The Unwritten Milestones Towards a PhD
Ashwin Ram
| Milestone | Target | When Accomplished | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enroll in graduate school | |||
| Secure advising, register for classes | Each quarter | ||
| Take core exam | First quarter | ||
| Select tentative research advisor | Second quarter (re-evaluate as necessary) | ||
| Do independent research projects (8503s) | Each quarter except very first quarter | ||
| Meet with advisor to review course and research performance | Each quarter | ||
| Identify research area | First summer (re-evaluate as necessary) | ||
| Select research advisor | By 4 to 7 quarters | ||
| Meet with advisor to review course and research performance | Every 2 to 4 weeks | ||
| Complete core requirements; file petition | By six quarters | ||
| Complete breadth requirements; file petition | By nine quarters | ||
| Take area exam | In 7th to 9th quarters | ||
| Identify research topic and problem | Late second year or early third year | ||
| Write research paper, tech report, or conference paper | Second or third year | ||
| Select thesis committee members | Third year | ||
| Meet individually with each committee member | Twice a year | ||
| Write PhD proposal and discuss with committee | Third year | ||
| Propose PhD; admission to candidacy; file forms | By end of third year | ||
| Write conference or journal papers and tech reports | Each year after proposal | ||
| Write outline or draft of PhD dissertation; discuss with committee | Late fourth year or early fifth year | ||
| Defend PhD research; meet individually with committee members and then again with advisor | Late fourth year or early fifth year; approximately six months before graduating | ||
| Write PhD dissertation; get advisor to approve draft, then get committee members' comments and approval, then advisor's final approval | Late fourth year or early to mid fifth year | ||
| Defend PhD dissertation; file forms for graduation, copyright, etc. | Late fourth year or fifth year |