The Doctor of Philosophy in Mining Engineering is the terminal degree for those interested in research, problem-solving and university teaching. It comprises a period of residency, coursework and original research that contributes to the body of knowledge. The Ph.D. research results are reported in a publicly available dissertation and, frequently, in technical journals. The successful Ph.D. candidate will have demonstrated maturity and independence with respect to the research performed. The dissertation shall be distinguished by a level of originality and expertise not likely to be found anywhere else for the particular subject researched.
Requirements for the doctorate may be completed in three years of full-time graduate work or the equivalent in combined full-time and part-time study; however, more time may be required. On the recommendation of the director of graduate studies (DGS) and with the concurrence of the dean of The Graduate School, successful completion of a master’s degree may be considered the equivalent of the first of the three years. The following residency requirements must be completed:
1. Students pursuing the doctorate must spend at least two consecutive semesters enrolled in a degree program on campus in intensive study. Such enrollment must occur prior to passing the Qualifying Examination. During these two semesters, the students must be enrolled as full-time students, carrying nine or more hours. If the summer term is to be used in lieu of one of these semesters, enrollment for nine hours is required.
Note: If students hold an awarded master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in the same discipline and completed two (2) consecutive full-time semesters while pursuing the degree, those semesters may be used in lieu of the above.
2. Students must complete the second year of residency in one or a combination of the following:
Transfer residency credit from an awarded master’s degree from another school Complete a minimum of 18 hours of work (part-time or full-time) beyond the two full-time consecutive semesters (see note above) Apply hours completed while pursuing a University of Kentucky master’s degree
Transfer residency credit from an awarded master’s degree from another school
Complete a minimum of 18 hours of work (part-time or full-time) beyond the two full-time consecutive semesters (see note above)
Apply hours completed while pursuing a University of Kentucky master’s degree
Note: Students fulfilling No. 1 by use of a University of Kentucky master’s degree may not fulfill No. 2 in this manner.
3. Candidates (students who have satisfactorily completed their Qualifying Examinations) for the doctorate must complete two semesters of dissertation study immediately following the Qualifying Examination. This is accomplished by registering for two credit hours of 767 (which is called Residency Credit) each semester and completed with a grade of S. If a summer term is substituted for one of the semesters, two credit hours must be taken during that four-week session. The student need not be physically present on campus while enrolled for credit after the Qualifying Examination. While there is generally no formal classwork attached to these credits, and in some cases, the student may not be on campus, full-tuition costs are assessed in that students who are preparing their dissertations are utilizing university resources such as libraries, computing facilities and faculty’s time and energy.
Note: The semester during which the student passes the Qualifying Examination may be counted for one of the required terms of 767.
4. Candidates who have fulfilled the above requirements, but who have not yet defended the dissertation, are required to enroll in MNG 767 (2 credit hours) each semester until the dissertation is completed and defended. Such registration enables the university to keep accurate records of degree candidates and facilitates rapid and accurate information processing.
It should be understood that the above represents the minimum requirements of The Graduate School. Exceptions to this normal pattern may be made with the approval of the dean of The Graduate School upon the written recommendation of the student’s advisory committee and the DGS, which clearly demonstrates that the principle of residency is preserved. In those situations where part-time coursework toward the doctorate may be used in lieu of full-time enrollment, each nine hours of course credit earned on a part-time basis is considered the equivalent of a full-time semester. This does not apply to the two full-time consecutive residency semesters preceding the Qualifying Examinations or the two residence semesters following the Qualifying Examinations.
1. Program Plan
To be of value, the Ph.D. coursework should complement the intended area of expertise to be developed. The candidate and the advisor should develop a coherent set of courses, the attainment of which would signal readiness for the Qualifying Examination, for review and approval by the advisory committee. The residency requirements represent a bare minimum of credits; ordinarily, the student will take more than 18 credits of coursework beyond the master’s degree. Remedial coursework assigned to make up deficiencies may not count toward residency.
2. Coursework
At least one-half of the coursework presented for the Ph.D. degree shall be at the 600- and 700-level. Non-organized coursework (780 or 790) and coursework at the 400-level (4xx-G) may not be used to satisfy the minimum residency requirements.
Since the Ph.D. subsumes a master’s degree, the list of courses for which a student is held responsible for the master’s degree also pertains to Ph.D. coursework. The student need not repeat these courses if they or their equivalent have been taken with earlier studies. The student will be accountable for this material on the Qualifying Examination.
3. Language Requirement
There is no language requirement for Ph.D. candidates.
4. Grades
The minimum grade point average for graduation with a Ph.D. is 3.0.
A Qualifying Examination consisting of both written and oral components is required of all doctoral students. Its purpose is to verify that the student has sufficient understanding of and competence in his or her field to become a candidate for the degree. The Qualifying Examination is prepared and administered by the advisory committee. That committee also reviews the results of the examination. A majority vote of the core of the advisory committee is required for the successful completion of the Qualifying Examination.
The examination is given usually after four semesters of graduate work or the equivalent. The Qualifying Examination must be scheduled through the director of graduate studies (DGS) and approved two weeks in advance by The Graduate School. Failure to meet this scheduling requirement may result in students not having proper university status and may cause omissions in records, loss of credits or delay of graduation.
Students should check with the DGS to make sure that the Qualifying Examination has been appropriately scheduled. The results of the examination must be reported by the DGS to The Graduate School within 10 days of its conclusion. If the result is a failure, the committee determines the conditions be met before another examination may be given.
The minimum time between examinations is four months. A second examination must be taken within one year after taking the first examination. A third examination is not permitted. The Qualifying Examination will consist of two broad parts: background and specialization. In the background portion, the student will be examined on the list of subjects selected by the student to satisfy the required courses. The specialization portion will include questions based on courses in the program plan used to develop expertise in a particular subject. Whenever possible, the faculty member who taught a particular course will be solicited for questions and their solutions from that course.
Each doctoral candidate must present a dissertation that represents the culmination of a major research project.
The dissertation must be a well-reasoned, original contribution to knowledge in the field of study and should provide evidence of high scholarly achievement. The major professor is the primary source of guidance in the planning and preparation of the dissertation. However, other members of the advisory committee may be involved in the process as well. All core members of the advisory committee must read the dissertation prior to signing the approval form. It is the responsibility of the advisory committee to make suggestions for revisions before the final examination. A majority of the advisory committee core members must indicate that the form and substance of the dissertation are adequate to justify the scheduling of the final examination. The final examination for the dissertation may not be scheduled without the signatures of a majority of the advisory committee members on the approval form. The form of the dissertation must be in conformity with the instructions prepared by The Graduate School. For specific instructions regarding the format of the dissertation, the student should obtain a copy of "Instructions for the Preparation of Theses and Dissertation" from The Graduate School. Each graduating doctoral student will pay dissertation fees. Payment will be made at the University Billings and Collections Office. Authorization forms to pay dissertation fees are issued in Room 331, Patterson Office Tower.
The final examination includes a defense of the dissertation and may be as comprehensive in the major and minor areas as the advisory committee chooses to make it.
It is conducted by an expanded advisory committee chaired by the director of graduate studies (DGS) or someone designated by the DGS. The dean of The Graduate School and president of the university are ex officio members of all final examination committees. The examination is a public event and its scheduling is published and announced beforehand. Any member of the university community may attend. At least four weeks prior to the final examination, following notification by the major professor that the dissertation has been distributed to members of the advisory committee, the DGS will advise The Graduate School of the intent to examine. At this time, the dean of The Graduate School appoints an outside examiner as a core member of the advisory committee. The specific time and date of the examination must be designated by The Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the actual examination.
All members of the committee except the outside examiner have had an opportunity to suggest revisions prior to signing the Dissertation Approval Form. Thus, most revisions should have been completed at an earlier time. The final examination must take place no later than eight days prior to the last day of classes of the semester in which the student expects to graduate. The Dissertation Approval Form, along with a printed copy of the dissertation, must be presented to The Graduate School at the time the final examination is established. The draft of the dissertation submitted must be complete in content including all footnotes, tables, figures and appendices. A full bibliography or set of references must be included, as must a title page and abstract. In all decisions, the majority opinion of the graduate faculty members of the advisory committee prevails.
If the advisory committee is evenly divided, the candidate fails. In the event of failure, the advisory committee recommends to the dean of The Graduate School conditions under which the candidate may be reexamined, if reexamination is deemed appropriate. When those conditions have been met, the candidate may be reexamined. Should any vacancies on the committee occur between the two examinations, the dean of The Graduate School shall appoint replacements. A third examination is not permitted. After the final examination is passed, the final copy of the dissertation is prepared.
Final copies are then submitted to The Graduate School along with the signatures of the major professor and the DGS. The dissertation in its final form must be received by The Graduate School office within 60 days of the final examination. If this deadline is not met, the candidate must undergo a second examination.
