Admission to Candidacy

Students seeking a doctoral degree at UTSA must be admitted to candidacy. In order to be admitted to candidacy, the student must comply with the following requirements:

  1. Fulfill the requirements for unconditional admission as a graduate degree-seeking student, which entails the removal of any conditions assigned at the time of admission.
  2. Satisfy any special admission requirements established for the degree program.
  3. Be in good standing.
  4. Pass a qualifying examination (written, oral, or both) prepared by the Graduate Program Committee and meet any other requirements specified by the Graduate Program Committee for the specific degree program.
  5. Submit a proposed program of study.
  6. Upon satisfying the above requirements, be recommended for admission to candidacy by the appropriate Graduate Program Committee, which in the case of interdisciplinary programs is a committee appointed by the Graduate School, consisting of no fewer than five members of the Graduate Faculty, with at least one representative from each of the disciplines included in the program.
  7. Having satisfied the above requirements, be approved for admission to candidacy by the academic College and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Earning a Master’s Degree During Course of Doctoral Program

While in a doctoral program, a student may earn a master’s degree provided the following conditions are satisfied:

  1. A student must be admitted to candidacy.
  2. A student is eligible to receive a master’s degree upon completion of University-wide requirements and any additional degree requirements specific to the program.
  3. The Doctoral Studies Committee, Department Chair, and the Graduate Associate Dean of the College must recommend student for the degree.  
  4. The student must apply for graduation by the published deadline the semester prior to awarding the doctoral degree.
  5. All required coursework in the doctoral program at the time of admission to candidacy must have been taken within the previous six years. 

If the master’s degree requires a thesis, the degree cannot be awarded on the basis of the doctoral qualifying examination. Furthermore, the Graduate School will not approve an additional master’s degree in the same field in which an individual has previously received a master’s degree.

Award of Interim Master’s Degree for Engineering Students

This policy applies to Ph.D. students who are admitted to an engineering doctoral program administered by the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and wish to be awarded the master’s degree as part of their doctoral program. The Interim Master’s degree is not a terminal degree. Current Ph.D. students who want to be awarded the master’s degree without proceeding to complete their doctoral studies should withdraw from the Ph.D. program and re-apply to the appropriate master’s degree program.

Students with no financial support (stipend, tuition and fees, GTAs, GRAs, fellowships, scholarships, etc.) from UTSA at any time during their doctoral program must meet all of the requirements below:

  1. Complete the appropriate set of 36 semester credit hours of coursework, matching, to the satisfaction of the appropriate Graduate Program Committee, the 36 hours required for regular master’s degrees at UTSA in the specified area.
  2. Pass a doctoral qualifying examination related to the above 36-semester-credit-hour program, administered under the standard UTSA regulations.
  3. Apply for award of the master’s degree before the application deadline and in the manner prescribed for regular master’s degrees at UTSA.
  4. Submit the following documentations to the Office of the KCEID Dean:
    • An approved program of study for the master’s degree
    • A certification that the student has passed the Qualifying Examination
    • An official transcript (or certified copy from the Office of the Registrar) showing a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and good standing status
    • A certification stating the removal of any academic conditions imposed by the program’s admissions committee
    • A certification from the mentor and the department chair that the student is on track with his/her doctoral program of study and research, and that the student will satisfactorily complete his/her dissertation work as required by the program

Students who have received financial support (stipend, tuition and fees, GTAs, GRAs, fellowships, scholarships, etc.) from UTSA at any time during their doctoral program must meet all the requirements below:  

  1. Pass a doctoral qualifying examination related to the above 36-semester-credit-hour program, administered under the standard UTSA regulations.
  2. Be on track with their dissertation and plan to continue on with their PhD program.
  3. Apply for award of the master’s degree one semester before the dissertation defense with approval of the mentor and department chair. Application for the master’s degree must be by or before the application deadline and in the manner prescribed for regular master’s degrees at UTSA.
  4. Submit the following documentations to the Office of the KCEID Dean:
    • An approved program of study for the master’s degree
    • A certification that the student has passed the Qualifying Examination
    • An official transcript (or certified copy from the Office of the Registrar) showing a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better and good standing status
    • A certification stating the removal of any academic conditions imposed by the program’s admissions committee
    • A draft copy of the written dissertation that is approved by the mentor and the department chair