After completing the RSI and most of the requirements for the core courses, cognates, and research courses, students may submit their application for advancement to Prospective Candidacy. If you are entering the program with a Master’s degree or other graduate degree (e.g., DPT, MOT) you must have completed 24 credits of study and your RSI prior to being considered for advancement to Prospective Candidacy. If you are entering the program with a Bachelor’s degree, you must have completed 36 credits and your RSI prior to being considered.
After meeting these preliminary requirements, students must prepare documentation summarizing your academic record thus far for presentation to the PhD Core Faculty. This documentation requires three elements:
- An updated Course of Study Form that details the courses you have taken and plan to take to fulfill the program requirements and to complete your cognates.
- A brief description of each of your three cognates, including your goals for each (1 – 2 paragraphs per cognate)
- A descriptive list of completed Independent Study courses. For each Independent Study, include the number of credits, the primary objective(s), outcome(s), the quarter in which the independent study was taken, and the name(s) of your faculty independent study mentor.
Submit the completed paperwork to your Program Mentor who will prepare a written recommendation for your advancement to Prospective Candidacy. Your Program Mentor will present the above documentation and respective recommendation to the PhD Program Co-Directors. The Program Co-Directors will take these materials to the Core Faculty, who will review your work-to-date, evaluate the adequacy of your progress, and make a recommendation on advancement to Prospective Candidacy. Once approved, you become a Prospective Candidate.
During the Prospective Candidacy phase, you will continue to take coursework and participate in research activities to prepare for your General Examination and subsequent advancement to Candidacy. It is during this phase that you will form your Doctoral Supervisory Committee. You will work with your Supervisory Committee to plan and approve your final course of study, and to prepare for your General Examination
For Faculty Mentors: Here is a sample mentor letter nominating a student for advancement to prospective candidacy: Advancement Prospective Example Letter.