Hello, this is the Educational Affairs Division.
At UST, due to the full revision of the Degree Conferment Regulations (September 6, 2022), different academic terms have coexisted depending on the time of admission, causing confusion and inconvenience for both faculty and students.
To address this issue, starting from the Spring 2025 semester, we will standardize the terms and procedures related to Ph.D. degree conferment as follows:
Key Details:
The regulations regarding the Qualifying Exam and Doctoral Dissertation Review will be unified, however, for students admitted before the full revision (up to Fall Semester 2022), any changes that could result in disadvantages will be applied as recommendations rather than mandatory rules.
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Category |
Before Revision |
→ |
After Revision (Unified Regardless of Admission Period) |
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Up to Fall 2022 Admitted Students |
From Spring 2023 Admitted Students |
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Qualifying Exam Committee |
Exam Name |
Comprehensive Exam |
Qualifying Exam |
Qualifying Exam |
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Semesters Restriction* |
No restriction (Must meet minimum credit requirements) |
Doctoral Program: Within 3 semesters Integrated Program: Within 6 semesters |
Doctoral Program: Within 3 semesters Integrated Program: Within 6 semesters |
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Committee Members |
5 members including the advisor |
3-5 members including the advisor |
5 members including the advisor (Same number as the dissertation review committee) |
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Dissertations (Defense) |
Semester Requirement* |
Proposal review and dissertation review can be conducted in the same semester |
Proposal review and dissertation review must be conducted in separate semesters |
Proposal review and dissertation review must be conducted in separate semesters |
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* Note: Dark-highlighted changes indicate mandatory requirements for students admitted from Spring Semester 2023, while they remain recommendations for those admitted up to Fall Semester 2022.
※ There is no change in the procedure for awarding a master's degree. (comprehensive examination is conducted as before)
Implementation Timeline:
(February 5, 2025): Approval of the 223rd Graduate School Committee
(February 14, 2025): Revision of the Degree Conferment Regulations
(March 1, 2025): Implementation of the revised Degree Conferment Regulations
For detailed information, please refer to the "Spring 2025 Academic Manual" and the upcoming announcement on the Spring 2025 Qualifying Exam, which is scheduled to be released in early March.
For any inquiries related to graduation, please contact us through the Q&A board on the Academic Information System (ais.ust.ac.kr) or via email at graduation@ust.ac.kr.
Thank you.