Engineer Degree

ECE Oral PhD Screening Program

1. Students failing the ECE written Ph.D. screening exam may request an oral screening exam. The request must be in writing and made within 30 days of notification of failure of the written exam.. The oral exam must be taken before the end of quarter following the student's written exam.
   
   
2. The oral exam is conducted by the ECE Departmental Ph.D. Committee and must be taken in the same three areas as the student's written exam
   
   
3. The committee attendance required for the exam is:
   
   
   •  ECE Departmental Ph.D. Committee chair or his designated representative (must be a member of the committee).
   • The three committee members responsible for the three selected technical areas.
   • At least one other member of the committee.
     
     
4. A student will be asked questions for approximately thirty minutes in each of the three selected areas for a  total of approximately ninety minutes of questioning. Questioning will be primarily by the committee members responsible for the three selected areas. Other committee members may ask follow-up questions however. The outcome of the exam (pass or fail) will be decided immediately after the exam by all members of the committee present.
   
   
5. A pass in the oral Ph.D. screening exam requires passing of all three areas in which the student is being tested. There is no partial pass and the exam may not be retaken if failed.
   
   
6. A pass on the ECE oral screening exam is valid for 5 years from the date of passing the exam. Candidates leaving and reentering the Ph.D. program within this period are not required to be reexamined.