Students must submit a Dissertation Proposal to the Doctoral Committee by the end of their fourth year
in the program. This proposal should take the form of a scientific grant proposal to a major funding agency. It should describe the research project that the student intends to carry out and upon which their Doctoral Dissertation will be based. The student must also offer an oral presentation of the Proposal before the Computational Science faculty. After successful completion of the Dissertation Proposal, the student will be recommended for Advancement to Candidacy at both campuses. In order to formally advance to candidacy for the Ph.D., the student is to complete the “Ph.D. Form I – Advancement to Candidacy – Ph.D. Degree” form with appropriate signatures at UCI and SDSU. The original form will be kept on file at UCI with a copy being kept on file at SDSU. Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree must occur at least one term prior to dissertation defense. UCI forms can be found at Forms & Applications | Graduate Division | UCI.

Dissertation Proposal/Advancement to Candidacy (Comp 897)

1. What is the Dissertation Proposal?
   • The Dissertation Proposal should take the form of a scientific grant proposal to a major funding agency. The Proposal must describe the research project that the student intends to carry out and upon which their Doctoral Dissertation will be based. The student will make a presentation based on the Dissertation, highlighting their preliminary results and the work that they will complete. The Dissertation Proposal should be completed in sufficient time to allow the research to be completed, and will describe the research that will be performed. Students must submit a Dissertation Proposal to the Doctoral Committee by the end of their fourth year in the program.
2. Who should attend the presentation?
   • All members of the JDP Committee should be present; other faculty members, staff and students of the Computational Science Research Center, and the public, are invited to attend.

   • If proposal is presented through virtual meeting, all committee members from the home campus (where the primary advisor is a faculty member) must be in person where the student is presenting.  All committee members from the other campus can attend remotely.

3. What other requirements are there for the Dissertation Proposal?
   • A copy of the Dissertation Proposal must be received by each member of the JDP Committee and the Computational Science Program Directors at least two weeks before the scheduled presentation.
   • After successful completion of the Dissertation Proposal, the student will be recommended for Advancement to Candidacy at both campuses. The appropriate form entitled “Ph.D. Form I – Advancement to Candidacy –Ph.D. Degree” must be completed at UCI Graduate Division and SDSU College of Graduate Studies.
   • The Ph.D Form I for the Ph.D. degree must be approved by both universities at least one (1) term prior to the Dissertation Defense.