Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy.
Students may qualify for candidacy once they have
successfully completed comprehensive exams, and all required coursework for their degree. The student’s
academic unit may also require an approved work plan, dissertation proposal, or other activity
demonstrating the student’s creative capabilities and capacity for original work. Students are expected to
consult with their program director or graduate coordinator to learn the a) unit-specific details of the
requirements for advancement to candidacy, b) the nature and format of the comprehensive exams, c)
the committee(s) involved in administering the comprehensive assessments and conferring candidacy
status, and d) the allowable time line for the process of advancement, and the program in general.
Candidates who do not maintain continuous enrollment must reapply for admission. If the leave of
absence is less than three years, a student can submit an online application for readmission
( www.ecu.edu/gradschool/) at no cost to the student. If the hiatus is three years or more, a complete
new application is required. All readmission decisions require the approval of the student’s graduate
program director or appropriate committee.