Ph.D. Program Timeline
Although the time needed to complete all requirements varies, in general students take four to five years to complete their Ph.D. degree.
In addition to completing course requirements and comprehensive exam, students are encouraged to start a research agenda as soon as possible. This includes exploring research areas, identifying research topics, getting to know the research community, attending professional conferences in a research area, and doing research and disseminating findings. An important first step towards achieving this goal is to start meeting with one’s academic adviser.
The following is a brief overview of milestones in the Ph.D. program sequence and the persons or groups who provide guidance along the way.
Requirement | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
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Course Work | Courses to meet degree requirement | Courses to meet degree requirement | | |
Committee formation | Working with academic advisor | Working with academic advisor | Dissertation Committee | |
Comprehensive Examination | | | Complete Comprehensive Examination | |
Dissertation | Pre-dissertation research | Pre-dissertation research | Defend dissertation proposal | Complete dissertation research and defense |