Time limitations

For students entering a doctoral program with a master’s degree, a maximum of five years will be allowed from admission to completion of all required comprehensive examinations. For students entering with a bachelor’s degree, a maximum of two additional years will be added to this limit, for a maximum of seven years from admission to completion of all comprehensive examinations. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

A maximum of three years will be allowed from the completion of comprehensive examinations to advancement to candidacy. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.

A doctoral candidate has a minimum of four months and a maximum of five years from the effective date of advancement to candidacy to complete all requirements for graduation, including defense of the dissertation and its final approval by the Office of Graduate Studies. Doctoral programs may have stricter requirements. Candidates must be continuously enrolled during that period. Failure to meet this time limit will result in cancellation of admission to the doctoral program.