All students in programs that allow for the C.Phil. option and who are advanced to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree are eligible for the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree. To be eligible for this designation, the student must possess the intellectual capacity to complete the requirements for the Ph.D. The Candidate in Philosophy degree is intended as a formal indication that the student has completed the requirements for advancement to candidacy; it is not intended as a terminal degree. The advantage of this intermediate degree is that students who have fulfilled their residence requirements and have advanced to candidacy will have tangible evidence of this accomplishment if they wish to complete their dissertation while holding a full-time teaching or research position.

Any program may offer the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree if it is listed in the program's degree requirements. However, this degree should only be used in very rare individual cases, such as a posthumous award.