“Pre-candidacy” refers to your initial years in the doctoral program prior to taking the Qualifying Examination. Pre-candidacy activities and academic milestones include:
- Completing required coursework.
- Successfully completing a First Year Comprehensive Exam.
- Successfully completing a Qualifying Paper.
- Declaring two fields of expertise on which you will be examined by your Qualifying Exam Committee.
- Completing a Dissertation Prospectus.
- Successfully passing the Qualifying Examination.