Colorado Technical University

Is it proper to add( Ph.D candidate) after your name when taking a doctoral program.?

I have seen this practiced by some doctoral students but I think strongly that it is wrong and deceiving.

Public Comments

1. I don't see what's deceiving about it. Once they get to a certain point in their studies, they ARE PhD candidates. I'd think twice before actually adding that after your name, though--it might come across as pushy or pretentious.
2. On a departmental website or a business card it is totally appropriate. People who are working on their dissertations also use the title ABD, all but dissertation. It's pretentious to say "Hi, I'm Tom, Ph.D. candidate" in a laundromat, but in an academic situation it's simply stating a fact.
3. What is deceptive about it? You're in a doctoral program. If you aren't a Ph.D. candidate, what ARE you?
4. Only if you have passed Comps, had your dissertation prospectus approved, and are currently working on it. Otherwise, you are just a PhD student. You haven't entered Candidacy yet. Candidate is an academic rank among PhD students.
5. My daughter is in a PhD program in engineering and she does it as part of her email signature block. So yes, I think its fine.
6. You are not deceiving as others have said but it is inappropriate to boast about a degree that you have not received. I know that it is not completely true but you are not being modest but boasting and that is what it will be taken as doing./