Candidacy Examination, WE
[Effective AU22] The Candidacy Examination is a comprehensive test of the student's knowledge of the fields of Welding Engineering and areas that are allied with these fields. The examination will be administered under the auspices of the Graduate Studies Committee in conjunction with the student's Advisory Committee and the Graduate School. The Advisory Committee will consist of four graduate faculty members, including the student's advisor.
For more on the Candidacy Exam, please also see Section VII.7.3-7.8 of the Graduate School Handbook.
To be taken within five terms
The Candidacy Examination is to be taken within five academic terms of the student joining the WE Graduate Program (the "academic terms" are Autumn and Spring). The examination can be taken in either Autumn or Spring terms, within the five-term limit. The exam is generally not offered in Summer term.
Prerequisites
To qualify to take the WE Candidacy Examination the student must complete the WE Core Course requirement, earning a cumulative GPA in the Core Courses of 3.0 or greater.
- WE Core Course Requirement: The student is to take at least four (4) courses from the WELDENG Core courses. At least two (2) must come from two (2) unique categories on the Primary Core list. Remaining two courses are to come from remaining Primary or Secondary Core categories.
WELDENG Core- Primary Core Categories:
Processes: 7001 or 7002
Design: 7201
Materials: 7101 - Secondary Core Categories:
Modeling: 7115
NDE: 7301
Polymers: 7406
- Primary Core Categories:
Notes:
- Students who completed the undergraduate (4000-level) version of these courses are considered to have met the Core requirement for that course.
- Former WE undergrads, who completed the Core courses in their 4000 version, must complete 15 graded graduate credits before applying for Candidacy.
A. Requesting to take the Candidacy Exam
The student should contact the MSE-WE Graduate Studies Coordinator at or before the start of the term in which they wish to take the exam to inform the Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) of their intent; e-mail reminders will also be sent by the Coordinator to the students during this time. Those who respond will be given access to a Carmen site for that term's Candidacy Exam. Further instructions concerning document submission to that Carmen site will be provided by the MSE-WE Graduate Studies Coordinator. The exam is offered in Autumn and Spring semesters only.
B. Candidacy Exam Committee
The committee must be comprised of at least four (4) OSU Graduate Faculty (see Sec 7.3 of Graduate School Handbook). The Welding Engineering graduate program further stipulates that they all hold category P status. The committee is selected by the student and advisor and meet the following requirements:
- The student’s WE advisor
If the student is co-advised, the co-advisor is allowed in addition to the examination committee. For example, the candidacy exam committee would comprise advisor, co-advisor, and three other faculty members. - At least one member of the WE faculty.
- At least one member who is a faculty member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (i.e., can be MSE or WE faculty).
- One committee member may be a Graduate Faculty member (category P) at OSU, as defined by the Graduate School Handbook, from any program.
If a non-WE-MSE graduate faculty member is to be on the Candidacy Exam Committee, the student must file a petition form seeking approval by the WE GSC (petition form).
External (non-OSU) Committee Members--Students may petition the GSC to include non-OSU participants to serve as voting members of the Candidacy Exam. Such external members are in addition to the committee members described above. Once the GSC has approved, the student must also submit a Committee and Examination Petition form on GradForms.osu.edu to allow the external member to participate in the exam.
By 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday of the third week of the term in which the Candidacy Exam is to take place the student's advisor is to email to the WE Graduate Studies Coordinator the list of committee members.
Note: submission of this list indicates that each committee member has confirmed their willingness and availability to serve on the student's Candidacy Exam Committee.
Committee Confirmation
The GSC will review the list of committee members. If changes are required, the advisor will be contacted. The GSC will inform the student of the finalized Candidacy Exam Committee members.
The GSC will provide the student with further instructions regarding the Candidacy Exam procedures, including submission of the Application for Candidacy on-line form.
Candidacy Exam Time and Location
The student is to arrange the date, time, and location (or video conference, if appropriate) for the Candidacy Exam with the committee members. The Candidacy Exam must take place during normal university operating hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thus the exam may begin no later than 3:00 p.m.
C. Application for Candidacy
The student is to log in to GradForms.osu.edu (OSU username and password) and create an Application for Candidacy. The time, date, location/video conference, and committee membership is to be provided. Upon submission, the form is then assigned to the advisor and GSC Chair for approval.
- Submission of the Application for Candidacy is to occur three weeks prior to the exam date.
- Advisor and GSC Chair approval must occur at least two weeks prior to the oral exam date.
- Note: The Graduate School is inflexible on these rules.
The last date on which the oral exam may take place is the last business day prior to the start of the next term. Therefore, the last date on which the Application for Candidacy may be approved is two weeks before the last business day before the start of the next term.
Report on Candidacy
At the time of the exam, as specified on the Application for Candidacy, the Report on Candidacy will become available in each committee member's task list on GradForms.osu.edu. Each committee member must log in to GradForms and post on the Report on Candidacy form their decision regarding the exam (approve/deny). The exam is considered incomplete until each committee member has posted a decision.
D. Candidacy Examination
The examination is composed of two parts, a written portion and an oral portion. Note: A student may make no more than two attempts at passing the Candidacy Exam while a student at The Ohio State University.
D. 1. Written portion
The written portion of the Candidacy Exam shall be a 15-20 page Dissertation Proposal (more below). This will be submitted via Carmen no less than two weeks before the oral exam date. A plagiarism review will be performed on the document. The Dissertation Proposal must be solely the work of the student; the student's advisor should not see the document before any of the other committee members, nor should the advisor provide input regarding the content. The document should not be reviewed by other faculty, staff, post-docs, or students prior to submission. The written portion will be evaluated based on the expectations described below.
Due date for the written portion
By two weeks before the scheduled exam date, the GSC will pass along to each of the Candidacy Exam Committee members an electronic copy of the student's transcript, Dissertation Proposal, and an originality report for the Proposal (from TurnItIn).
Content and Expectations
The candidacy document should have the form of a “Dissertation Proposal,” which is composed of approximately equal parts of introductory information (especially a significant amount of critical literature review) and a research plan focused on the student’s research work. The purpose of the literature review is to lay the foundation on which the research plan is built. The research plan can contain results from the student’s research findings to date. Specifically, this “Dissertation Proposal” should contain the following sections:
Title
Short and concise; should answer the question: What is the research about?
Abstract
The abstract should include the topic, aims of the study, who will be involved in the research, the methods and the timeframe. It should conclude with a statement that explains the relevance of the research (why it is needed). Abstracts for dissertation proposals are generally in the future tense (the student should outline what they intend to do).
Introduction and Background
Should outline why the student chose their topic and should include:
Justification – Why the topic is important
Critical Literature Review
The literature review needs to be a substantial part of the document and should demonstrate that the student has read broadly on the topic and its wider context. It should highlight trends in the literature relating to the research topic, including research areas, methodology, theoretical approaches and findings.
The literature review should outline limitations and/or gaps in the literature that the student has identified (a critique). The student will need to draw on their literature review to justify their research. They should indicate the gaps their research is addressing and note the original contribution it will make to the field in general.
The literature review should inform and set up the theoretical framework, methodology and design of the research to be performed.
Research objectives/questions or hypothesis
What is the research question that the student is trying to find the answer to? This can also be termed as the aim or purpose of the research. Think about how to finish this statement: “The purpose of this research is …”
Research Plan
Drawing on the different theories/methods identified in the literature review, the plan should identify which approach (or approaches) are and will be employed in the research and why.
In discussing the methodology, the plan should draw on reviewed literature and consider the different methodological approaches used.
For research design and method, it is important to demonstrate that the student has read other studies in their area of research. They should be able to address the strengths and limitations of the methods in similar research and justify why they have chosen their methods. They should also discuss results that they have obtained to date and evaluate how well the chosen methods work.
For future/proposed work, the student should discuss:
- Data collection: how will they go about collecting their information (experiments, computations…)? This should also include any equipment or facilities that will be needed.
- Data analysis and discussion: once the information has been collected, what will be done with it? Include any tools that will be used to assist with analysis (e.g. programs, models). Indicate how analyzing the data in this way will answer key research questions.
- Limitations: assess their methodology and consider any weaknesses or limitations that may occur as a result of the proposed research design. Address the limitations by indicating how they will be minimized.
Significance of Research
In the concluding part, it is important to convince the committee of the validity of the proposed research. The student needs to communicate enthusiasm and confidence for the research, arguing clearly as to the contribution it will make to the subject area and discipline in general.
References
It is important to include all references that have used when writing the proposal. This demonstrates that the student is indeed serious about their research and has invested both time and thought into the process. The reference listing has no set length and may extend beyond the 20-page limit.
Format and Submission of the Candidacy Document
The document is to be 15-20 pages in length, exclusive of references. The entire document is to be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, line spacing set at 1.5, with one-inch margins throughout. Any figures or tables are to be included in the 20-page length and are not to be included in an appendix. The reference listing has no set length and may extend beyond the 20-page limit. The student should be judicious in selection of figures to include as the figures will reduce the amount of space for text needed to communicate the matters described above.
At least two weeks before the Candidacy Exam date an electronic version of the Dissertation Proposal in Word or PDF format is to be submitted online via the "WELDENG Candidacy" Carmen site. The Graduate Studies Coordinator will then forward both the Proposal and its originality report to the committee. The student must inform the Graduate Studies Coordinator by email once the Dissertation Proposal has been uploaded to Carmen.
Originality Review
While the contents of the research plan can/should be coordinated with the advisor, the written Candidacy Document must be solely the work of the student. Students must ensure that their documents are free of plagiarism and all other forms of academic misconduct. The student's advisor should not see the document before any of the other committee members. The document should not be reviewed by other faculty, staff, post-docs, or students prior to submission.
The Candidacy document is to be an original work developed by the student. Any of the committee members may perform a plagiarism review on the documents provided for the Candidacy Exam. When submitted to Carmen, the Candidacy Document will be reviewed by TurnItIn.com for an originality review. The MSE department takes plagiarism very seriously and will forward cases to the OSU Committee on Academic Misconduct as necessary.
"Plagiarism is the representation of another's work or ideas as one's own; it includes the unacknowledged word-for-word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas." OSU Code of Student Conduct (3335-23-04)
For further information: Academic Integrity and Misconduct
Written English quality
The Candidacy document must be written in sufficiently high-quality English such that any grammatical errors do not interfere with the technical message. Any students requiring assistance with the language aspects of the document can consult the Writing Center. They will help with the grammar and can provide a list of people who will proofread and edit for a fee.
Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing, CSTW
4132 Smith Lab
174 W. 18th Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Phone: (614) 688-5865
Web: https://cstw.osu.edu/
E-mail: cstw@osu.edu
Committee's prior review
The Candidacy Exam Committee should meet at least 24 hours prior to the oral portion of the exam to evaluate the written document. Should the committee decide that the document is so deficient that the student has no chance of passing the overall Candidacy Exam, the student must be informed and then be given the option to take or waive the oral portion of the Candidacy Exam.
If the document is judged unsatisfactory, the student will have failed the first attempt at the Candidacy Exam.
D. 2. Oral portion
Attendance at the oral exam is limited to the student and members of the Candidacy Examination Committee. All members of the Candidacy Examination Committee must be present during the entire oral examination. Committee members may connect through video conferencing, provided the Graduate School rules for video conferencing are observed.
Oral format
Prior to the start of the oral examination, the student is to give a 30 minute presentation of the research proposal. The oral portion of the exam will be two hours in length before a committee of four OSU graduate faculty, as detailed above (total exam length is 2.5 hours). Examination questions are intended to explore the student's understanding of the scientific and engineering principles related to the field and one's capacity for clear thinking; the student's academic understanding, knowledge of relevant literature, and ability to carry out research may be pursued. Answers to individual questions shall be limited to about 10 minutes in length. All committee members are expected to participate fully in the questioning during the course of the examination and in the discussion and decision on the result of the candidacy examination.
- Publication requirement status--Also during the oral portion of the Candidacy Exam the student will be asked to briefly outline plans for meeting the PhD publication requirement. This will be a verbal assessment to be sure the student is looking ahead to completion of this requirement. [view Publication requirement]
Content of the Oral exam
Students will be expected to understand, at a graduate level, the Core courses taken regardless of whether the course was taken in its 4000 or 7000 version. Along with a command of the Core, the student is to be well versed in all courses taken within the PhD program, including the related fundamentals, and on fundamentals related to the Dissertation Proposal.
Students are also expected to understand the scientific and engineering concepts related to the Dissertation project, as well as the fundamental principles associated with these areas. In other words, the student is to have a command of the Core and Ph.D. courses taken, the topics pertaining to the Dissertation Proposal, and the fundamental principles related to the Proposal.
E. Evaluation of the Examination
Since the Candidacy Examination is a single examination consisting of two portions, the student's Candidacy Examination Committee will base its satisfactory/unsatisfactory evaluation of the student's performance on both the written and oral portions. The vote must be unanimous for the student to pass the exam.
Posting results of the exam – Report on Candidacy
At the time specified on the Application for Candidacy, the Report on Candidacy form will become available in each committee member's task list on GradForms.osu.edu. Each committee member must log in to GradForms and post his/her decision regarding the exam (approve/deny). The exam is considered incomplete until each committee member has posted a decision.
Satisfactory result
A result of "satisfactory" at the conclusion of the Candidacy Exam is to be reported to the Graduate School by way of GradForms.osu.edu. Each committee member posts his/her decision via the Report on Candidacy.
The student may apply for a Master's non-thesis degree based upon completion of the Candidacy Exam (see section F below).
Unsatisfactory result
A student receiving an "unsatisfactory" result at the conclusion of the Candidacy Exam may be granted, at the discretion of the committee, an opportunity to re-take the exam. A student may make no more than two attempts in total at passing the Candidacy Exam while at The Ohio State University.
The results of the initial Candidacy Exam are noted on the Report on Candidacy submitted via GradForms.osu.edu.
If the student is not granted a second opportunity, as indicated on the Report on Candidacy, the advisor should discuss with the student any options available to the student, such as completion of a Master's degree (with or without thesis).
Second Candidacy Exam procedures
If the student is permitted a second opportunity to take the Candidacy Exam, the second exam must take place no later than the term before graduation. For example, if planning to graduate in SP26, the student must re-take and pass the second Candidacy Exam no later than AU25.
The student must resubmit an Application for Candidacy on GradForms.osu.edu for the second Candidacy Exam. The Application is to be submitted no later than three weeks prior to the second oral examination date.
Ref: Sec 7.6 of the Graduate School Handbook
Committee Members
The second exam committee is to have the same members as the first committee. Any changes to the membership must first be approved by the Graduate School by means of a Committee and Examination Petition submitted via GradForms.osu.edu.
The second Application for Candidacy is to be submitted and approved by the advisor and WE Grad Studies Chair at least three weeks before the second exam date. This will permit the Graduate School to assign a Graduate School Faculty Representative to the second exam. Once the Graduate School Faculty Representative is assigned, the student will be informed via OSU e-mail account (name.##). The student may provide the representative with a link to this web page for a description of the department's Candidacy Exam procedures.
Content of the second Candidacy Exam
The nature of the second candidacy examination is determined by the student's Candidacy Examination Committee. Normally the second exam will include both a written and an oral portion.
If a student fails the written portion of the first Candidacy Exam but passes the oral, this is considered an unsatisfactory attempt at the first Candidacy Exam and should be noted as such in GradForms. If the committee grants the student a second attempt at Candidacy, the student's Candidacy Exam Committee is to provide the student with a written summary of issues to be addressed in the second written document for the second Candidacy Exam. Following the first Exam, this written summary is to be provided to the student in a timely manner by the advisor.
In cases where the student’s written examination document provided for the first Candidacy Exam is of such a high caliber that the exam committee does not require any rewrites, then only the oral portion needs to be repeated in the second Exam. If this is the case, the advisor should indicate on the Report on Candidacy Examination from the first attempt that a new written exam will not be required for the second attempt.
A second oral exam will always be required if a second Candidacy Examination is held.
Results of the second Candidacy Exam
Results of the second exam are to be posted on the Report on Candidacy by each committee member using his/her account on GradForms.osu.edu.
If the student receives a "satisfactory" on the second exam the student may continue in the Ph.D. program in pursuit of a degree. The student may apply to receive a Master's based upon completion of the Candidacy Exam (see section VI below).
If the student receives an "unsatisfactory" result on the second exam the student cannot continue to pursue a Ph.D. at The Ohio State University. A student is permitted a total of only two opportunities to take the Candidacy Exam while a student at Ohio State. The advisor should discuss with the student any options available, such as completion of a Master's degree (with or without thesis).
F. Master's Non-Thesis
Satisfactory completion of the Candidacy Examination is accepted in place of passing the MS non-thesis Master's Examination. To qualify for an MS non-Thesis degree, students must also fulfill all course-related requirements of the degree. A student who has successfully completed the Candidacy Exam may apply to receive a Master's degree in the term following completion of the Candidacy Exam.
G. Enrollment Restrictions Following Candidacy
All students who have successfully completed the Candidacy Exam must enroll for at least 3 graduate-level credit hours per term. Three credit hours is considered full-time for post-candidacy students. Any graduate enrollment beyond three credit hours incurs additional tuition costs and requires the agreement of the student's advisor and/or funding source.
Ref: Sec 7.7 of the Graduate School