Graduation Requirements

1. The PhD degree currently requires 116 semester credit hours, of which at least 56 credit hours must be beyond those for the Master’s degree. Our curriculum includes policy, research, and statistical courses as well as social work and educational theory seminars. In addition to the core courses, our program requires at least 9 hours of interdisciplinary elective study and at least 14 hours of Dissertation Research.

2. Two years of graduate study beyond the Master’s degree, of which at least two consecutive semesters of full-time study (9 hours per semester) must be taken in residence.

3. Satisfactory performance on a written Qualifying Examination taken after completion of the required core course work.

4. Admission to candidacy by vote of the PhD Committee.

5. The completion of a dissertation.

6. Successful defense of the dissertation.

7. Completion of all dissertation work within three years from the date of admission to candidacy. Extensions of this time requirement must be approved by the PhD Committee.

8. Completion of all work toward the degree within seven years of admission to the Program. Extension of this time requirement must be approved by the PhD Committee and The Graduate School.