...
An ECE PhD student is expected to advance to doctoral candidacy within one year after attempting and/or attempting completing 33 or more hours of coursework (including courses like Research Problems) within the Graduate Program, excluding approved leaves of absence. The accumulation of attempted or completed credit hours includes individual instruction courses like Research Problems. The first semester after you attempt or complete 33 or more credit begins the year in which you're expected to complete the steps listed below. Advancing to doctoral candidacy should be done as soon as a general research area and topic have been identified. You are not considered a PhD candidate until you have advanced to candidacy officially.
...