Soochow University Directions Governing Students Studying Directly for
Doctoral Degree
Revised by the Council on Academic Affairs, 22nd November 2006
Article 1
The directions are prescribed in accordance with Item 4, Article 23 of University Act,
and the tai shen tzu 0950141559C instruction issued by the Ministry of Education.
Article 2
The qualifications for students applying for the direct study of a doctoral degree are
listed as follows:
(1) the bachelor graduates of the current year with excellent grades and potentials for
research, and
(2) the current master’s students with excellent grades and potentials for research.
The criteria of academic excellence and research potentials are defined by each
department.
Article 3
Students who meet one of the qualifications in Article 2 could be approved to study
directly for a doctoral degree after being recommended by more than two associate (or
senior) professors from their or related department, institute, school, or degree program,
agreed in related councils of intended department, institute, school, or degree program,
and approved by the President.
Article 4
The number of students who study directly for a doctoral degree in each department,
institute, school, or degree program each academic year is limited to be 40% of the
quota of the doctoral degree recruitment for each department, institute, school, or
degree program approved by the Ministry of Education in that year. If the quota is less
than five, the number of students who study directly for the doctoral degree is
determined to be two.
The quota of recruitment should be included in the total enrollment in the current
academic year approved by the Ministry of Education.
Article 5
Bachelor graduates of the current year must acqurie the bachelor's degree in the
approved academic year for the direct study of doctoral degree. Otherwise, the students
will be disqualified.
Article 6
Students who apply to study directly for a doctoral degree must request for the
application form from the Registration Division at Office of Academic Affairs, and
submit the required documents to the department which offers the intended doctoral
degree during the prescribed period before the end of the second semester in each
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academic year (i.e. July 31st). They can be approved to study directly for a doctoral
degree after the qualifications are accepted by the council of the department, transferred
to and organized by the Registration Division at Office of Academic Affairs, transferred
to the President for approval, and reported to the Ministry of Education for future
reference.
Article 7
Students who apply to study directly for a doctoral degree should submit the following
documents:
(1) Application form, and
(2) Required documents prescribed by the doctoral program of each department (for
example, transcripts of academic record, letters of recommendation, study plans, and so
on).
Article 8
Since the enrollment in a doctoral program, students who have been approved to study
directly for a doctoral degree can apply for the doctoral degree exam after studying in
the doctoral program at least for two years.
Article 9
If students with direct study of a doctoral degree face any of the following situations,
they can apply for a transfer back to the master’s program in the original department,
institute, school, or degree program or to the master’s program in the related department,
institute, school, or degree program after their applications are approved by the councils
of the department, institute, school, or degree program, and the President:
(1) Students who stop their study of the doctoral degree due to certain causes,
(2) Students who fail the doctoral candidate qualification examination, or
(3) Students who fail the doctoral degree examination and do not meet the qualification
of Article 10.
The master’s degree can be conferred on students who pass the examination of the
original department, institute, school, or degree program, or of the related department,
institute, school, or degree program council, who fulfill the course requirements
according to the regulations, and who propose their thesis and pass the master’s degree
examination held by the committee. Their study period in a doctoral programs should
not be included in the maximum study period of the master’s program.
Article 10
At the end of the study period of a direct doctoral degree, if students pass the doctoral
candidate qualification examination but fail the doctoral degree examination, they
should be conferred the master’s degree if their doctoral degree thesis are determined
by the doctoral degree examination committee to be in conformity with the standard of
the master’s degree.
Article 11
The Directions are put into effect after approval by the council on Academic Affairs.
The same procedure should be conducted for amendment.
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