Advance to Candidacy (ATC)

Explore and Work with a Faculty Advisor

Mentoring Agreement Template

Students should explore faculty to work with during their first year, and select a faculty advisor by the beginning of their second year. Consider both your professional interests, and also working styles and personalities to ensure a productive working relationship. The Graduate Program Advisor and Graduate Committee Chair are great resources to consult on methods to approach and get to know faculty that you may want to work with. 

Students and faculty are encouraged to discuss mentor / mentee expectations, and may use the TLC Mentor Mentee Agreement as a guide or template for items that can be discussed. 

Prepare for the Oral Qualifying Examination (QE)

The QE is an oral exam in the form of a presentation that should present your dissertation research problem. It should define the background of the problem, knowledge required, and your research plan for solving the problem. Deciding on a research problem will be done in collaboration with your faculty advisor, and it will be the main content of the QE. Students should discuss the QE with their advisor to define expectations and prepare.

Establish the QE Committee

Committee Nomination of Doctorate Qualifying Examination

The QE requires a faculty committee to attend and assess the presentation. Committees consist of four faculty, one of which must be tenured outside the Physics Department. Students often form their own committees based on consultation with their faculty advisor, and may also consult the Graduate Program Advisor and Graduate Committee Chair. 

Committee members that are not tenured, even those who were previously tenured and are now retired, require approval by petition in the form of a letter from the Department Chair to the Graduate Division. The member's CV is also required to support this petition. Please email physgradadvising@ucsc.edu if you believe this may be applicable to you.

IMPORTANT: The Division of Graduate Studies must approved the committee 30 days before the exam can take place. If the exam is held prior to Graduate Division's approval, students may be held liable for re-taking the QE.

Schedule and Book a Room for your QE

Physics Department Conference Room Calendar

• View the department calendar for available rooms and times

• Email physgradadvising@ucsc.edu to book a room for your exam

• Include date, time, zoom link (if offered), and topic and description of your presentation

Submit the QE Report

Report on Qualifying Examinations

• The committee describes the QE performance and indicates whether the student has passed the exam. Results are then sent to physgradadvising@ucsc.edu preferably within 7 business days.

• Students may request a copy of the report from the Graduate Advisor.

Submit your Dissertation Reading Committee (DRC) Nominations

Nominations for Dissertation Reading Committee

The DRC is the group of faculty that will read, review, and approve your dissertation. Complete the Dissertation Reading Committee nomination form and send to physgradadvising@ucsc.edu. The DRC is often comprised of the same members as your QE Committee.

Apply to Advance to Candidacy

The Graduate Advisor will submit the following to Graduate Division for approval:

• 1. Dissertation Reading Committee Nomination Form

  2. Report on Qualifying Exam

Once your application has been processed and the $90 ATC fee paid, you will receive a confirmation from the Division of Graduate studies confirming your advancement, and you will have candidate status the following quarter.

After a Failed Exam, Establish a Plan and Try Again

If the Report on Qualifying Exam indicates a failed attempt, the student can retake the exam one more time. The student, graduate advisor, and their faculty advisor should collaborate to complete an Academic Support Plan to assist them in their success.

University policy prohibits students from taking the QE more than twice. After two attempts, a student that has not passed can either transfer to the Masters Program, or will be disqualified from the program if they already possess a Masters in Mathematics from UC Santa Cruz.