Candidacy Examination Timeline

  • 2nd Summer Semester or 3rd Autumn Semester in Graduate Program:  Schedule Second Year Review
  1. Schedule a meeting and sign out the necessary room
  2. Send a document with proposed specific aims to the Advisory Committee at least one day prior to the meeting; include the third, independent aim (one or more variants) for discussion
  3. Prepare a short presentation detailing progress to date and a summary of coursework (approximately a 30 minute talk).
  4. The specific aims should be agreed upon during the Second Year Review or soon thereafter
  5. The Advisor will submit an Annual Review form to the Graduate Studies Chair.
  • Immediately upon receiving approval of the aims:  Write General Examination Document
  1. Student has 4 weeks from receiving approval for the Specific Aims of the proposal to produce a written document in the format of NIH grant application
  2. Document should contain sufficient work to occupy the full-time efforts of 1 researcher for a 2 year period
  3. Maximum of 12 pages including figures and tables

Specific Aims (1 page)
Research Strategy (6-12 pages)
References Cited (does not count towards page limits)

Students are encouraged to visit the NIH grants tutorial or sample site for more information on the preparation of an NIH grant.

For more details see:  Guidelines for preparation of general exam document

  • 4 weeks after receiving the approved aims:  Submit document to committee with a Proposal Evaluation Form
  • 1 week after General Document submission:  committee members send completed proposal form to Advisor and Program Coordinator

Minimum of "Pass" required

  • Schedule Oral Defense

Sign out the necessary room

  • 2 weeks before Oral Defense:  Submit Doctoral Notification of Candidacy Examination to Graduate School

Complete the Application for Candidacy at gradforms.osu.edu

  • 2 weeks are available for document revisions, if necessary

Make suggested corrections/revisions
Revised document will not be re-graded

  • Oral Defense
  1. Examination consists of  a 2 hour of questions and answers period
  2. Prepare a brief (3-5 slides) summary presentation.
  3. Possible outcomes:

Pass and advance to Candidacy
Retake Oral Examination based on original proposal
Write Masters Thesis and not advance to Candidacy
Withdraw from graduate program

  • Within 24 hours of passing Oral Defense:  Advisory Committee complete the GradForm online for the Graduate School
    Form will be available after the Oral Defense by Advisor