Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Additional Requirements

Establishment of Program of Study

During their first year, each student and his/her academic advisor will develop, on the basis of the student’s research interests, an individualized Program of Study that outlines the coursework the student will take to complete their degree. This Program of Study will be presented for approval to the Graduate Studies Committee toward the end of the student’s first year, and will include any and all coursework deemed necessary to meet the degree requirements described above.

Proposed Program Schedule

1. The sequencing of course offerings favors admission in Fall semester.
2. Prerequisites, if any should be completed in the first year of study if possible, and must be completed prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy.
3. Toward the end of the first year of doctoral study, the Program of Study should be established and presented to the Graduate Studies Committee for approval.
4. By the end of the second year of post master's study, organized course work in the program of study should be near completion, and the comprehensive examination should be taken.
5. Following successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student may be advanced to candidacy.
6. In the year following the successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the dissertation proposal should have been defined and presented to the Dissertation Committee.

Ph.D. Student Evaluation

Ph.D. students must make satisfactory progress and will be evaluated for satisfactory progress each year, especially regarding completion of course work, GPA, and research involvement.

1. Incompletes. Graduate students are expected to complete courses within the time frame of the semester. In unusual cases where this semester framework is not in the best interest of the student, the professor may report the symbol X (incomplete) in place of a grade. The student must then complete the course requirements and the instructor must report a final grade by the end of the grade reporting period in the student’s next long-session semester of enrollment (i.e., spring or fall semester). If this deadline is not met, the symbol X is converted to the symbol I (permanent incomplete). The symbol I cannot be converted to a grade. The GSC considers two or more grades of incomplete including permanent incompletes as unsatisfactory progress. (TAs, GRAs, etc., may acquire no more than two grades of X or one grade of X and I. They cannot have two or more grades of I.)
2. GPA. The student is expected to maintain the minimum GPA of 3.0 required by the Graduate School. This GPA pertains to course work within the major department, to course work outside the department and also to the overall combined GPA.
3. Research Involvement. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with the Academic Advisor to be certain that all research expectations are made clear. Students who are not actively involved in research will be considered as not making satisfactory progress.