National Cheng Kung University

Institute of Manufacturing Information and Systems

Doctoral Program Study Directions

Passed at the institute meeting on October 7, 1999

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on August 14, 2001

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on May 7, 2003

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on June 17, 2003

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on December 3, 2003

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on March 17, 2004

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on December 21, 2004

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on July 21, 2005

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on September 20, 2005

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on September 20, 2006

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on June 4, 2009

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on March 8, 2010

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on May 27, 2010

Amended and passed at the institute meeting on July 7, 2011

1. The following directions are established to supervise the study of graduate students enrolled at the doctoral program of the Institute of Manufacturing Information and Systems (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) and maintain the performance levels of doctoral students.

Admission

2. The admission examination is carried out pursuant to the regulations stipulated in the admission brochure of the University.

Advisor Selection

3. Doctoral students shall select a dissertation advisor within one month after the first semester begins, or have a dissertation advisor assigned to them at the institute meeting. The decision shall be submitted to the Institute.
4. The dissertation advisor must hold a full-time position at assistant professor level or above at the Institute. Instructors in other departments or graduate schools may serve as co-advisor.

Course Requirements and Study Periods

5. Students must propose a course-taking plan within half a year after enrollment.
6. The study period for the doctoral program is 2-7 years. Graduate students at the in-service evening program may extend the study period by one year.
7. Except for seminar and dissertation courses, at least 18 credits from manufacturing-related courses are required for graduation.
8. Doctoral students shall satisfactorily complete four seminar courses during the study period.
9. A minimum score of 70 is required to pass each course and the dissertation while the maximum score is 100.

Qualification Examination

10. Every doctoral student is required to participate in the qualification examination. The examination subjects can be freely selected from any two (taught by different professors) of the courses provided by the doctoral program of the Institute. Applications for the examination shall be submitted before each semester begins.
11. A written qualification examination(1-3 hours) is held once every semester, in principle during the third week of each semester. A minimum score of 70 is required to pass the examination.
12. Doctoral students shall pass all of the qualification examination subjects within three years after enrollment. For those who fail the examination, the Institute will notify the Registration Section to expel such students from the University. Those who fail a subject may try one more time with the same subject after 6 months. For those who fail again, the Institute will notify the Registration Section to expel such students from the University.

Submission and Revision of Dissertation Proposals

13. Graduate students who have passed the qualification examination shall draw up a dissertation proposal related to the manufacturing engineering field no later than four years after enrollment. After the proposals are signed and confirmed by their dissertation advisors and then reviewed by the Director, the graduate students thus become doctoral candidates. If a dissertation proposal report is rejected by the committee that consists of dissertation advisors or advisors, another report may be submitted no less than a semester later. If the second dissertation proposal report is still rejected after the evaluation, the Institute shall notify the Registration Section to expel the student from the University.
14. Dissertation proposals shall be written in the form provided by the Institute.
15. During writing dissertation, doctoral candidates may not change their dissertation advisors or revise dissertation proposals without prior permission. If such change or revision is necessary for certain reasons, they shall first submit a written request to the Institute, and the Director shall convene an institute meeting to reach a decision, so that the applicants will become qualified doctoral candidates once again.

Publishing Journal Papers

16. Doctoral students shall have two or more academic papers related to the manufacturing engineering field published on, or accepted by, SCI/SSCI journals. In terms of the order of authors on these published papers, two criteria must be fulfilled: 1. the dissertation advisor or co-advisor must be one of the authors. 2. Except for their advisor or co-advisor, the doctoral students shall be the first author within first 2 places. Special cases shall be determined by the Institute committee.
17. In regard to doctoral candidates’ papers published during their study period about their research results, only those include the complete title of the Institute of Manufacturing Information and Systems of National Cheng Kung University will be acknowledged by the Institute. An offprint or copy of the research papers must be submitted to the Institute for archiving and inspection purposes.

Dissertation Reports

18. A public dissertation report shall be released at least two weeks prior to the dissertation oral defense.
19. A dissertation report application shall be submitted to the Institute two weeks before the report is released publicly.

Dissertation Oral Defense

20. An application for dissertation oral defense may not be filed until all of the aforesaid graduation requirements are fulfilled.
21. An application for dissertation oral defense shall be filed at least one month prior to the date of the oral defense.
22. The applications shall be approved by doctoral candidates’ dissertation advisors who shall recommend the candidates in written form to the Institute (the candidates’ contribution made in the papers that have been accepted or published, as well as the academic contribution of their doctoral dissertations, must be included in the letter of recommendation). The letters will be presented by the Institute to the University for archiving purposes.
23. After the doctoral candidates have passed the doctoral dissertation oral defense held by the Institute, they immediately graduate from the doctoral program of the Institute of Manufacturing Information and Systems of National Cheng Kung University and be conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.

Expulsion

24. Doctoral students shall be expelled if any of the following happens,
    1. The condition for required courses and credits is not fulfilled within the study period.
    2. The condition for qualification examination is not fulfilled.
    3. The condition for dissertation oral defense is not fulfilled.
    4. Fail to register on time.
    5. Moral conduct score is below 60.
    6. Entrance application disqualified after review.
    7. Plagiarism is found in the academic writing.
    8. Other violations lead the committee to make the decision for expulsion.

Graduate students violate any regulations may lead to expulsion or other penalties.

Supplementary Provisions

25. If any part of the aforesaid directions is incomplete, a resolution shall be reached at the institute meeting.
26. The directions came into effect upon being passed at the institute meeting; the same procedure applies to the amendments, if any.