Doctor of Philosophy

First-Year Graduate Requirement

All first-year Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of three letter-graded graduate-level courses (200-level or above), totaling at least 9 units, by the end of their third quarter in residence. These courses must be taught by Academic Council faculty and taken for a letter grade (research units are exempt from this requirement). At least two of the three required courses must be taught by two different EPS faculty members.

First-Year Graduate Core Series

In addition to the graduate coursework requirement, students must complete the EPS First-Year Graduate Core Series by the end of their third quarter in residence. This required sequence is designed to provide foundational training in research design, scientific communication, and professional development, as well as an introduction to the diverse research areas within Earth & Planetary Sciences.

PhD students must complete at least two  TA appointments (25%). Additional TA quarters may be considered and/or required in consultations with the research advisor, depending on academic goals, funding availability, or the requirements of individual graduate programs.

The candidacy exam is an oral exam based on the candidate’s written research proposal. The exam tests the student’s ability to recognize, evaluate, and plan a significant research project, as well as their mastery of fields essential to completing research. 

The research proposal must provide a concise review of the background literature and discuss the proposed problem, its significance, and the methods to be used in its examination. The methods should be made clear. The proposal shall include a timetable and, if appropriate, the student shall discuss matters such as funding, field logistics, laboratory scheduling, and equipment availability. The proposal must be well thought-out, carefully written and edited, and finished with appropriate references and illustrations. It shall not exceed 15 double-spaced pages in length, exclusive of figures and bibliography. The student must present a draft proposal to their advisor in a timely fashion and take into account the advisor’s comments and required revisions before preparing a final draft. The student shall submit a copy of the final draft of the research proposal to each member of the Examining Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled exam date.

University policy requires students to advance to candidacy by the end of their sixth quarter. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the candidacy exam be taken in the fifth quarter, allowing time to retake it if necessary. (Note: If you conducted research over the summer with your PI, that period counts toward your completed quarters.)

Prior to scheduling the candidacy exam, the Ph.D. pre-candidate must have completed three of the six required graduate courses (as described in “Requirements for Ph.D. Students”). During the Winter Quarter of their second year, pre-candidates should complete the qualifying exam paperwork, review it with their PI, and schedule the exam date with their committee for the Spring Quarter. Once the date, time, and location are confirmed, the student should share the details with the Assistant Director of Student Services so they are aware and can provide support as needed.

The Examining Committee consists of four or five members. At least three must be Academic Council members, and at least two must be EPS Academic Council (Tenure Track) members or have EPS courtesy appointments. The Chair of the Examining Committee must be on the Academic Council and cannot be the student’s Dissertation Research Advisor. The Examining Committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair of the Department (or the Associate Chair of the department if the student’s advisor is either the Director of Graduate Studies or Chair).

The Candidacy Exam is oral and consists of three parts:

• A presentation of the proposed research (no more than 30 minutes)

• An examination of the candidate on the merits of the proposal, touching on, but not limited to, the aspects listed in the proposal

• An examination of a subject matter judged by Committee members to be relevant to the student’s ability to carry out the proposed research (at least one hour)
  

It is recognized that, in practice, these three parts may not be entirely separate and distinct. The entire examination shall last no less than two hours and no more than three hours. The examination is not open to the public. The student should, in ample time before the exam, consult the individual members of the Examining Committee to ascertain the subject matter and level of preparedness required for part (3) of the examination.

The Ph.D. pre-candidate should prepare the candidacy application forms as well. Students must include a list of the courses taken in preparation for research and how each course provides background knowledge for the research (EPS Application for Candidacy opens in a new tab form). 

The examining committee is submitted on the “Request for Approval of Examining Committee opens in a new tab” form. 

Both forms must be returned to the Assistant Director of Student Services after they are completed and signed by the student’s advisor. All forms must be submitted to the Assistant Director of Student Services two weeks prior to the exam. In some cases, the university's milestone timing rules may appear different because, in some programs, graduate students are not funded during the summers, unlike EPS graduate students. 

Please note that second-year Ph.D. students may schedule their qualifying exam earlier than the Spring Quarter, allowing them to retake it if necessary. If a student needs to delay the qualifying exam beyond Spring Quarter, they must submit a request via email to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Assistant Director of Student Services by the last day of Winter Quarter. This ensures sufficient time for the request to be reviewed and approved (or denied) before the start of Spring Quarter. Students who began their program off-cycle or who have taken a leave of absence should check with the  Director of Graduate Studies and the Assistant Director of Student Services to confirm their individual deadlines

Upon admission to Ph.D. candidacy, students, in consultation with their faculty advisor, must establish a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee. The committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the dissertation and must meet all University requirements for doctoral committee membership.

Students may apply for Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status once they have:

• Been admitted to Ph.D. candidacy;

• Completed all required coursework and degree requirements, with the exception of the University Oral Examination and dissertation;

• Completed at least 135 units of graduate study; and

• Submitted a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form to the EPS Student Services Team.

TGR status allows students to focus primarily on dissertation research and writing while maintaining full-time student status at a reduced tuition rate. During each quarter of TGR status, students must enroll in EPS 802: TGR Dissertation (0 units) under the section associated with their advisor.

Because TGR status is intended for students who have completed their formal coursework, additional courses are generally not required. In some cases, however, students may enroll in 1–3 units during a TGR quarter with approval from their advisor and the Assistant Director of Student Services.

Students request TGR status by submitting the appropriate eForm through Axess.

The doctoral dissertation is defended in a University Oral Examination. The oral examination defense is a public seminar followed by a closed session with the student’s Oral Examination Committee. At least one month before the oral exam, a substantial final draft of the dissertation must be turned in to the student’s Oral Examination Committee. The student should, however, start scheduling a date and time with the committee earlier than that to avoid scheduling conflicts. The “University Oral Examination” form should be submitted to the Assistant Director of Student Services four weeks prior to the exam date.

• University policies for University Oral Exams and Committees: https://gap.stanford.edu/handbooks/gap-handbook/chapter-4/subchapter-7 opens in a new tab

• EPS Department forms for the dissertation defense: https://insidesdss.stanford.edu/directory/academic-departments-programs/earth-and-planetary-sciences/earth-planetary-sciences opens in a new tab

Under the supervision of the research Reading Committee, which includes the faculty advisor, the candidate must prepare a doctoral dissertation that contributes to knowledge and is the result of independent research. The student is strongly urged to prepare dissertation chapters that are readily publishable in scientific content and format. The dissertation must meet the university's formatting requirements.

• Directions for dissertation preparation and submission: https://studentservices.stanford.edu/my-academics/earn-my-degree/graduate-degree-progress/dissertations-and-theses/prepare-your-work opens in a new tab 

• University policies for Doctoral Dissertations and Dissertation Reading Committees: https://gap.stanford.edu/handbooks/gap-handbook/chapter-4/subchapter-8 opens in a new tab

To complete the dissertation process, students must obtain approval from all members of their Reading Committee and submit a Reading Committee Signature Page through the Student eForms portal in Axess. Prior to submission, students should verify that their Reading Committee is correctly listed in the Dissertation & Thesis Center and designate a Final Reader (typically their advisor or PI).

Once the Reading Committee Signature Page has been approved and all committee member approvals have been received, the final dissertation can be submitted through the Dissertation & Thesis Center in Axess by the University dissertation deadline published in the Academic Calendar. After submission, the designated Final Reader will review and certify the final version of the dissertation in Axess, completing the approval process for degree conferral.