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Degree Requirements
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The student must:
A. Complete the course work
B. Pass a written core examination
C. Have an Advisory Committee formed
D. Pass a second written examination
E. Defend a dissertation proposal
F. Complete a program of study
G. Write and defend a dissertation
H. Satisfy the residency requirement
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A. Complete the course work
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A student shall complete at least 72 post baccalaureate credit hours in order to earn the Ph.D. degree. This will include 54 or more hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree and eighteen (18) hours of dissertation research credit. A limited amount of credit can be transferred. In accordance with graduate school requirements, students are permitted to count towards the Ph.D. program up to 30 semester hours of graduate credit earned at UNC Charlotte or other recognized graduate programs. (Transfer Credit Form: word | pdf). In cases of applicants with records of exceptionally high quality, the Doctoral Committee, at its discretion, may request that the Graduate School approve transfer credit beyond the limit set by the Graduate School.
In order to receive transfer credit, students admitted into the program must file a written request accompanied by all necessary documentation with the Ph.D. coordinator. The Ph.D. coordinator will evaluate the application and make appropriate recommendations to the Doctoral Committee for final approval. In general, courses taken in Computer Science, and many courses taken in a Business School are regarded as appropriate. It should be emphasized that the student's Ph.D. Advisory Committee will make the ultimate decision as to what courses the student must take to complete his/her study at UNC Charlotte.
A student is expected to achieve A's or B's in all course work taken for Ph.D. credit in the program and must have at least an average of B in order to graduate. The dissertation is graded on a pass/fail basis and, therefore, will not be included in the overall assessment of cumulative average. An accumulation of more than two C grades or a grade of U in any course will result in suspension of the student's enrollment in the Ph.D. program. In both cases, enrollment will be suspended and the student cannot take any further graduate course work without being readmitted to the program. Readmission to the program requires approval of the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the Doctoral Committee for the Information Technology Doctoral Program (henceforth Doctoral Committee).
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B. Pass a written core examination
(Core-exam Registration Form: word | pdf)
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This examination will be based on the Information Technology Core which includes:
- Database Systems Design and Management (ITCS 8160)
- One of the following:
- Information Systems Development (INFO 8200) or
- Software Systems Design (ITCS 8112)
- One of the following:
- Intelligent Systems (ITCS 8150 or 6150) or
- Networking (ITCS 8166 or INFO 8300)
- Research Methodologies (INFO 8100)
All students will take a written exam over these topics. All topics will be covered in a single examination that lasts one or two days.
The core examination is offered in both Fall and Spring semesters. In order to take it, the student must notify the Ph.D. coordinator in writing within the first two weeks of the semester in which s/he wishes to take the exam.
The date and time of the exam will be determined by the Doctoral Committee.
The core examination may be taken at most twice, at different semesters. The second failure will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the Ph.D. program. Readmission requirements are defined in Section 4.
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C. Have an Advisory Committee formed
(Advisory Committee Agreement Form: word | pdf)
(Doctoral Committee Form: word | pdf)
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Prior to the appointment of the Advisory Committee, the student will be advised by an Initial Advisory Committee, which, as appropriate, will consist of a graduate faculty member from either the Information & Operations Management Department (IOM) or the Computer Science (CS) Department or two graduate faculty--one from each of the two departments. This Initial Advisory Committee will be appointed by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Doctoral Committee.
As soon as feasible, usually within five semesters of being admitted to the doctoral program, the Doctoral Committee, in consultation with the student, will appoint the student's Ph.D. advisor and an Advisory Committee of at least four IT doctoral faculty members, including the Ph.D. advisor. Once appointed, the advisor and the Advisory Committee will replace the Initial Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee must have at least one member each from the CS and the IOM departments. If the Ph.D. advisor is a member of the CS Department or the IOM Department, the Committee will be chaired by the advisor. Otherwise, a doctoral faculty member of one of these department's will be appointed to chair the Advisory Committee. In that case the chair will oversee the process, while the advisor will provide the primary research resource for the dissertation.
In addition, the Graduate School will appoint a graduate faculty representative to the Advisory Committee.
Up to three weeks prior to the defense of the dissertation, changes to the membership of the Advisory Committee may be made by the Doctoral Committee, in consultation with the dissertation advisor and the student. All such changes are subject to the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School.
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D. Pass a second written exam
(Area-exam Registration Form: word | pdf)
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| A second written exam will be based on a body of courses, consisting of at least two related courses, chosen by the student and approved by both the student's Advisory Committee and the Doctoral Committee.
In order to take the exam, the student must notify the Ph.D. coordinator in writing within the first two weeks of the semester in which s/he wishes to take the exam. The notification must include the proposed set of courses the exam is to cover, and the faculty members who have agreed to make up the exam.
The date and time of the exam will be determined by the Doctoral Committee with the intention that all such exams offered in a given semester are scheduled at the same time.
The second written examination may be taken at most twice, at different semesters. The second failure will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the Ph.D. program.
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E. Defend a dissertation proposal
(Dissertation Proposal Defense Form: word | pdf)
(Topic Approval Form: word | pdf)
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Each student must present and defend a Ph.D. dissertation proposal. The exam will be conducted by the student's Advisory Committee and will be open to the Ph.D. IT faculty and students. At the discretion of Advisory Committee, the defense may include questions that cover student's program of study and background knowledge in the area of the proposal.
A doctoral student advances to candidacy after the dissertation proposal has been defended.
The second failed defense of a dissertation proposal will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the Ph.D. program.
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F. Complete a program of study
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The Advisory Committee will, in consultation with the student, construct a program of study for the student. The program will be focused on courses and research that supports a chosen dissertation area and on providing knowledge in that area as well as any other knowledge commensurable with the Ph.D. degree.
The following goals to be reached by the graduates will guide a program of study:
- Broad knowledge of the domain reached by taking courses, teaching assignments, and background study in preparation of the dissertation;
- Research skill evidenced by state-of-the-art dissertation research and participation in research projects that may include sponsored research;
- Publication in reviewed conferences and journals as well as public presentation of research results;
- Teaching skills appropriate for Assistant Professor, achieved by teaching assignments and public presentations.
Changes to the program of study can be made by the Advisory Committee, in consultation with the student.
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G. Write and defend a dissertation
(Dissertation Defense Form: word | pdf)
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The student must complete a research program approved by the student's dissertation advisor that yields a high quality, original and substantial piece of research. The Ph.D. dissertation describes this research result. The dissertation defense, where the dissertation is presented and defended, is open to the public. A written copy of the dissertation must be made available to the Ph.D. IT Doctoral Committee, to each member of the Advisory Committee, and at the UNC Charlotte Library at least three weeks prior to the public defense. The date of the public defense must be publicly announced at least three weeks prior to the defense. The student must successfully present the dissertation and defend it in the manner accepted by the Advisory Committee. The dissertation will be graded as pass/fail by the Advisory Committee and the dissertation must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.
The failed defense of a dissertation will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the Ph.D. program.
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H. Satisfy the residency requirement
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The student must satisfy the residency requirement of one continuous full-time year (i.e. two consecutive semesters with the student being enrolled for at least nine graduate credit hours in each semester) after being admitted to the Ph.D. degree program.
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* Time limits for completion
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The student must complete all requirements within six years of being admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
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* Consistency with Graduate School Ph.D. Program Requirements
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Further requirements apply, as defined for all Ph.D. programs, in UNC Charlotte's Graduate School Ph.D. Program Requirements. In cases where the Information Technology Ph.D. Program Requirements (this document) exceed the Graduate Ph.D. Program Requirements, the Information Technology Ph.D. Program Requirements prevail.
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