After satisfying the course and examination requirements for Stage II and before taking the major field
written examination, the student should reconstitute his/her Advisory Committee as a Candidacy/QE
Committee. This committee should consist of five faculty members: four AHMA faculty members from at
least two different departments and one faculty member (who must be a Berkeley Academic Senate
member) from an outside department, nominated by the student with the advice and consent of the Graduate
Advisor. These will review the student’s dissertation prospectus and will serve as QE examiners; one of
them should be the student’s prospective dissertation chair. In consultation with this Committee, the student
must then:
1. Compose and submit to the Committee a prospectus of the intended dissertation that defines its
subject, scope, approach, rationale, and timetable for completion, and includes a select
bibliography. The prospectus should not exceed five pages in length, excluding the bibliography.
2. Devise a plan of study toward the major field written examination and Qualifying Examination.
At a colloquium held four to six months before the Qualifying Examination, the Candidacy/QE Committee
and the student then (a) review and finalize this prospectus; and (b) determine the precise scope of the
examination, in order to provide an appropriate foundation for the student’s dissertation research.
The student should also consult with the SAO well in advance of the colloquium so that all Graduate
Division requirements are met and forms submitted at the appropriate times.