your Department Chair's signature. 4.Take the form to Dean Margery Berti, OHE 332. (Exceptions to requirements must be approved by Dean Berti.) 5. Return your form to your department office to be placed in your file.
● Schedule the Oral Defense at a time and date when all members of the Dissertation Committee can meet with you and when the dissertation is complete.	All members of the Dissertation Committee must agree that the student has satisfied the dissertation requirement in order for the defense to be successful.
● Final approval forms and dissertation submission Approximately one month before you defend your dissertation, familiarize yourself with the required paperwork and submission deadlines.	Refer to the Graduate School Web site at http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/current_thesis_dissert.html for information on creating your thesis/dissertation profile, completing the document checklist process and uploading your manuscript in PDF format for review by the editing staff.	The dissertation submission deadlines are: Nov. 1 for December graduation; April 1 for May graduation, and July 1 for August graduation. The Thesis Editors hold Thesis/Dissertation Forums each semester. You are strongly advised to attend one.