Advancement to Candidacy


*Please note: Students must maintain continuous registration in HIST 998 in the semester in which you plan to advance to candidacy. The exception to this policy is for the summer semester--students need not be registered for summer to advance to candidacy in the summer and begin 999 hours in the fall. 

**Advising Note: Although this page outlines the process to officially advance to candidacy; it is recommended that all PhD students in their 2nd and 3rd years of study begin reviewing this information for planning purposes. 

Overview

Advancement to candidacy is a degree milestone that reflects doctoral students' successful completion of all degree requirements with the exception of HIST 999 Doctoral Dissertation credit hours. Colloquially, students who advance to candidacy are sometimes referred to as "ABD status" or "all but dissertating" status. This milestone thusly marks the transition from doctoral student status to official doctoral candidate status. 

At GMU, this degree milestone involves a two-part process of tracking and documenting all degree requirements (except for 999 credit hours) for the PhD program via the program of study form; as well as compiling and officially filing the advancement to candidacy "packet" to the CHSS Dean's office prior to the deadline to advance. The deadline is linked below because it is to be determined each semester by the Dean's office representative. 

Following successful submission of the advancement "packet," students receive direct email notification of their advancement via an official letter from the Dean of the college promoting their student status to doctoral candidate. After receiving this official letter, doctoral candidates may then enroll in HIST 999 for the first time. 

The official deadline to file for advancement to candidacy status usually occurs at the beginning of the last month in the semester. Students are required to submit all required materials outlined below to the graduate coordinator at least one week in advance of the CHSS deadline to advance to candidacy. 

 The most current deadline is posted at this link, at the bottom of the page: [Click here].

 


Degree Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy

The following degree requirements must be completed and documented via the official list of forms for the "advancement packet" prior to the advancement to candidacy filing deadline. Students are strongly advised to begin verifying the necessary documents at the beginning of the semester in which they plan to advance

 

Student Instructions to Prepare for Advancement to Candidacy: 

1. Complete at least 57 credits total (including all required coursework hours except for HIST 999). The 57 credit minimum includes all approved reduction credits. To verify this, students should update their program of study form. If you need a copy of your program of study form to begin updating it, please reach out to the graduate coordinator and retain a copy for your own reference. All coursework requirements listed on the program of study will be fulfilled with the exception of 999 credits at the time of advancement. 

2. Obtain passing grades on one major field oral comprehensive exam and two minor field written exams. Grading forms for the major and minor field exams are required to be signed by the examining faculty members as well as by the PhD director. Confirm with the graduate coordinator that all three exam passing grades are documented via two signed and completed minor field evaluation forms and one signed and completed oral comprehensive exam form. 

If a student's exam form(s) was not completed and stored within the student's department file; the student must then correspond with the appropriate faculty members to produce a signed and completed exam evaluation form (sometimes referred to as a 'grading form').

*Please note that students are responsible for procuring all necessary signatures for academic forms including that of the PhD director. Please do not leave your forms in the possession of faculty or staff members. Digital ID signatures are not recommended as they may cause your pdf document to become locked and corrupted. Traditional ink signatures and digital script signatures via Adobe Acrobat's "Fill & Sign" tool work well for collecting multiple signatures for the same pdf. Adobe Acrobat is available via Mason Libraries desktop and Citrix Virtual Desktop for those who need to access Adobe via a personal computer or device. 

 

3. Complete HIST 998 Prospectus (minimum of 3 credits) and present/defend the dissertation proposal at a HIST 810 Colloquium session. The PhD director issues a call for Prospectus presentations one semester in advance. 

 

4. Complete your dissertation prospectus approval form and dissertation committee formation form. Both forms require faculty signatures. Once completed, both forms should then be submitted to CHSS academic affairs via email chss@gmu.edu. After sending the dissertation forms to CHSS, both forms must then be forwarded to the graduate coordinator. 

 

*The complete list of forms required from the student to advance are listed below for clarity. 


Official List of Forms for the Advancement Packet

 

Within the first month of every semester, the graduate coordinator will send out an email notification to all PhD students requesting that those who plan to advance to candidacy provide written notice to initiate the process of assembling the advancement to candidacy packet.  The advancement packet includes the following required documents:

*Updated Program of Study

*(1) Major field oral comprehensive exam form

*(2) Minor field exam evaluation forms

*Dissertation Prospectus Approval form

*Dissertation Committee Formation Form

 

Students must ensure that all of the above forms are sent to the graduate coordinator at minimum one week prior to the CHSS deadline to advance. Once you have verified and sent in all of the forms listed above, then you have successfully completed the student instructions to advance to candidacy. 


 

You will be notified of your official advancement to candidacy status via email from CHSS Graduate Academic Affairs with an official letter attached.

 

Once you have advanced, you can then register for 999 hours using registration instructions located {here}.