requirements for phd course

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How the PhD Program Works

Program Overview

Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 5 years of full-time study. The first 2 years in the program prepare you for admission to candidacy by taking courses, qualifying exams, and starting research projects. In the last few years, you are primarily conducting research full-time including writing and defending your doctoral dissertation.

Admission to candidacy.

You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. All programs requires a preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written.

Some programs may have further requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.

Beginning the Wharton PhD Curriculum How the first two years of the Wharton program helped students discover their interests, learn the tools of the profession, and fuel their passion for teaching.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.

Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field. You are expected to be an expert in the topic you choose to research.

You are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, but you can start thinking about and working on research of relevance at any time.

The dissertation process culminates with a “defense,” in which you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.

While working on your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation advisor and dissertation committee.

Policies and Procedures

Get more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.

Sample Program Sequence

Years 1 & 2.

Coursework Examination Research Papers Research Activities Field-Specific Requirements

Directed Reading & Research Admission to Candidacy Formulation of Research Topic

Years 4 & 5

Continued Research Oral Examination Dissertation

Hear From Our Doctoral Community

Uniting great minds, wharton’s stat bridge ma program takes flight, faculty expertise in housing economics attracted this phd student to wharton, closing the tenure gap for business faculty of color.

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Application requirements for all doctoral programs (phd).

All of our doctoral programs are designed to develop outstanding educational researchers who have a deep understanding of the scientific, practical and policy issues they study. All require full-time study, and we promise five years of full-time financial support for every student we admit. Our doctoral programs are small, typically ranging from about 25 to 35 new students a year. The small size of our doctoral cohorts creates big educational advantages for students: the classes are almost always small, students receive individualized attention from their advisors, and they have many opportunities to develop close collegial relationships with fellow students.

It is extremely important to demonstrate in your statement of purpose that your interests converge closely with the current research of faculty who work in the program to which you are applying. Other doctoral applicants will certainly do this, and if you don't, you will forfeit an important competitive advantage to them. 

If you wish to contact faculty, please read our Which Degree Which Program article, by Professor Eamonn Callan, which outlines the appropriate process for contacting faculty with whom you share research interests. 

• Program website:  Degrees and Programs/PhD
• Length of Program:  5 years (average length)
• Tuition: fellowship/assistantship salary and tuition guaranteed for first five years of the program (autumn, winter and spring quarters) for all students, including international students. Funding includes two summers.

Application Requirements:

Application form.

Complete and submit Stanford's graduate online application .

Application Fee

The application fee is $125 , is non-refundable, and must be received by the application deadline.

Application Fee Waivers

Stanford offers three types of application fee waivers for which GSE applicants may apply and be considered:

• GRE Fee Reduction Certificate-Based Waiver
• Diversity Program Participation-Based Waiver
• School-Based Waiver

Please visit the Stanford Graduate Diversity website for instructions, deadlines, and the fee waiver application form.

Statement of Purpose

A Statement of Purpose is required. Your statement should be typed, single-spaced and should be between one to two pages . Describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the proposed program, your preparation for this field of study, and why our program is a good fit for you, your future career plans, and other aspects of your background as well as interests which may aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. You may indicate potential faculty mentors as part of your study and research interests. Be sure to keep a copy for your records. What's a Good Statement of Purpose?

A resume or CV  is required of all applicants, depending on which document is most appropriate for your background. There is no page limit for resumes or CVs, though we typically see resumes of one page in length. Please upload your resume or CV in the online application.

Three (3) Letters of Recommendation

Applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation . In the online application, you will be asked to identify your recommenders and their email addresses. Please notify your recommenders that they will receive an email prompt to submit their recommendation online. You can submit your request for letters of recommendation through the system without submitting the entire online application.  Stanford GSE only accepts online recommendations through the application system ; Stanford GSE cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed recommendations.

Recommendations should be written by people who have supervised you in an academic, employment, or community service setting. We very strongly recommend that at least one of these letters be from a university professor familiar with your academic work. Your recommendations should directly address your suitability for admission to a graduate program at Stanford GSE.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation are submitted through the system by the application deadline , so please work closely with your recommenders to remind them of the deadline.

College and University Transcripts

Transcripts are required from every college and university you have attended for at least one academic year as a full-time student. When submitting your online application, transcripts should be uploaded to the application as a scanned copy or PDF ; this is sufficient for the application review process. Please refrain from sending a secured PDF/transcript with a digital signature as our system cannot upload these properly. The best way to ensure we receive an upload-able document is for you to print out the secured transcript, scan it, and upload the scanned copy (not to exceed 10MB) as a PDF. 

If you earned a degree at the institution from which you are submitting a transcript, please ensure that the degree conferral date and the degree conferred is clearly visible on the document. If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Only if admitted will we contact you with instructions on sending two copies of your official transcripts to our office. We cannot accept mailed, emailed or faxed copies of your transcripts during the application process. Please note: the instructions for sending transcripts on the online application and on the general Stanford Graduate Admissions Office website differ from this Stanford GSE requirement.

Concerning course work completed in a study abroad program

If the coursework and grades are reflected on the transcript of your home institution, you do not need to submit original transcripts from the study abroad institution.

Concerning foreign institutions

If your institution provides a transcript in a language other than English, we require that you submit a translation of the transcript that is either provided by the institution or a certified translator. Translations must be literal and complete versions of the original records.

If your transcript does not include your degree conferral date and the degree conferred , please submit a scanned copy of your diploma, a conferral statement, or a conferral document in addition to your transcript . If you are currently enrolled in a degree program and will not have earned the respective degree by the time of submitting your GSE application, you should submit your most recent in-progress transcript from your institution.

Stanford University requires the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from all applicants whose native language is not English. The GSE requires a minimum TOEFL score of 250 for the computer-based test, 600 for the paper-based test or 100 for the internet-based test in order to be considered for admission. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is not required. Applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree or a two-year master's program (or its equivalent) in the U.S. or at an institution where English is the main language of instruction are not required to take the TOEFL. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please refer to the Required Exams  page on the main Stanford Graduate Admissions website. You may register for the TOEFL test directly at the ETS website .

TOEFL Dates and Deadlines

PhD applicants who are required to take the TOEFL should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test and have official TOEFL scores sent electronically to Stanford at institution code 4704 (department code does not matter) no later than November 1 . This will give your official TOEFL scores time to be sent from ETS and be received by our system in time for the December 1 deadline. PhD applicants to Knight-Hennessy Scholars should plan to take the internet-based TOEFL test no later than October 16 so your scores can be received by our system in time for the November 16 KHS GSE deadline. Please note that the TOEFL may be taken no earlier than 18 months prior to the application deadline.

Does Stanford accept tests other than TOEFL?

No. We accept only TOEFL scores; we do not accept IELTS or other test scores.

Contact Information

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Ph.d. requirements.

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Brown University awards more than 200 doctor of philosophy degrees annually.

The Brown Ph.D. is primarily a research degree. Teaching is an important part of many doctoral programs, and many departments require candidates for the Ph.D. to have teaching experience.

Brown University offers substantial financial support to doctoral students. All incoming doctoral students are guaranteed five years of support, which includes a stipend, full tuition remission, health-services fee, and a health-insurance subsidy. Doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are guaranteed six years of support. All promises of student support are subject to students making satisfactory academic progress, as determined by their programs of study. Please see related links for additional details regarding the University's commitment to doctoral education.

Ph.D. Funding

Funding guarantee, four general requirements for the doctor of philosophy.

The candidate must be formally admitted to his or her degree program.

The normal residency requirement is the equivalent of three Academic Years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. Students who enter a PhD program at Brown already holding a master’s degree in a related field have a residency requirement equivalent to two Academic Years of full-time study upon entering the PhD program at Brown. Use of a previously earned master’s degree to reduce PhD residency requirements is contingent upon approval of the program Director of Graduate Study. Graduate work done at other institutions and not used in fulfillment of the requirements for any doctoral degree elsewhere may, on the approval of the program Director of Graduate Study, be counted in fulfillment of up to, but not exceeding, one year of the residency requirement. A student who desires credit for work done elsewhere should file a timely application with the program Director of Graduate Study; transfer credit forms are available through the  Office of the Registrar .

A student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. when he or she has completed satisfactorily all the requirements, departmental and general, requisite to beginning work on the dissertation. Candidacy is determined by the department or program of study and certified by the Registrar. Most departments require a preliminary examination before advancing any student to candidacy. Most departments also require a final examination or defense. The examination is conducted by professors in the department and by such other members of the faculty as may be appointed.

The candidate must present a dissertation on a topic related to his or her area of specialization that presents the results of original research and gives evidence of excellent scholarship. The dissertation must be approved by the professor or committee under whose direction it is written and by the Graduate Council. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within five years after advancement to candidacy.

Faculty Member Leaves Brown

If a faculty member working with a doctoral student leaves Brown for any reason before that student has completed his or her degree requirements, it may not always be possible for that faculty member to continue working with the student as an advisor. In such cases, departments will work with students to help them locate a new advisor.

Additional Requirements

Individual departments and programs may have additional requirements regarding the number of courses to be taken, proficiency in foreign languages, special examinations, and theses. The department should be consulted for specific information.

PhD Admissions

The PhD program in Psychology trains students for careers in research and teaching. In addition to a wide range of courses, the PhD program is characterized by close collaboration between students and their faculty advisors. 

General Information

The Department of Psychology holistically reviews each candidate's complete application to assess the promise of a career in teaching and research. Consideration is based on various factors, including courses taken, grade point average, letters of recommendation, and the statement of purpose. Additionally, the Department of Psychology places considerable emphasis on research training, and admitted students have often been involved in independent research as undergraduate students or post-baccalaureate settings. Although there are no course requirements for admission, all applicants should have sufficient foundational knowledge and research experience to engage in graduate-level coursework and research.

We accept students with undergraduate degrees and those with both undergraduate and master's degrees. An undergraduate psychology major is not required; the Department welcomes applicants from other academic backgrounds.

Our application portal is now closed for the AY24-25 admissions cycle.  Please consider applying during next year's AY25-26 admissions cycle, which opens on September 15, 2024.

How to Apply

Application and deadline.

Our 2025-26 Admissions application will open on September 15, 2024.

Applications will be due on November 30, 2024

The deadline for letters of recommendation will be  November 30, 2024 . 

Once an applicant submits the recommenders' information, the recommenders will receive an automated email with instructions for submitting the letter. Late letters should be sent directly to psych-admissions [at] stanford.edu (psych-admissions[at]stanford[dot]edu) . Staff will add them to the application file if the review process is still underway. Still, the faculty reviewers are not obligated to re-review files for materials submitted after the deadline.

The status of submitted applications can be viewed by logging in to the   application portal . 

The deadline to apply for the Stanford Psychology Ph.D. program is  November 30, 2024 . 

Applicants who are admitted to the program will matriculate in autumn 2025. 

In addition to the information below, please review the  Graduate Admissions  website prior to starting your application. The Department of Psychology does not have rolling admissions. We admit for the Autumn term only.

Requirements

• U.S. Bachelor's degree or its  foreign equivalent
• Statement of Purpose (submitted electronically as part of the graduate application). You will be able to specify three  Psychology Department faculty members , in order of preference, with whom you would like to work. 
• Three  Letters of Recommendation  (submitted electronically). A maximum of six letters will be accepted.
• Unofficial transcripts from all universities and colleges you have attended for at least one year must be uploaded to the graduate application. Applicants who reach the interview stage will be asked to provide official transcripts as well; Department staff will reach out to these applicants with instructions for submitting official transcripts. Please do  not  submit official transcripts with your initial application.
• Required for non-native English speakers: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores, submitted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) electronically to Stanford. 

Application Fee

The fee to apply for graduate study at Stanford is $125. Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver .

Application Review & Status Check

The Department of Psychology welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

To check the status or activity of your application, please log into your  application account . You can also send reminders to recommenders who have not yet submitted their letter of recommendation.

Due to limited bandwidth, the Department of Psychology staff will not answer any phone or email queries about application status, including requests to confirm the receipt of official transcripts.

Our faculty will interview prospective students before making final admission decisions. Candidates who progress to the interview round will be informed in January. Interviews are generally conducted in February.

The Department of Psychology recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

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For More Information

Please see our  list of Frequently Asked Questions  and  psych-admissions [at] stanford.edu (contact us)  should you have additional questions.

• PhD Overview and Timeline

Given here are School-wide graduate degree policies and guidance.  Program-specific degree options, requirements, and model programs can be found on the "Graduate Programs" pages under each of the subject areas listed in  Academics .

General Ph.D. Requirements

• 10 semester-long graduate courses, including at least 8 disciplinary.   At least 5 of the 10 should be graduate-level SEAS "technical" courses (or FAS graduate-level technical courses taught by SEAS faculty), not including seminar/reading/project courses.  Undergraduate-level courses cannot be used.  For details on course requirements, see the school's overall PhD course requirements  and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Program Plan (i.e., the set of courses to be used towards the degree) approval by the  Committee on Higher Degrees  (CHD).
• Minimum full-time academic residency of two years .
• Serve as a Teaching Fellow (TF) in one semester of the second year.
• Oral Qualifying Examination Preparation in the major field is evaluated in an oral examination by a qualifying committee. The examination has the dual purpose of verifying the adequacy of the student's preparation for undertaking research in a chosen field and of assessing the student's ability to synthesize knowledge already acquired. For details on arranging your Qualifying Exam, see the exam policies and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Committee Meetings : PhD students' research committees meet according to the guidelines in each area's "Committee Meetings" listing.  For details see the "G3+ Committee Meetings" section of the Policies of the CHD  and the individual program pages linked therein.
• Final Oral Examination (Defense) This public examination devoted to the field of the dissertation is conducted by the student's research committee. It includes, but is not restricted to, a defense of the dissertation itself.  For details of arranging your final oral exam see the  Ph.D. Timeline  page.
• Dissertation Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, a committee chaired by the research supervisor is constituted to oversee the dissertation research. The dissertation must, in the judgment of the research committee, meet the standards of significant and original research.

Optional additions to the Ph.D. program

Harvard PhD students may choose to pursue these additional aspects:

• a Secondary Field (which is similar to a "minor" subject area).  SEAS offers PhD Secondary Field programs in  Data Science and in  Computational Science and Engineering .   GSAS  lists  secondary fields offered by other programs.
• a Master of Science (S.M.) degree conferred  en route to the Ph.D in one of several of SEAS's subject areas.  For details see here .
• a Teaching Certificate awarded by the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning .

SEAS PhD students may apply to participate in the  Health Sciences and Technology graduate program  with Harvard Medical School and MIT.  Please check with the HST program for details on eligibility (e.g., only students in their G1 year may apply) and the application process.

PhD Timeline

--> Also see the separate pages with on-boarding information for new PhD students <--   Information and Resources for New Graduate Students Wiki site for incoming PhD students (behind Harvard Key)

First Year (G1)

• Notify your financial aid officers of any external funding. Contact:  Erin Bishop  in SEAS Finance and  Emily Fingerle  in GSAS Financial Aid.
• Make note of the course registration deadline. (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies  Academic Calendar.
• Register for courses before the deadline  (previously known as "Study Card Day")
• Mid-January: Deadline for submitting materials to be reviewed at the January CHD meetings .
• Late-January: Course registration deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day").
• G1s: Your  Prospective Program Plan  due to the Office of Academic Programs on this day.
• Transfer of up to 3 classes of coursework may be allowed. Include the  Application for Credit for Work Done Elsewhere  with your Prospective Program Plan. 
• April 1:   Research Advisor Selection Form /Research Assistant appointment form due to Office of Academic Programs.
• Note: The April CHD meeting is the last CHD meeting in all academic year. CHD does not meet over the summer. Remember to plan ahead.

Second year (G2)

Throughout year.

• G2’s are required to serve as a Teaching Fellow in either the Fall or Spring semester.
• Make sure you complete the  TF form once you line up a TF position! 
• G2’s are required to take their qualifying exam in either the Fall or Spring terms.
• Email quals_defenses@seas  to book a room. If you book your own room (e.g., external to SEAS) you must still email  quals_defenses@seas  well in advance in order for your required documentation to be ready, else your exam cannot take place.
• Upon completion of the exam, students are required to submit the  Designation of Research Committee  form to OAP.
• If you plan to request a delay of the qualifying exam, complete a  Request to Delay Qual Exam  form. Note that delays until September (i.e. start of G3 year) are typically approved as a matter of course
• Mid-September: Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies  Academic Calendar.
• Mid-October :  Final Program Plan  due to OAP; see the  CHD page  for dates.
• Late-January : Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies  Academic Calendar.
• May 1 : Advising Agreement form due to OAP.
• May:   Commencement and diploma options for Masters en Route / Continuing Master’s students - You can apply to receive your S.M. degree en route to your PhD after you have completed eight of your core courses (this requirement may depend on area). You will receive your S.M. diploma, and participate in the Commencement if you choose to. However since you will be considered a non-terminal degree recipient, you will not be able to join the ceremony in Sander's Theater. 

Third year (G3+) and beyond

• Meet with your Research Committee at least annually, as indicated by your area's expectations.
• Send any changes to your Final Program Plan to the CHD for review. See the  CHD page  for submission dates.   Note that   the Committee on Higher Degrees expects students not to petition for a revised Program Plan less than a year prior to the final defense  in case additional coursework is required, so it's important to keep your plan up to date with your courses as actually taken.
• Inform OAP of any  changes to your research committee . 
• PhD candidates can review their eligibility to receive an SM en route . 
• Early-September:  Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies  Academic Calendar.
• Late-January: Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies  Academic Calendar
• May 1 :  RA reappointment  form due to OAP.

Completing your degree

Degree application.

• Check out FAS degree-completion information  here  (Registrar) and deadlines  here  (GSAS calendar)
• Complete the  degree application  via my.harvard by the Registrar's deadline.
• If you schedule your own room (e.g., external to SEAS) you must still email quals_defenses@seas   well in advance in order for your required documentation to be ready,  else your defense cannot take place.   You must also get agreement from your full committee to hold your defense in a non-SEAS room.

Dissertation Submission and Commencement

• The best way to share your dissertation with others is by linking to the DASH copy. DASH uses persistent URLs and provides you with download statistics, and the DASH copy of your PDF will not include the signed Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC). If you choose to post or share your PDF in some other way, you should remove the DAC page so that readers do not have access to the scanned signatures.
• Get ready for commencement by updating your email and other contact information via  my.harvard.edu .

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• Guide to PhD Entry Requirements
• Applying to a PhD

Although undertaking a PhD can be an exciting challenge, understanding the numerous entry requirements is an important first step. These prerequisites ensure that prospective PhD students like yourself are well-prepared for the academic challenges that await. The entry requirements for STEM disciplines can differ significantly, depending on the specific program, institution, and country of study; this guide explains these requirements.

Key Takeaways

• Diverse Entry Requirements : PhD entry requirements can vary significantly based on the specific STEM programme, and the country or institution in question.
• Academic Qualifications : While a Bachelor’s degree with upper second class honours is a standard requirement, many institutions also place considerable emphasis on a Master’s degree, especially when obtained with Merit or Distinction.
• English Language Proficiency : For non-native speakers, English language qualifications like TOEFL or IELTS scores are crucial. Some institutions offer pre-sessional English programmes for students marginally missing the mark.
• Professional Experience : Non-traditional candidates can often offset their academic qualifications with significant professional experience relevant to the proposed research.
• Visa and Residency : International students must ensure they meet residency requirements, often needing a specific student visa like the Student Route visa in the UK.
• Financial Considerations : Prospective students should be aware of tuition fees and explore potential external funding options to support their PhD journey.
• Holistic Application Process : Apart from academic qualifications, the application process evaluates research proposals, references, and personal statements to gauge a candidate’s potential for research and contributions to academia.

Standard UK PhD Requirements

For doctoral candidates interested in institutions in the United Kingdom, several standard requirements must be met:

• Bachelors Degree : A minimum of an upper second class honours (2.1) is typically required. It indicates not just academic ability, but a strong foundation in the relevant field.
• Masters Degree : While some STEM fields may accept candidates solely based on their undergraduate performance, many institutions highly value a Masters degree. Notably, achieving a grade of Merit or Distinction can significantly strengthen your application, especially a first class honours degree.
• Relevance in Study : A degree in a field relevant to the chosen PhD program is crucial. This ensures that the student has the foundational knowledge vital for doctoral-level research.

International Degree Equivalents

While the UK has specific grading systems and qualification standards, international students with degrees from overseas institutions shouldn’t feel discouraged. Many UK universities and academic departments accept international qualifications that are deemed equivalent:

• Degree Grades : Depending on the country, a degree with grades like ‘Distinction’ or ‘Honours’ might parallel the UK’s 2.1 or First Class honours.
• Evaluation Process : Institutions often utilise recognised international qualification databases or in-house experts to assess the equivalence of overseas qualifications.
• Professional Qualifications : Some candidates may not follow the traditional academic route. In such cases, substantial professional experience in a relevant discipline can potentially offset the need for conventional academic qualifications.

Vital Components for Admission

Achieving the right grades is just one part of the equation. Prospective PhD students are evaluated holistically:

• Research Proposal : This is a window into the applicant’s research aptitude. It should be robust, well-thought-out, and demonstrate a clear research area or subject area of interest.
• Interview Process : Institutions often invite promising candidates for interviews. Here, potential supervisors assess the candidate’s aptitude, enthusiasm, and suitability for PhD projects.
• References : A well-drafted reference letter or academic references from established academicians or professionals in the field can provide invaluable insights into the applicant’s capabilities.

International Students and Residency Requirements

The landscape of global academia thrives on diversity. However, international students have to navigate additional steps:

• Visa Essentials : International students in the UK, for instance, typically require a Student Route visa . The visa mandates full-time study, with confirmation of enrolment secured before the visa application.
• Financial Stability : Prospective PhD students need to demonstrate sufficient financial support, ensuring they can cover tuition fees, living expenses, and other associated costs for the duration of their study.

English Language Proficiency for International Applicants

For international students whose first language isn’t English, proving English language ability is a cornerstone of the application process:

• Testing Platforms : Widely recognised tests such as TOEFL and IELTS are utilised to gauge English language qualifications. For most PhD programmes, IELTS 7.0 overall (with at least 6.5 in each section) or TOEFL scores of 95 overall (no section scoring below 21) are the benchmarks.
• Validity of Test Results : Ensure that your language test results are recent. Institutions typically require that these qualifications be less than 2 years old at the start of the program.
• Exemptions : If a candidate has previously earned a degree in a native English-speaking country, they may be exempted from taking English language tests.
• Pre-sessional English Programs : For those who narrowly miss the minimum entry requirement, many universities offer a Pre-sessional English program. Successfully completing this can pave the way for formal admission into the PhD programme as an alternative means of meeting the English language requirement.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Preliminary Studies and Assessments

Many universities introduce prospective PhD students to a preliminary phase of studies, which stands as a precursor to the main research journey. This phase often doesn’t account for the official registration duration but is essential for assessment. A notable example of such a program is the MRes Programme, offering candidates rigour training in various research methodologies; it’s an excellent bridge for those transitioning from postgraduate studies to a full-fledged research degree . Post preliminary studies, there’s typically an evaluation of the candidate’s academic ability, aptitude for research, and the feasibility of their proposed project. Only after this evaluation’s successful completion does the formal PhD period commence.

Furthermore, the value of these preliminary studies extends beyond mere assessment. They serve as an orientation, acquainting students with the research culture of the institution and fostering essential skills. Not only do these programs help in refining one’s research proposal, but they also offer the chance to build networks with potential supervisors and other researchers. This early immersion can be pivotal in shaping a productive and rewarding PhD experience.

Typical Routes and Professional Experience

In the world of academia, not all roads to a PhD are paved in conventional terms:

• Professional Experience : For those without a traditional academic trajectory, substantial professional experience in the chosen research area can significantly boost one’s application. Professional doctorate programmes often cater to such candidates.
• Research Proposal : Here, more than anywhere else, the research proposal becomes pivotal. It should demonstrate how your professional experience aligns with the proposed research area and how it equips you for the rigorous research project ahead.

Financial Considerations

While intellectual capabilities are undeniably crucial for doctoral admissions, financial considerations also hold significant importance:

• Tuition Fees : The tuition fee structure can vary significantly, especially between domestic and international student classifications. It’s crucial to understand these nuances and prepare accordingly.
• External Funding : Several external funding opportunities, ranging from scholarships to grants, are available. They can significantly alleviate the financial burden of a PhD degree.

Application Process and Final Thoughts

Successfully navigating the application process requires careful planning and a systematic approach:

• Online Application Form : This is often the first official step. Ensure that you furnish accurate details, from your academic qualifications to professional doctorate experiences (if applicable).
• Research Proposal Submission : As highlighted, this document often holds significant weight. It should lucidly outline your research project and its relevance to the broader academic community.
• Visa Requirements : For international students, the visa application is crucial. It often hinges on the offer of admission, proof of sufficient funds, and a clear criminal record.
• Personal Statement : A well-crafted personal statement can provide a personal touch, elucidating your motivation, journey, and aspirations regarding the PhD.

In the pursuit of a PhD, understanding and meeting the entry requirements is your first step. This guide hopefully clarifies these prerequisites, providing a strong foundation for prospective PhD students. Whether you’re fresh out of your undergraduate studies, have completed postgraduate research degrees, or are banking on extensive professional experience, the world of academia calls! Prepare carefully, reach out to potential supervisors, engage with the academic departments, and enjoy the process.

We hope this comprehensive guide has provided clarity and direction for prospective STEM PhD candidates. Remember, each journey is unique – and while guidelines and requirements are essential, passion, determination, and genuine curiosity will remain the main factors of successful PhD students. Best of luck in your academic pursuits!

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PhD Program Requirements

The following is a general overview of Department of Philosophy PhD program requirements. If you read through this webpage and still have questions, feel free to read the complete, definitive set of requirements .

Throughout the entirety of their time in the program, all students will have a faculty advisor who is both responsible for giving them guidance and advice and regularly reporting to the department on their progress through the program. In the week before the official start of their first year, students will attend a mandatory orientation about the formal requirements and informal expectations governing the graduate program. Entering PhD students are assigned a faculty advisor with whom they will meet to discuss their coursework options and subsequently check in with at least once a quarter for their first two years in the program to make sure they are on track and conforming reasonably to program expectations and requirements. Students may opt to change advisors with the consent of the new faculty advisor. During their third year in the program, students will enroll in the Topical Workshop where, under the supervision of the current Director of Graduate Studies, they will be advised as to how best to prepare for their Topical Examination and will begin to meet with the various faculty members who are most likely to serve on their dissertation committee. Once a student has passed their Topical Examination and has an approved dissertation project, the chair of their dissertation committee becomes their primary advisor.

Course Requirements

All first-year PhD students enroll in the two-quarter-long, faculty-led First-Year Seminar. Its purpose is threefold: (1) to lay the groundwork for a philosophical lingua franca among the members of the first-year class, (2) to foster intellectual solidarity among the members of the cohort by stimulating the regular exchange of philosophical ideas among them, and (3) to have students undertake a series of short written assignments that introduce them to philosophical writing at a graduate level.

During their first two years in the program, PhD students are required to complete a variety of graduate-level courses. Such coursework is meant to provide students with the general breadth of knowledge that will serve as the foundation upon which they will carry out the more specialized task of writing a doctoral dissertation.

Starting with students who enrolled in the PhD program in 2022-23, students must enroll in courses for one of two different kinds of credit:

• (Q)uality Credit: To receive a Q-credit for a course, a student must complete all the requirements for the course and be awarded a quality grade (B- or higher).
• (P)ass Credit: The requirements for receiving a P-credit for a course are established by the instructor. At a minimum, a student must register in the class and attend regularly, but they need not be required to submit a paper for the course or do all of the coursework that would be required to assign to that student a quality grade.

This separation of course credits into Q-credits and P-credits is meant to provide students with the flexibility to construct for themselves a course curriculum that allows them to both broaden their horizons by exploring a diverse array of topics that may be of only peripheral interest to them, while, at the same time, affording them adequate time to devote focused attention to those specific courses that most directly support their main lines of research.  

PhD students are required to complete 8 courses for Q-credit, all of which must come from the Department of Philosophy's course offerings. In addition, students must complete 8 courses for P-credit, up to two of which can be awarded for classes offered in other departments (this can include courses in which the student has received either a grade of P or a quality grade of B- or higher). In a typical quarter, a student will enroll in three classes and, at some point during the quarter (the timing is flexible), will choose either one or two of those classes to complete for Q-credit. 

In addition, the courses in which a student enrolls must satisfy certain area distribution requirements. In particular, students are required to take at least one course for Q-credit in each of the following four areas: (I) Contemporary Practical Philosophy; (II) Contemporary Theoretical Philosophy; (III) History of Philosophy: Ancient or Medieval Philosophy; and (IV) History of Philosophy: Modern Philosophy (up to and including the first half of the Twentieth Century). Students must also satisfy a logic requirement, usually by taking a graduate course in logic.

Paper Revision and Publication Workshop

The aim of the Paper Revision and Publication (PRP) Workshop is to provide our graduate students with support and assistance to prepare papers to submit for publication in academic philosophy journals. Preparing papers to submit to journals for review and revising papers in response to the feedback received from journal editors and referees is an essential part of professional academic life, and students applying for academic positions with no publications to their name are at a disadvantage in today’s highly competitive job market. While students are strongly encouraged to continue to seek personalized advice about publishing from their dissertation committee members, the Department of Philosophy has determined that the need exists to  provide its graduate students with more standardized programming, in the form of an annually recurring workshop, that is specifically aimed at supporting their initial efforts to publish in academic journals. The PRP Workshop was designed with the following three aims in mind: (1) to provide students with a basic understanding of the various steps involved in publishing in academic journals and to create a forum in which students can solicit concrete advice from faculty members about the publishing process; (2) to direct and actively encourage students to submit at least one paper to a journal for review on a timeline that would allow accepted submissions to be listed as publications on a student’s CV by the time they go on the academic job market; and (3) to create and foster a departmental culture in which the continued revision of work with the ultimate aim of publication in academic journals is viewed as an essential aspect of the professional training of our graduate students and in which both faculty and students work together to establish more ambitious norms for publishing while in graduate school. 

Topical Workshop

In their third year, students will take a Topical Workshop, which meets regularly in both the Autumn and Winter Quarters, and which is taught by the current Directory of Graduate Studies. In this workshop, students develop, present, and discuss materials that they plan to use in their Topical Examination, such as dissertation project overviews and preliminary chapter drafts.  The main purpose of the Topical Workshop is to help students establish expectations for what will be required for them to advance to candidacy, to advise students on issues such as the overall direction of their research and the composition of the dissertation committee, and to initiate regular conversations between students and the faculty members who are most likely to serve as their dissertation committee chair.  While preparation for the Topical Examination may continue during the Spring Quarter and, if necessary, over the summer, at the conclusion of the Topical Workshop, students should have a clear sense of the subsequent steps that must be taken in order for them to pass their Topical Examination and advance to candidacy in a timely manner.

Foreign Language Study

There is no official foreign language requirement that all PhD students must meet. Nevertheless, many students will want to acquire competence in one or more languages other than English, depending on their area of specialization. Moreover, if it is deemed necessary, a student's dissertation committee may impose upon a student a formal requirement to demonstrate linguistic competence in a foreign language. For example, a student intending to write a thesis on Ancient Greek Philosophy or Hellenistic or Roman Philosophy will likely be required to pass the University's foreign language exam in Greek or Latin, respectively. Therefore, all students should consult with their faculty advisors (or the Director of Graduate Studies) as to which linguistic competencies may be required for their planned course of study. Students are encouraged to discuss language exam procedures and protocols with their advisors.

Topical Examination

During their third year, in connection with the Topical Workshop, students will establish, with their prospective dissertation committee chair, concrete plans for the Topical Examination. Those plans will include: (1) a determination of the faculty members who will serve on the dissertation committee, (2) the expected character of the materials to be submitted by the student on which the Topical Examination will be based, and (3) the expected date of the Topical Examination. Though the details will vary (depending on the subject matter, the state of the research, etc.) and are largely left up to the discretion of the committee, the materials must include a substantial new piece (around 25 double-spaced pages) of written work by the student. This could be a draft of a chapter, an exposition of a central argument, or a detailed abstract (or outline) of the whole dissertation.

The Topical Examination is an oral examination administered by the members of a student's dissertation committee with the aim of evaluating the viability of the proposed dissertation project and the student's ability to execute that project within a reasonable amount of time and at a sufficiently high standard of quality to merit awarding them a PhD. Students will be admitted to PhD candidacy only after they have officially passed their Topical Examination. The Department's normal expectation is that students will have advanced to candidacy by the end of the third week of Winter Quarter of their fourth year.

Required Teaching

The Department of Philosophy views the development of teaching competence as an integral part of its overall PhD program. Different types of teaching opportunities gradually prepare students to teach their own classes. The department also helps train its doctoral students to become excellent teachers of philosophy through individual faculty mentorship and the year-round, discipline-specific pedagogical events offered through (1) the mandatory and optional elements of its non-credit Pedagogy Program and (2) additional events from the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning on campus . Here is the department’s Pedagogical Training Plan .

As part of their pedagogical training, PhD students are required to teach in the University’s undergraduate program. Normally, during their time in the program, PhD students will serve six times as an instructor—usually five times as a course assistant to a faculty instructor and once as an instructor of a stand-alone “tutorial” course. They usually complete one course assistantship in their third year and two in their fourth year. Students then lead a tutorial in the fifth year. In their sixth year, they teach twice as course assistants in departmental courses. (For further details, see the department’s Pedagogical Training Plan .)

Types of Courses Taught

The first teaching opportunities for doctoral students come in the form of course assistantships. Course assistants work with a faculty instructor, generally for College courses. Specific duties vary depending on the course but usually include holding office hours, leading discussion sections, grading papers and exams, and training in pedagogical methods. The instructor responsible for the course in which a doctoral student serves as an assistant monitors the student’s teaching progress in that course and mentors that student on the art of facilitating productive philosophical discourse and encouraging student participation in the context of their discussion sections. Students will also receive further pedagogical instruction through Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning programs and departmental workshops.

Once a PhD student has gained experience as a teaching assistant, that student is permitted to lead a tutorial. These tutorials allow undergraduate philosophy majors to work intensively on a single topic or text and to improve their oral discussion skills in an intensive discussion-format setting. Each year, graduate students teach stand-alone tutorials on a topic of their choice, typically related to their own research. This affords students an excellent opportunity to hone their ability to teach material drawn from their dissertation. In these cases, the design of the syllabus of the course is developed in consultation with a member of the faculty, who monitors the student's teaching progress over the duration of the stand-alone course and offers counsel and instruction relevant to that student’s work as a solo instructor. Prior to teaching their tutorial, students take the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning’s syllabus design course.

Building a Teaching Dossier

Over the course of a doctoral student's career, that student together with the department will gather various materials containing the syllabi of the courses that that student has taught, written reports by faculty teaching mentors on that student’s work in those courses, and, last but not least, undergraduate evaluations of those courses. When a PhD student prepares to go on the academic job market, one of that student’s faculty recommendation letters will document and survey the highlights of her teaching career at the University of Chicago.

Pedagogy Program

Dissertation and Defense

Dissertation committees.

Dissertation committees work with PhD students to conceptualize, draft, revise, and publish their dissertation work. Each committee will have at least three members: the chair, a second reader, and a third reader. Two of these members, including the chair, must be departmental faculty members. External committee members (either outside the department or outside the university) are permitted, and may either serve on the committee in addition to the three departmental committee members, or alternatively can serve in place of a departmental faculty member as the second or third reader. For joint-degree students, the requirements of the composition of their committee will be determined by both departments in which the student is enrolled and may differ from the requirements just outlined.

Dissertation committee chairs and other committee members meet regularly with students, on an individual basis, to discuss ideas or drafts of sections or chapters. In addition, the dissertation committee as a whole meets in person at least once yearly (and often more) with the student to discuss the overall argumentative structure of the thesis, chart the intellectual trajectory of the work, and set guidelines for its completion. Writing a dissertation is an arduous process, and departmental faculty provide rigorous feedback to dissertation-phase students in order to keep them on track to graduate with their PhD in a timely fashion.

Forms of Dissertations

The PhD dissertation is the last and most important piece of writing that a doctoral student completes. Historically it has typically taken the form of a sustained argument developed over a number of chapters, running roughly between 150 and 250 pages in length. A variant form which is increasingly popular in philosophy departments in the English-speaking world is the “3- or 4-paper dissertation,” consisting of several interrelated papers developing aspects of, or perspectives on, a single theme.

The overall length and form of a dissertation should be a matter of discussion between the student and their committee. Since the dissertation is a main source for the first publications that a student will produce (either before or after receiving the degree), it is advisable for the dissertation’s chapters to take the form of pieces of work that are suitable to be turned into journal articles, both conceptually and in length (bearing in mind that many journals in the field set length limits of between 8,000 and 12,000 words, with the higher limits more typical in journals in the history of philosophy). Because the dissertation is also the primary document that will establish a student’s expertise in their area of specialization, it is important that, even if a student chooses to write a 3- or 4-paper dissertation, it should be sufficiently unified to substantiate such a claim to expertise.

Dissertation Defense

Students consult with dissertation committee members months in advance about when to schedule their defense. The defense is a public event: along with committee members, other faculty and students, family members, and the general public are welcome to attend. The exam starts with students giving a short, formal presentation about their dissertation: its major claims, intellectual aims, and intervention in the field. Then committee members, faculty, and students ask questions, and a discussion ensues. At the end of the defense, committee members give the student advice about their performance at the defense, improving the project, and publication.

After the defense, students make any necessary revisions and reformat their dissertation before submitting it to the university’s dissertation office. The final granting of the PhD degree is conditional upon the completion of these revisions and the submission of the final revised version of the dissertation to the university.

PhD Requirements

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• Programs Guide

The Ph.D. degree is achieved through an intensive program of coursework and independent research in any one of the following areas: (1)  Chemical and Environmental Engineering, (2)  Electrical and Computer Engineering, (3)  Fluids and Thermal Sciences, (4)  Materials Science, (5)  Mechanics of Solids and Structures  and (6)  Biomedical Engineering. Each Ph.D. student must be affiliated with one of these research groups, and the faculty in that group will play a central role in defining this program and evaluating student progress. 

New Ph.D. students are strongly encouraged to arrange meetings with individual faculty members in their groups during their first semester in residence and to select a research advisor shortly thereafter. At that point, the student, with the approval of his or her advisor, shall devise an appropriate program of study ensuring breadth of knowledge as well as depth of knowledge in a major area that supports the planned dissertation research. The normal residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the equivalent of three years of full-time study beyond the Bachelor's degree (i.e. 24 tuition units). At least two semesters beyond the Master's degree must be spent exclusively in full-time study at Brown, although most engineering Ph.D. students spend four to five years in residence at Brown.

General Requirements

The specific requirements for the Ph.D. vary between the different groups. However there are some general requirements that cover all Ph.D. candidates.  These can be summarized as:

• Residency Requirement : (University Requirement). The student must complete three years full-time study beyond the bachelor’s degree (i.e. 24 tuition units).  Two semesters beyond the bachelor’s degree must be spent exclusively in full-time study at Brown University.
• Research Thesis : The student must write and present (“defend”) a Ph.D. dissertation.  The thesis must embody the results of original research and significant creative thought and give evidence of high scholarship.  The dissertation and the oral defense must be approved by the faculty advisor, one other member of the engineering faculty, and one additional reader outside the School, or within the School but outside the research group, as appointed by the Director of the Engineering Graduate Programs in consultation with their faculty advisor.
• Course Requirements:  Students in the Ph.D. program typically take a comprehensive series of courses in the area of their expertise, as well as several other courses in mathematics, physics, engineering and other related disciplines. There is also ENGN 2980: “Reading, Research and Design”, which can be taken for course credit. The number and choice of courses is made in close consultation with the student's advisor who must approve the student's choice at the beginning of each semester.  Each research group can define specific courses, which are considered essential for their Ph.D. students.
• Preliminary Examination:   This is a comprehensive examination covering the student’s main area of expertise and  must be taken no later than the sixth semester of graduate study for a student entering with an Sc.B., and no later than the fourth semester of graduate study for students entering with an Sc.M. The exact timing and format of the exam varies between the different research groups.  The details are outlined in the sections below.  The results of the examination are presented to the Graduate Committee, along with the student’s academic record, and the recommendations of both the group representative and the student’s Ph.D. advisor.  The Graduate Committee then decides whether to certify the student as a Candidate for the degree of Ph.D. in Engineering. In the event of a failing grade, the Graduate Committee will decide whether to re-examine the student, require remedial action, or to request their withdrawal from the graduate program.
• Minor Study:  Ph.D. candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one area outside their main expertise.  As with the preliminary examination, the number of minor areas of study, and the method by which proficiency is demonstrated is defined and administered by each of the research groups.
• Other requirements:  Some of the research groups in the division have additional requirements including research proposals, progress summaries.  These are outlined in the following section.

Specific Requirements

Progress review.

An in-depth faculty review of the student’s progress at the end of the 2nd semester in the program. This report is shared with the student in writing.

Preliminary Examination

Before the end of the 5th semester in residence, the student will prepare and present a proposal for his or her thesis research, consisting of a written document followed by an oral examination of approximately two hours duration presented to a faculty committee of not fewer than three members including the advisor. The document and presentation should describe a plan for original research, including scientific or technological motivation, background on the relevant literature, statement of objectives, preliminary research results, and research plan with description of methods. The document should be submitted to the committee no later than two weeks prior to the oral portion of the exam.  During the presentation, the student will be expected to demonstrate a sound grasp of the fundamental concepts and methodologies of the field, not limited to the specific research proposed. The committee reports to the Engineering Graduate Committee on the outcome of the examination, which covers the document, oral exam, and a review of the student course work and research progress to date.  If the performance is unsatisfactory, the committee will also make on recommendation on whether or not the examination may be repeated after a certain time has elapsed.

The student will, in consultation with their advisor, select one minor area of study satisfied by passing at least two courses forming a cohesive subject, but distinct from the student’s main discipline.  Proficiency is demonstrated by receiving grades of B or higher in the courses constituting the minor.

An oral presentation of approximately 40 minutes duration to a forum of faculty and graduate students summarizing their research progress by the end of October in their 3rd semester (second year in residence). Their academic advisor and at least two other members of the faculty will formally evaluate this presentation and make a recommendation to the Engineering Graduate Committee regarding the student's ability to continue in the Ph.D. program and to undertake doctorate-level research.  Students normally prepare for this examination by completing ENGN 2980, and by conducting independent research during the summer months.

With the approval of their academic advisor, students must choose a Preliminary Examination Committee consisting of four examiners.  These examiners will conduct an oral examination of the student no later than the end of the sixth semester in residence. Two examiners must be in the student's major research area(s).  The two other examiners must be in minor areas outside the student's immediate research area. The Preliminary examination will presume that students are prepared in two minor areas outside the student’s main expertise. 

Minor Areas

Students are prepared in two minor areas outside the student’s main expertise by completing courses in each of the chosen minor areas, in consultation with their advisor.  These areas will be represented by two examiners in their oral preliminary examination.

An in-depth faculty review of the student’s progress at the end of the second semester in the program. This report is shared with the student in writing.

Before the end of the fifth semester in residence, the student should take the  preliminary exam , which establishes Ph.D candidacy. The students should prepare a written document describing a plan for the student’s own Ph.D. research, including scientific or technological motivation, background on the relevant literature, statement of objectives, preliminary research results, and research plan with description of methods. The research proposal should be submitted to the committee who are expected to provide feedback. 

The student should then schedule an oral presentation and defense of the research proposal.  The committee members and any other interested faculty should participate in the presentation and exam.  During the presentation, the student will be expected to demonstrate a sound grasp of the fundamental concepts and methodologies of the field, not limited to the specific research proposed.   The advisor and graduate director will work with the candidate to define which fundamental areas the student should be able to show proficiency in during the oral examination.  The committee reports to the Engineering Graduate Committee on the outcome of the examination, which covers the written proposal, the oral presentation, the oral exam, and a review of the student course work and research progress to date.  

As a guideline, the proposal should be 15-25 pages long (1.5 spacing, not-including cited references), and should be professionally formatted in a manner similar to a research publication.   The document must be submitted to the exam committee at least two weeks prior to oral defense.  For the oral proposal defense, the students should be prepared to present for 30 minutes and the entire exam should last less than two hours. 

The student will, in consultation with their advisor, select one minor area of study satisfied by passing at least two courses forming a cohesive subject, but distinct from the student’s main discipline. 

This portion is the official written portion of the preliminary exam taken in their fourth semester.  This exam consists of two parts to be taken in two three-hour sessions.  In the morning session, the students will be examined on thermodynamics and kinetics (paralleling the course work in ENGN 2410 and ENGN 2420).  In the afternoon session, the students will be examined on mechanical properties and crystallography (paralleling the course work in ENGN 2430 and ENGN 2490).

Students complete the oral portion of their preliminary exam through a presentation of their proposed research in their 5th semester.  In preparation for this presentation, they will be responsible for reading and understanding a number of seminal papers (typically on the order of 10) critical to the completion of their thesis research.  These papers will be chosen in consultation with the student’s adviser and another faculty member chosen by the student and his adviser. During the presentation, the student will be expected to demonstrate understanding of the important scientific and technical issues in his proposed research, as well as an understanding of the relevant issues contained in the assigned papers. 

Each student must show proficiency in two minor areas of study.  Proficiency is demonstrated by receiving grades of B or higher in the courses constituting the minor. Two courses are required to fulfill the minor, of which at least one must be a 200-level course.  The choice of appropriate courses for the minor areas will be determined by the Materials Science graduate student representative.  The sequence ENGN 2010 and ENGN 2020 may be used to fulfill the minor requirement in the area of applied math.

Progress Review  

The progress review is administered during the second semester in residence for students entering with the master's degree and during the third semester in residence for students entering with the bachelor of science degree.  It includes a one-half hour oral presentation of independent work by the student, based either on a project in progress or on completed work, and a review of progress in the academic program of study by the examination committee.  The committee’s recommendation to the Engineering Graduate Committee following this review as to whether or not a student will be allowed to continue will be based on an evaluation of the research presented and achievements in formal course work. Since students enter the graduate program with diverse backgrounds, this Review also should establish whether or not deficiencies exist in a student's preparation and, if so, he or she will be so advised.  The subsequent program can then be planned to correct any deficiencies prior to the taking of the Preliminary Examination. 

In the fifth semester an oral examination of approximately two hours duration is designed to test the student's knowledge of the major field of study as well as knowledge of two minor fields selected by the student and the research advisor. The student is expected to demonstrate a sound grasp of the fundamental concepts and methodologies of the major field, and to demonstrate a proficiency in specific topics in the minor areas.  The examination committee consists of a major area examiner, one examiner in each to the two minor areas, the Graduate Representative, and the student’s research adviser. This committee reports on the outcome of the examination to the Engineering Graduate Committee; if the performance is unsatisfactory, it also makes on recommendation on whether or not the examination may be repeated after a certain time has elapsed. 

The Preliminary Examination will presume that the student has a level of knowledge in each of two minor areas corresponding to successful completion of two graduate courses in each of the minor subjects. Possible minor subjects include applied mathematics, materials science, physics, biology, geology or another discipline in engineering or science. If applied mathematics is to be one of the minor areas, two courses beyond ENGN 2010 and ENGN 2020 or equivalents should have been successfully completed. 

Research Group Procedures

Each group administers their respective Ph.D. program and defines the details of coursework, the preliminary exam and other requirements (e.g. progress review). These requirements, along with the details of each group’s administration of the preliminary examination are outlined in the following sections. 

Milestones for Progress

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Admissions Requirements

The following are general requirements you should meet to apply to the MIT Sloan PhD Program. Complete instructions concerning application requirements are available in the online application.

General Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• A strong quantitative background (the Accounting group requires calculus)
• Exposure to microeconomics and macroeconomics (the Accounting group requires microeconomics)

A Guide to Business PhD Applications by Abhishek Nagaraj (PhD 2016) may be of interest.

Application Components

Statement of purpose.

Your written statement is your chance to convince the admissions committee that you will do excellent doctoral work and that you have the promise to have a successful career as an academic researcher. 

GMAT/GRE Scores

We require either a valid GMAT or valid GRE score. At-home testing is allowed. Your unofficial score report from the testing institution is sufficient for application. If you are admitted to the program, you will be required to submit your official test score for verification.    

We do not have a minimum score requirement. We do not offer test waivers. Registration information for the GMAT (code X5X-QS-21) and GRE (code 3510) may be obtained at www.mba.com and www.ets.org respectively.

TOEFL/IELTS Scores

We require either a valid TOEFL (minimum score 577 PBT/90 IBT ) or valid IELTS (minimum score 7) for all non-native English speakers. Your unofficial score report from the testing institution is sufficient for application. If you are admitted to the program, you will be required to submit your official test score for verification.    Registration information for TOEFL (code 3510) and IELTS may be obtained at www.toefl.org and www.ielts.org respectively.

The TOEFL/IELTS test requirement is waived only if you meet one of the following criteria:

• You are a native English speaker.
• You attended all years of an undergraduate program conducted solely in English, and are a graduate of that program.

Please do not contact the PhD Program regarding waivers, as none will be discussed. If, upon review, the faculty are interested in your application with a missing required TOEFL or IELTS score, we may contact you at that time to request a score.

Transcripts

We require unofficial copies of transcripts for each college or university you have attended, even if no degree was awarded. If these transcripts are in a language other than English, we also require a copy of a certified translation. In addition, you will be asked to list the five most relevant courses you have taken.

Letters of Recommendation

We require three letters of recommendation. Academic letters are preferred, especially those providing evidence of research potential. We allow for an optional  fourth recommendation, but no more than four recommendations are allowed.

Your resume should be no more than two pages. You may chose to include teaching, professional experience, research experience, publications, and other accomplishments in outside activities.

Writing Sample(s)

Applicants are encouraged to submit a writing sample. For applicants to the Finance group, a writing sample is required. There are no specific guidelines for your writing sample. Possible options include (but are not limited to) essays, masters’ theses, capstone projects, or research papers.

Video Essay

A video essay is required for the Accounting research group and optional for the Marketing and System Dynamics research groups. The essay is a short and informal video answering why you selected this research group and a time where you creatively solved a problem. The video can be recorded with your phone or computer, and should range from 2 to 5 minutes in length. There is no attention — zero emphasis! — on the production value of your video.  

Nondiscrimination Policy: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. For complete text of MIT’s Nondiscrimination Statement, please click  here .

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How Long Does It Take To Get a PhD?

A PhD program typically takes four to seven years, but a variety of factors can impact that timeline.

A PhD , or doctorate degree , is the highest degree you can earn in certain disciplines, such as psychology, engineering, education, and mathematics. As a result, it often takes longer to earn than it does for a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

While many PhD programs are designed to be finished in four or five years, the average completion time is much longer when you factor in the time it takes to research and write a dissertation. In 2020, for example, doctoral students took between six and twelve years to complete their PhDs [ 1 ]. By comparison, you can complete a master's degree in one to three years.

In this article, we'll explore the requirements of a PhD, what often ends up adding to the length of time, and important factors you should consider when deciding whether it’s the right choice for you.

PhD requirements + general timeline

Doctoral programs typically require PhD candidates to take take advanced courses, pass a comprehensive exam (sometimes called "comps"), and produce an original body of research, such as a dissertation, to obtain the degree. In some cases, you may also be expected to fulfill a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, both of which are meant to prepare you for a career in academia or research.

PhD requirements

The precise requirements you'll need to complete in order to get your PhD vary from one program to another, but some common tasks include:

Advanced coursework: Graduate-level coursework that explores a number of advanced sub-topics related to your field

Comprehensive exam: An exam that requires you to show knowledge of your field, such as its history, important figures, major theories or research, and more

Dissertation: An original body of research you contribute to your field

PhD timeline

The specifics of a PhD program vary by college and university, but the following estimates give you an idea of what to expect during your time in graduate school:

Year 1: Complete advanced coursework.

Year 2: Complete advanced coursework and begin preparing for your comprehensive exams.

Year 3: Study, take, and defend your comprehensive exams. Begin researching your dissertation proposal.

Year 4: Submit your dissertation proposal to your committee chair, and, once approved, begin working on your dissertation.

Year 5: Finish writing your dissertation and submit for committee approval. Defend your dissertation and apply for graduation.

Note that while this timeline gives a general timeline of how long it will take to complete a PhD program, it's very common for candidates to take more than one year to research and compose their dissertation.

Read more: Should You Go Back to School? 7 Things to Consider

PhD timelines by focus

Some PhD programs take longer to complete than others. For example, earning a doctorate in a science and engineering field typically takes less time than earning a doctorate in the arts or humanities, according to data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) [ 1 ]. The list below shows the median length of time it took doctorate students to earn their degree in 2020:

Physical and Earth Sciences: 6.3 

Engineering: 6.8 years

Life sciences: 6.9 years

Mathematics and computer science: 7 years

Psychology and Social Sciences: 7.9 years

Humanities and arts: 9.6 years

Education: 12 years

Learn more: What Is a Terminal Degree and Do I Need One?

Why does it take so long to complete a PhD?

There are a few reasons why it takes more time to complete a PhD compared to other advanced degrees.

1. Dissertations

Once a doctoral student has successfully passed their comps, they are considered “All But Dissertation” or “ABD.” Yet, the number of students who successfully complete their PhD program remains low—estimates show that nearly 50 percent of students drop out, often after reaching the dissertation phase [ 2 ].

The dissertation phase can often take much longer to complete than the other requirements of a PhD. Researching and writing a dissertation takes significant time because students are expected to make an original and notable contribution to their field.

2. Assistantship obligations

Teaching and research assistantships are beneficial because they can help pay for a PhD program, but they may also take time away from working on your dissertation. Some students are expected to teach at least one class per semester on top of their other obligations as graduate students.

For universities that reduce the teaching or research load that students have as part of their assistantship, times to completion tend to improve. Humanities students at Princeton University began finishing their degree in 6.4 years (compared to 7.5 years) thanks to the institution's financial support and the reduced number of classes students taught [ 3 ].

3. Other responsibilities

Doctoral students tend to be older. Graduate students pursuing a PhD in science or engineering were an average of 31.6 years old by the time they earned their degree in 2016, according to the National Science Foundation [ 4 ]. In effect, some PhD students may have competing obligations, such as family. If a student’s funding has run out, and they have to find full-time work, it also may affect the time they can dedicate to writing their dissertation.

Is a PhD right for you?

People pursue PhDs for various reasons: Some want a job that requires the degree, such as teaching at a university, while others want the challenges or intellectual engagement that a graduate program offers. Identifying why you want to earn a PhD can help indicate whether it’s your best choice.

If your career aspirations don't require a PhD, it might be better to focus on gaining professional experience. Or if you're interested in an advanced education, a master's degree may be a better option. It takes less time to complete than a PhD and can lead to more career opportunities and larger salaries than a bachelor's degree.

Learn more: Is a Master’s Degree Worth It?

Benefits of a PhD

The primary advantage of earning a PhD is your increased demand and marketability in the workforce.

In 2018, less than 5 percent of the United States population had a doctorate degree, compared to about 48 percent with a bachelor's degree and 21 percent with a master's degree, according to the US Census Bureau [ 5 ]. As a member of this elite group, the potential for advanced roles, promotions, or pay raises may be greater.

Even before you have a degree in hand, working toward a PhD gives you opportunities to hone valuable skills , including writing, research, and data analysis . Furthermore, completing a PhD program can demonstrate to potential employers that you have specialized knowledge and the fortitude to finish such an advanced degree.

Costs of a PhD

Beyond the time they take to complete, PhD programs can be expensive. The average cost of a PhD program in the United States is just under $100,000. At some schools, the cost of a PhD can even exceed $200,000 [ 6 ]. While many institutions offer funding support in the form of assistantships or scholarships, many PhD students still graduate with student loan debt. In 2023, the average student loan debt for PhD was $134,797 [ 7 ].

Another factor to consider is the loss of income you might incur while you're working toward your degree. Some graduate students accept teaching or research assistantships to help fund the cost of their program, but these may not pay as much as full-time positions. Working on your education may also mean pausing the professional experience you’d gain in the workforce—and potentially losing out on promotions and raises. However, it’s worth noting that graduate degree holders earn much more over the course of their lifetime than bachelor’s degree holders, according to the US Social Security Administration [ 8 ].

Read more: How to Pay for Graduate School: 8 Ways

Set yourself up for success

A PhD is a major accomplishment. As you think about your long-term goals and whether a PhD will help you achieve them, it's important to understand ways you can set yourself up for success. According to the University of Georgia, success in a PhD program often means [ 9 ]:

Understanding the demands and expectations of the program

Receiving adequate program orientation

Getting support from peers and faculty

Feeling a sense of belonging as a member of an academic community

These conditions underscore the importance of choosing the right program and school to fit your personal and professional goals. Take time to research the ways your potential institution offers financial support, mental health support, and career placement support, among other program features.

An advanced degree can be a lucrative credential. You can earn your master’s in a number of in-demand fields from top universities on Coursera. Earn a degree in computer science , business , management , or public health , all while enjoying greater flexibility than an in-person degree program tends to offer. Earning your master's can also help you discern whether a PhD makes sense for your larger objectives.

Article sources

Survey of Earned Doctorates. " Path to the doctorate , https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf22300/report/path-to-the-doctorate." Accessed January 30, 2024.

International Journal of Higher Education. “ Who Are the Doctoral Students Who Drop Out? , https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1188721.pdf.” Accessed January 30, 2024.

The New York Times. " Exploring Ways to Shorten the Ascent to a PhD , https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/education/03education.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

National Science Foundation. " Science and Engineering Doctorates , https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2018/nsf18304/report/age-at-doctorate-award-what-are-the-overall-trends-and-characteristics/characteristics-of-doctorate-recipients-sex.cfm." Accessed January 30, 2024.

US Census Bureau. " About 13.1 Percent Have a Master’s, Professional Degree or Doctorate , https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/02/number-of-people-with-masters-and-phd-degrees-double-since-2000.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Education Data Initiative. " Average Cost of a Doctorate Degree , https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-a-doctorate-degree." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Education Data Initiative. " Average Graduate Student Loan Debt , https://educationdata.org/average-graduate-student-loan-debt." Accessed January 30, 2024.

Social Security Administration. " Education and Lifetime Earnings , https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html." Accessed January 30, 2024.

 A Data-Driven Approach to Improving Doctoral Completion. " Chapter 2: Description of Projects , https://cgsnet.org/cgs-occasional-paper-series/university-georgia/chapter-2." Accessed January 30, 2024.

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PhD | Course Requirements

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A student should plan and successfully complete a coherent program of study covering the basic areas of Computer Science and related disciplines. The student's advisor has primary responsibility for the adequacy of the program. The University has two main requirements related to courses. First, each student must complete 135 course units (a total of 10 units of PE courses can be counted towards this) for graduation. 

• There are  NO  courses specifically required by the Computer Science Department, except for the 1-unit  CS300  seminar and  CS499  (Advanced Reading & Research), or equivalent (research units with your non-CS faculty advisor's home department). The CS300 seminar is only offered during Autumn quarter and is required of all first-year PhD students. Students are required to attend  2/3  of the total number of sessions in order to get credit for the class.
• Important Note:  All PhD students are required to enroll in at least 3-units of  CS499  or equivalent (research units with your non-CS faculty advisor's home department) for all quarters. The University requires PhD students to maintain a 3.0 GPA overall for conferring their degree. 
• Curriculum Practical Training (CPT).  An authorized period of employment that is an integral or important part of a student’s curriculum ( learn more ).

Questions regarding part-time CPT during academic quarters should be directed to Jay Subramanian ( [email protected] ).  The information and details vary by the student status, funding, visa and immigration rules, therefore, should be discussed with Jay prior to the quarter of CPT.

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The Graduate Field of Computer Science seeks to produce well-rounded researchers who have demonstrated both breadth in computer science and depth in specific areas of concentration. Although the program is designed to be flexible, students in the CS Ph.D. program must complete several requirements imposed both by the Field and by the Cornell Graduate School:

Field Requirements

• competency requirement
• breadth requirement
• project requirement
• teaching requirement

Graduate School Requirements

• special committee
• minor requirement

Each of these requirements is described in some detail below, followed by a FAQ that answers some of the most common student questions. Because no document can hope to cover all the nuances, students who have questions or concerns should consult their advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

The Field requirements were most recently updated in Fall 2018. Students matriculating in Fall 2018 or later must fulfill the new requirements. Students who matriculated into the Ph.D. program earlier may choose to fulfill either the new requirements or the previous requirements.

The Competency Requirement

The Field believes that knowledge of Computer Science at the undergraduate level is an indispensible foundation for doctoral study in CS. Ph.D. candidates are expected to demonstrate competency at the high undergraduate level in four areas of computer science: Artificial Intelligence, Programming Languages, Systems, and Theory. This requirement can be discharged in one of three ways:

• by demonstrating competency through one's prior coursework;
• by taking a course for grade credit (acceptable courses are listed below, subject to change);
• by taking the final exam in one of these courses, if permitted by the instructor.

Students who have earned a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science are automatically deemed to have satisfied the competency requirement in all four areas. Students with no prior degree in CS may still be exempted from one or more of the four competency requirements based on their prior coursework. Requests for such exemptions are to be accompanied by documentation concerning the relevant prior coursework (course website, detailed syllabus, list of assignments when possible) and will be judged on a case-by-case basis by the DGS in consultation with the faculty in the relevant area.

Each area is required to offer students at least one of option 2 or 3. Whichever method is chosen, the requirement must be fulfilled with acceptable performance, as judged by the Field. For option 1, acceptable generally means with a grade of B+ or higher for graduate courses, A- or higher for 4xxx-5xxx courses.

The acceptable courses are:

• Artificial Intelligence: CS 4700/5700, CS 4780/5780 
• Programming Languages: CS 4110/5110, CS 4120/5120, or CS 6110
• Systems: CS 4410/5410, CS 6410, or 6412
• Theory: CS 4820/5820 or CS 6820

This requirement must be fulfilled by the time of the A exam.

The Breadth Requirement

Ph.D. students must take at least five 5000/6000-level courses for grade credit. Note that only certain 5000 level courses count. These courses must cover at least three different CS areas and all three CS research styles. The requirement is intended to expose students both to the research problems and techniques associated with different research areas, and also to the different value systems of various computer science research styles that differ in how they evaluate and validate research results.

Courses taken to satisfy the competency requirement can be used to count towards the breadth requirement. Courses at the 7000 level do not count, nor do courses from other fields (however, see Exceptions below).

The areas are as follows:

• Algorithms and theory of computation , including algorithms, complexity theory, cryptography, logical and type-theoretic foundations of computer science.
• Artificial intelligence , including robotics, computer vision, natural language processing, information organization and retrieval, and machine learning.
• Systems , including concurrency, parallel computing, networks, distributed computing, and data management.
• Programming languages and methodology , including applied logic, automated reasoning, and compilers.
• Scientific computing and applications , including graphics and computational biology.

The research styles are the following:

• Theoretical . The theoretical research style is characterized by constructing formal models of computation that are validated primarily by mathematical proof.
• Systems . The systems research style focuses on how to improve computing platforms by making them faster, more reliable, more secure, etc. Validation is primarily empirical or experiential.
• Applied . The applied research style develops new methods for using computers to solve problems of interest. Validation is achieved primarily by demonstrating empirically that these methods are effective for the problem.

The following table summarizes the breadth requirement. It represents the classification of CS graduate courses into areas and research styles. Students must take five 5000/6000-level courses, covering at least three rows of this table and all three columns.

Please find course listing information here:

http://https://www.cs.cornell.edu/courseinfo/listofcscourses

*CS5820 will count for breadth during the Fall 2021 semester only.

*CS 5740 (Ith), 5650 (Ith), 5786, 5830, 5850 approved through Spring 2022.

As with the competency requirement, the breadth requirement must be fulfilled with acceptable performance, as judged by the Field. A grade of B or better is generally acceptable.

The list of courses that satisfy the area and research style requirements of the breadth requirement are subject to change as faculty develops new courses.

The Project Requirement

Ph.D. students are required to satisfy the project requirement by writing a significant piece of software. One way to satisfy the project requirement is by taking a course with a significant coding component and having the instructor for the course certify that the project satisfied the project requirement. The student is typically expected to get a grade of B- or better in the course. The project requirement can also be satisfied by projects outside of classes, for example, as part of independent research, your thesis research, or as part of a summer job. In these cases, the chair of your special committee needs to certify that you satisfied the project requirement.  *Note external projecs require a deliverable or artifact that can be inspected by your Chair of your special committee.

The Teaching Requirement

Ph.D. students must serve as a teaching assistant for at least two semesters or teach a course for at least one semester. Contact with students is valuable both as preparation for a possible academic career and for the experience in communicating ideas to groups, which is important in any setting, academic or otherwise.

We recognize that the Field requirements as stated above may not be universally appropriate, especially in nontraditional areas such as computational biology that may require significant coursework outside of computer science. In such exceptional cases, students are encouraged to formulate an alternative course of study in consultation with the special committee and to present a proposal to the Field for approval.

As a Ph.D. student, you must be in residence for at least six semesters, or four if you already hold a Master's degree at the time of enrollment. The advisor or DGS awards one residence unit after the satisfactory completion of each semester of full-time study. Fractional units may be awarded for unsatisfactory progress.

The Special Committee

Before the start of your fourth semester, you must form a special committee. The special committee consists of a chair and two or more minor members.

When you specify the members of your committee, you must specify the areas of concentration they represent. These must be areas officially recognized by the Graduate School associated with the committee member's field. The Field of Computer Science has five official areas of concentration, listed here along with their associated subareas:

• operating systems
• fault tolerance
• distributed systems
• database systems
• digital libraries
• machine architecture
• parallel computing

Theory of Computation

• complexity theory
• cryptography
• human-computer interaction
• information retrieval
• natural language processing
• computer vision
• machine learning
• knowledge representation and reasoning

Programming Languages and Logics

• programming methodology
• programming environments
• program logic and verification
• automated reasoning
• type theory and program analysis
• programming language design

Scientific Computing and Applications

• computer graphics
• computational biology and bioinformatics
• scientific computing

The chair of your special committee represents your major area of concentration and is normally your thesis advisor. The chair can be any member of the Field of Computer Science. The Computer Science area is only for graduate students in other fields who wish to minor in Computer Science. It may not be specified as either a major or minor area of concentration for Ph.D. students in CS.

The two minor members of your special committee represent your minor subjects (see The Minor Requirement below).

While it suffices to have only three people on your special committee, there are many advantages to having more. Your committee members can often provide useful advice. Being on your committee also means they are more likely to know your work better, which helps if you want them to write letters of reference for you. Note that only three special committee members need to be from Cornell. The rest can be from other institutions or from industry.

The Minor Requirement

The minor requirement is a Graduate School requirement, not a CS Field requirement. All Ph.D. students at Cornell must have two minors. For Ph.D. students in Computer Science, the Field requires one of these to be external to Computer Science and one to be internal.

The external minor must be in a field other than CS. The minor requirements are up to the minor field. Related fields such as Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Cognitive Science or Electrical and Computer Engineering are common choices. However, any minor field is acceptable. When you choose your minor field, you must also choose an area of concentration in that field and minor advisor who is a member of that field. The external minor advisor serves on your special committee and will work with you in setting your minor requirements. Typically, this involves knowledge of 3-4 graduate courses in the field, but expectations can vary depending upon the field. Before settling on a minor field, a student should find out about that field's requirements.

There are no additional requirements for the internal minor, except that the minor area of concentration must be different from the major area of concentration.

The A exam (Admission to Candidacy Exam) is an oral exam. It is a final test of your preparedness for undertaking thesis research. The content and coverage of the A exam is determined by the special committee and discussed with the student beforehand. Often, the student at an A-exam will describe the problem to be attacked in the thesis and give some preliminary research results. But an A-exam might instead have the student present an in-depth survey of a research area. Occasionally the A-exam serves as an opportunity to present completed research that is unrelated to the thesis topic. Some committees expect the student to prepare a written document prior to the exam, which might cover content that will be discussed at the exam or complement that content.

Students normally aim to take the A exam in their third year of graduate study. Students are required to have completed the competency requirement and to have at least two units of residency prior to the A exam. In addition, students must attempt the A exam before beginning their seventh semester of study. (More details of the university's requirements can be found in Cornell's Guide to Graduate's Study.) Although students have normally made substantial progress towards completing the breadth requirement before taking their A exam, it is not necessary to have completed this requirement before the A exam. (Note that your minor advisor may require you to have taken some courses in your minor before your A exam; you should check with them.)

The B exam is your thesis defense. It is strongly recommended that a draft of your thesis be provided to your committee three to four weeks prior to the B exam. In most cases, it should require only minor editing after the exam. However, during a B exam, the committee may ask for revisions, in which case it is possible that the student will pass the B exam but not yet have full approval of the thesis itself. The Ph.D. degree is awarded after you have passed the B exam and filed an approved dissertation with the University, and completed all the other requirements above. The University requires a minimum of two units of residency between the A exam and the B exam. Most students complete their B exam within four to six years after their arrival at Cornell.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of the more common questions and concerns that students have. Again, you are encouraged to consult with your advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies if you have concerns not covered here.

What should I do over the summer?

There are lots of opportunities. Some popular options include doing research with a faculty member, often your advisor or potential advisor (this is particularly appropriate as you get further along in the program), teaching a course, or doing a summer internship. We believe that it is in your interest to spend one or more summers as an intern in an industry research lab or at some other University. Doing so exposes you to other perspectives on the field and to the priorities driving the industry; it can really help later when you enter the job market. We'll suggest many options and can help you find a good match to your interests. Your advisor may also have contacts that would lead to interesting internship opportunities. For foreign students, internships should satisfy the requirements for practical training under a student visa, hence no special visa approvals should be required. Most students spend at least one or two summers as interns, usually during their first three years at Cornell.

What happens at the annual Field meetings?

The Field of Computer Science meets annually to review each student's progress. The DGS summarizes progress towards requirements, presents a summary of courses taken and grades received, and indicates whether the student has taken or is scheduled to take an A exam. For students who have been at Cornell for a few semesters, the emphasis of the discussion is on progress toward identifying a research topic, forming a special committee, and launching a research program that will lead to a dissertation. Normally, the student's current advisor will briefly describe the student's recent progress.

The goal of this meeting is to understand how we can best help the students establish themselves as researchers, publish their work, and graduate within the normal time period. If a consensus emerges that a particular student may not be heading toward successful completion of the degree program, the field will discuss appropriate action, which always depends on the specific situation. While students are occasionally asked to leave the program, this happens very rarely. In any case, no student is ever asked to leave the program without first being given a warning and time to correct the situation, except in the case of serious violations of the University code of conduct.

I took some courses as an undergraduate prior to coming to Cornell that appear to be identical to the ones listed under the competency requirement. Can I get out of those parts of the requirement?

Yes, possibly. Requests for such exemptions are to be accompanied by documentation concerning the relevant prior coursework (course website, detailed syllabus, list of assignments when possible) and will be judged on a case-by-case basis by the DGS in consultation with the faculty in the relevant area.

I was enrolled as a Ph.D. student at another institution for two years before transferring to the Ph.D. program at Cornell. I took several graduate courses as part of my studies. Can I count these towards my requirements here?

Maybe. You should negotiate the transfer of credit with the DGS and your advisor, who will consult with relevant faculty to decide whether it is appropriate to treat the prior coursework as a substitute for Cornell Ph.D. requirements.

How do I create a special committee?

Most students enter Cornell with a good idea of what area they want to specialize in. Those who do not still have strong areas of interest. By reading recent research papers, faculty web pages, and course descriptions, you should pick courses taught by faculty members you might enjoy working with. Focus on areas for which you believe you have talent, good ideas, or interest. Being a TA for a faculty member with whom you may want to work is often a good idea, especially if the course is in the general area of your interests and talents.

Faculty members are generally available to talk to graduate students about potential research topics in their area, and most students will talk to a few before joining a research group. It is common for a faculty member to suggest working with the student for a period of time, perhaps a semester, before considering the relationship "official". Some students will approach a potential advisor soon after arriving on campus, but others may take some time to shop around. All students should try to identify an advisor by the end of their first year at Cornell.

If your interests change over time, or if things just are not working out, you or your committee chair (advisor) may decide to reconstitute your committee. This is not considered a bad thing and will not leave a blot on your record. All field members have an interest in seeing our students do the best and most innovative work they are capable of, and if this means changing advisors or topics, so be it.

Do I need to complete my graduate coursework prior to taking the A exam?

Most students who take an A exam will have satisfied the majority of their field requirements, and many will have completed their minor. (For some minor fields, this is a requirement; read the rules published by the minor field that you select!) The special committee will typically let you schedule the A exam prior to the completion of your coursework.

What is the rationale for having an external minor requirement? Some fields at Cornell don't require that.

The competency and breadth requirements relate to the CS field itself, but we want our students to be scholars familiar with a world beyond their area in CS. The minor requirement reflects that philosophy. Note that the CS Field accepts any proposed minor, even one completely unrelated to the student's program of study.

How do I report on my progress towards satisfying the requirements?

This is not your problem. The graduate office maintains a file on each student which includes a checklist for the various requirements. Each year, prior to the annual review of student progress, the graduate office will update these checklists. Of course, if you think that your record is missing pertinent information (e.g., if you are told you need to take a course that you have already taken), you should let us know.

I am primarily interested in [vision/graphics/HCI/security/architecture] and was disappointed to see that the competency requirement emphasizes other areas. Why am I being penalized, in the sense that a theory, systems or languages student would have fewer requirements than I do?

The competency requirements reflect the field's consensus that the corresponding courses cover a core set of concepts and material with which any computer scientist needs to be familiar and comfortable, simply to be able to participate in normal dialogue with other computer scientists. We do not view this as a "penalty" on people who work outside these core areas, but rather as a type of common background that provides a context for interacting with colleagues.

The requirements are designed to be flexible. Our course requirements work out to fewer than one per semester for an average student. Obviously, some courses will prove to be more interesting or more directly relevant than others, but our hope is that many students will discover new areas of interest by taking courses outside of a narrow research focus.

In any case, there is the Exceptions clause; if you can make a strong case that the requirements as we have stated them will inhibit your progress in research in your chosen area of study, and if you are able to formulate a good-faith alternative program in consultation with your advisor, then the Field will be happy to entertain a proposal.

Why are there requirements in [AI/programming languages/theory...] and not in [graphics/databases/...]

We recognize that computer science is evolving rapidly. Areas that were considered central ten years ago may be more peripheral now. While the areas for the competency requirement represent the faculty's consensus of material that every computer scientist should know, this is a topic we frequently revisit.

PhD Course Requirements

Please note that the number of “credits” vary at each school. FAS uses a 2, 4, 8 credit system while the Harvard Chan School uses a 2.5, 5, and 10 credit system. Please use the Credit Conversion Chart to see the credit equivalent at each school. Harvard Griffin GSAS students, including BPH, use FAS credits . Harvard Griffin GSAS students need to enroll in 16 credits per semester.  

Additionally , all Harvard Griffin GSAS students are required to take courses for a grade (sometimes referred to as “ordinal”) if the course is offered for both ordinal and sat/unsat .  The only time a student can take a course for ‘sat/unsat’ is if that is the only grading option.  In that case, it is expected that Harvard Griffin GSAS students receive a satisfactory grade.  This is outlined in the Harvard Griffin GSAS Handbook .

REQUIRED COURSES (for all BPH students) 1. BPH 201r   Laboratory Rotations  (Fall/Spring)  (Year 1) (4 credits) 2. BPH 219  Biological Sciences Communications ( Fall)   (Year 1) (4 credits) 3. ID 201 Core Principles of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (Fall) (Year 1) (4 credits) 4. Med-Sci 300qc  Conduct of Science ( Fall)   (Year 2) (2 credits) 5. ID 100  Foundations for Public Health (Online course, plus in-person case study (Year 1) (1 credit) 6. BST 272*  Computing Environments for Biology  (January) (1 credit) [more introductory course for those with little or no programming experience] or BST 273* Introduction to Programming (Fall 1) (2 credits) [more advanced course for those with previous programming experience]  – *either course can be taken as a pre-requisite for Biostat 281 7. BST 281   Genomic Data Manipulation ( Spring)   (Year 1, 2 or 3) (4 credits)

At least 3 (12 credits total) of the following 4 credit CORE COURSES (or approved equivalent) Course offerings vary from year to year, so please consult with the course catalog for the most up to date course list. You can also review FAS Course of Instruction website .

FALL BPH 208  Human Physiology ( Fall) (4 credits) BPH 215  Principles of Toxicology (Fall) (4 credits) BCMP 200  Principles of Molecular Biology (Fall) (4 credits) GENETIC 201  Principles of Genetics (Fall) (4 credits) HBTM 235  Principles of Human Disease: Physiology and Pathology (Fall) (4 credits) IMMUN 201  Advanced Topics in Immunology (Fall) (4 credits) MICROBI 202  Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Immune Response (Fall) (4 credits) MICROBI 205  Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis (Fall) (4 credits) MICRO 210  Microbial Sciences: Chemistry, Ecology and Evolution (Fall) (4 credits) NEUROBIO 215A The Discipline of Neuroscience (Fall) (4 credits)

SPRING BPH 210 Pathophysiology of Human Disease (Spring) (4 credits) BCMP 234 Cellular Metabolism and Human Disease (Spring) (4 credits) BCMP 236  Principles of Drug Action in People (Spring) (4 credits) BCMP 250 Biophysical and Biochemical Mechanisms of Protein Function (Spring) (4 credits) CELLBIO 201  Principles of Cell Biology (Fall) (4 credits) CELLBIO 211  Molecular and Systems Level Cancer Cell Biology (Fall) (4 credits) CELLBIO 212  Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer (Spring) (4 credits) GENETIC 216  Advanced Topics in Gene Expression (Spring) (4 credits) HBTM 200 Pathlogy of Human Disease (Spring) (4 credits) IMMUN 202  Immune and Inflammatory Diseases (Spring) (4 credits) MICROBI 201  Molecular Biology of the Bacterial Cell (Spring) (4 credits) NUT 202  The Biological Basis of Human Nutrition (Spring) (4 credits)

At least 2-3 (6 credits total) of the following CRITICAL READING COURSES (or approved equivalent) A critical reading course is defined as a course that spends a minimum of 50% of its class time reviewing and discussing primary research on a given topic.

FALL BPH 304qc  Eradicating Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (Fall 2)(2 credits) BPH 305qc  Interdisciplinary Training in Pulmonary Sciences Part I (Fall 1) (Year 2) (2 credits) BPH 318qc  Topics in Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Fall 2) (2 credits) BPH 320qc  Advanced Topics in Molecular Metabolism (Fall 2)(2 credits) BCMP 218  Molecular Medicine (Fall) (4 credits) BCMP 308qc  Cell Fate Decisions in Development and Disease (Fall 1) (2 credits) IMMUN 307qc  Cancer Immunology (Fall 2) (2 credits) IMMUN 315qc  Therapeutic Human Antibody Engineering (Fall 1) (2 credits) MICROBI 202* (formerly 214) Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Immune Response (Fall) (4 credits) *can also be considered a core course

BPH 250  Biology and Control of Vector-Borne Parasites (Spring in even years) (4 credits) BPH 301qc  Molecular Basis for Nutritional & Metabolic Diseases (Spring 1 in odd years) (2 credits) BPH 302qc  Interdisciplinary Training in Pulmonary Sciences Part II (Spring) (2 credits) BPH 310qc  Molecular Mechanisms of Aging (Spring 2 in even years) (2 credits) EH 298  Environmental Epigenetics (Spring 2) (2 credits) GENETIC 216  Advanced Topics in Gene Expression (Spring) (4 credits) IMMUN 301qc  Autoimmunity (Spring 2) (2 credits) IMMUN 305qc  Neuro-Immunology in Development (Spring 2) (2 credits) MICROBI 201*  Molecular Biology of the Bacterial Cell (Spring) (4 credits) *can also be considered a core course

For more info on half and quarter courses at HMS , including several that are reading-focused. Please note: if courses are not listed above you will need to request special approval from the program office to meet the reading or core course requirements.

300-Level Research Course Once a dissertation advisor has been selected, they can enroll in the BPH 300-level course specific to their BPH dissertation advisor. Students should register for up to 16 credits* equivalent of dissertation research each semester. [*depending on the number of other courses students are registering for each semester]. Each faculty member’s 300-level course number can be found by searching their name in the my.harvard ‘course search’.

COURSE LOCATIONS FOR DMS and Harvard Chan DMS curriculum and course locations Harvard Chan course locations are found through searching on My.harvard Epidemiology Course Offerings

Want to know what courses are like?  Check out past course evaluations through these tools: FAS :  http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~evals/ HSPH : https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/office-of-education/course-evaluations/

SAMPLE CURRICULUM PLAN

WAIVER OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS For some students who have successfully completed graduate-level course work, BPH course requirements may be waived if graduate-level competence is demonstrated before the end of the first semester of year 1. A “Course Waiver Form” may be requested from the BPH Program Office. A signed copy will be kept in the student’s file as documentation of the program’s authorization to grant an exemption to a student from further course work in these areas.   However, the number of total course credits required to complete the coursework part of the curriculum will remain the same.  Thus students are encouraged to take more advanced courses, or additional core courses, if a course waiver is approved.

CROSS-REGISTRATION To learn how to cross register at other Harvard Schools, you can read through the cross-registration website .

If your course has a FAS/Harvard Griffin GSAS course number associated with it, you can just register for the course.  If a course is only offered by another school, such as the Harvard Chan School or the Harvard Medical School, then you will need to cross-register for the course.  All course enrollments including cross-registration is completed electronically through my.harvard.

ACADEMIC CALENDARS The most current and complete Harvard Griffin GSAS academic calendar can be found here . The most current and complete Harvard Chan academic calendar can be found here . Filter by selecting Calendars and then Academic Calendar.

Biostatistics Student Consulting Center The Biostatistics Student Consulting Center (BSCC) is open for the Spring 2019 semester! Through the BSCC, doctoral students in the Department of Biostatistics provide FREE help to students in the School of Public Health on statistics questions that arise outside of the classroom. Please drop by our walk-in group office hours on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:00-1:50pm in Building 2 Room 428, or schedule one-on-one consultation by submitting an online inquiry . Contact [email protected] with questions and review their website for the most up to date information.

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Doctor of Philosophy Degrees

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UNMC offers the PhD degree in a variety of fields within the biomedical sciences, nursing and public health. Doctoral training in these fields can serve as a springboard to careers in the public and private sectors. The diverse range of career opportunities includes scientific research, drug discovery & design, policy & law, science/medical writing & communication, counseling, healthcare/biomedical informatics, and higher education.

All UNMC students pursuing the PhD degree must satisfy general requirements established by the University of Nebraska Graduate College and UNMC Graduate Studies (see Requirements for Graduate Degrees ), as well as the specific requirements of each PhD program (detailed in this section). 

• Biomedical Informatics PhD and MD/PhD
• Biostatistics PhD  
• Environmental Health, Occupational Health & Toxicology PhD 
• Epidemiology PhD
• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Research PhD 
• Health Services and Policy Research PhD
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences PhD 
• Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area PhD 
• Nursing PhD
• Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD and MD/PhD 

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PhD Requirements

Course requirements.

Mathematics PhD candidates must show satisfactory work in Algebra (110.601-602), Real Variables (110.605), Complex Variables (110.607), and one additional non-seminar mathematics graduate course in their first year. The first-year algebra and analysis requirement can be satisfied by passing the corresponding written qualifying exam in September of the first year; these students must complete at least two courses each semester. In addition, PhD candidates must take Algebraic Topology (110.615) and Riemannian Geometry (110.645) by their second year. Students having sufficient background can substitute an advanced topology course for 110.615, or an advanced geometry course for 110.645 with the permission of the instructor.

Candidates must show satisfactory work in at least two mathematics graduate courses each semester of their second year, and if they have not passed their oral qualifying exam, in the first semester of their third year.

Teaching Seminar

Candidates must take, attend, participate in, and pass the course 110.771 (GTA Teaching Seminar). The seminar is an important part of the preparation for classroom teaching, and thus an essential part of mathematics graduate education. The seminar is generally required in a student’s first year at JHU. A student supported by an external fellowship may delay taking the seminar until the spring before they are required to TA (but may not postpone the seminar entirely).

Qualifying Exams

Candidates must pass written qualifying exams by the beginning of their second year in Analysis (Real & Complex) and in Algebra. Exams are scheduled for September and May of each academic year, and the dates are announced well in advance. More information as well as old exams and syllabi can be found on the Qualifying Exams page .

Candidates must pass an oral qualifying examination in the student’s chosen area of research by April 10th of the third year. The topics of the exam are chosen in consultation with the faculty member who has agreed (provisionally) to be the student’s thesis advisor, who will also be involved in administering the exam.

PhD Dissertation

Candidates must produce a written dissertation based upon independent and original research. After completion of the thesis research, the student will defend the dissertation by means of the  Graduate Board Oral exam . The exam must be held at least three weeks before the Graduate Board deadline the candidate wishes to meet.

Our PhD program does not have a foreign language requirement.

The MA Degree

Although the Department of Mathematics does not admit students seeking a terminal MA degree, students in the PhD program may earn an MA degree.

MA candidates must complete:

• Four graduate courses given by the Hopkins Department of Mathematics
• Two additional courses at the graduate or 400 level, other than 110.401, 110.405 and 110.415, given by the Hopkins Department of Mathematics, or with the permission of the graduate program director, graduate mathematics courses given by other departments or universities.

All courses used to satisfy the requirements must be completed with a grade of B- or better. (Advanced graduate courses completed with a grade of P can also be used to satisfy the requirements.)

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• PhD Requirements

Introduction

This page defines the requirements set forth by the Department of Computer Science for a student to earn a graduate degree in computer science, and to remain in good standing in the graduate program. These requirements are designed to allow students the flexibility to create programs of study that match their particular interests and needs, with the recognition that computer science is an evolving and interdisciplinary field. However, each student’s program of study and progress toward the degree must meet these minimum requirements. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS, [email protected] ) is responsible for monitoring satisfactory progress toward the degree and certifying completion of degree requirements to the Duke Graduate School as a representative of the Faculty of Computer Science.

Besides the requirements of the Department presented in this document, there are other requirements and regulations mandated by the Graduate School, many of which are not presented here. They include, for example, specific deadlines to file to receive a degree in a given semester, as well as rules governing language proficiency, minimum  GPA, and minimum and maximum periods of residency at Duke. In the event that anything you read in these pages conflicts with Graduate School policies, then those policies shall apply at the discretion of the Dean of the Graduate School.

Selected Graduate School Policy and Procedure Pages:

• Academic Policies
• Guide for the Electronic Submission of Dissertations (PDF)
• Preparing to Graduate
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Standards of Conduct

By the end of the second semester in the PhD program, every student must identify a faculty member who agrees to serve as an advisor. The advisor must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty (as defined in Appendix A of the Appendix section below) who holds a primary or secondary appointment in Computer Science. When naming an advisor, the student must submit a short description of research progress to date, and a one page description of the research topic area in which the faculty member has agreed to advise the student. Upon termination of an advising relationship, the student must name a new advisor within one semester, by following the procedure above . Note: Declare the advisor and upload the research topic area description and progress to date through Gradcentral.

Each graduate student must nominate a set of members of the Graduate Faculty who agree to act as the student’s supervisory committee. The supervisory committee is a standing committee chaired by the student’s advisor, and must meet the additional requirements on composition and approval specified for various degree milestones. Although the supervisory committee is a standing committee, the student must explicitly request that the committee be approved before each milestone. Declare the committee and request approval before each milestone through Gradcentral . 

Note: As one continues to develop and refine research ideas, additions or changes to the supervisory committee are permitted and sometimes expected.

Research Initiation Project (RIP)

Each PhD student must complete a substantial Research Initiation Project (RIP) before the end of the second year. The student conducts the research under the supervision of a faculty advisor and a supervisory committee approved for RIP. Do all steps for the RIP milestones using Gradcentral. The committee must include, besides the advisor, at least two other faculty members with appointments in Computer Science, or other members approved by the DGS. The DGS must approve the committee and any changes to it at least one week before an RIP milestone.

RIP has two required milestones:

• A project proposal and public presentation are due by the end of the second semester. The committee provides guidance and feedback, and assesses the readiness of the student in carrying out the proposed research. Note:  In case of scheduling difficulties, the public presentation may be deferred, upon approval by the DGS, up to the end of the second week of the third semester; however, the complete proposal document must be delivered to each committee member by the end of the second semester.
• A  final report and public defense of the completed work are due before the end of the second year. The committee evaluates whether the student is making good progress, and whether the student has demonstrated the ability to do novel research, which is the goal of the PhD program. The committee may require, at its discretion, an additional milestone involving a written progress report and public presentation by the middle of the fourth semester. Written documents for all RIP milestones must be uploaded to Gradcentral at least two weeks prior to the respective presentation dates. If the outcome of the committee evaluation at the second RIP milestone is negative, the student will be placed on one-semester departmental probation. (Refer to Good Standing section below.)

Preliminary Exam

Each PhD student must pass a preliminary exam, which entails a public presentation before an approved committee on the research progress to date and a plan for subsequent years leading up to the dissertation defense. The preliminary exam assesses a student’s preparation to continue in his or her chosen field, as well as the likelihood of successful completion of a dissertation. A preliminary exam report must be uploaded to Gradcentral at least two weeks prior to the exam date. The committee must include, besides the advisor, at least three other members of the Graduate Faculty. Do all steps for the Preliminary exam using Gradcentral .

At least three  of the committee members must have appointments in Computer Science. At least one of the committee members must be from outside Computer Science or hold an appointment in another department . The DGS and the Graduate School must approve the committee at least one month (30) days before the exam date.  Any changes must be approved at least one week before the exam date. A PhD student must pass the preliminary exam and file the committee-approved report with the DGS office before the end of the third year. An extension beyond the end of the third year requires petition to the DGS and approval of a dean. Failure to pass the preliminary exam and file the approved report before the end of the fourth year will result in termination from the PhD program. Before the preliminary exam, the student must complete the qualification requirement. See next section after Milestones.   Upon passing the preliminary exam, the student advances to PhD candidacy.

NOTE: Please see Appendix B, Milestone Documents and Presentation Guidelines section below for more details about the expected length and content of a preliminary exam.

Dissertation

Each PhD candidate must complete a doctoral dissertation and defend it in a public presentation  before an approved committee. The candidate must deliver the full dissertation to each committee member through Gradcentral at least four weeks prior to the defense; minor modifications suggested by the committee may be incorporated within 30 days after the defense and by the semester deadline for the degree. The dissertation must be formatted and submitted for publication to the Graduate School in accordance with their regulations. The requirements on committee composition and approval are the same as those for the preliminary exam.  In addition, the DGS and the Graduate School must approve the committee before the student can apply for graduation in DukeHub. The dissertation defense should be completed within two calendar years of the preliminary exam. A dean must approve extensions beyond four calendar years.

See Appendix B below for information about Guidelines for Milestone Documents and Presentations.

Please see PhD Course Requirements for detailed information.

PhD students are required to participate in the teaching mission of the Department for one semester during their first three semesters.  Most students will TA for at least 2 semesters. This requirement can be met by satisfactorily serving as a teaching assistant or instructor for a Computer Science course. In either case, at the end of the semester, the faculty member supervising the course will submit feedback on the student’s service. Based on this feedback and the evaluations by the students in the course, the Department’s Teaching Excellence Committee assigns a rating of excellent , satisfactory , or unsatisfactory for the service. Unsatisfactory performance must be made up with another term of service.

The Department will award a graduating PhD student a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching if the following conditions are met:

• The student has successfully served in the teaching mission of the Department for three semesters (or the equivalent in effort), where 1) at least one semester of service is for an undergraduate Computer Science course at the introductory level; and 2) at least one semester of service is as an instructor.
• The student is nominated for this distinction by at least one faculty member who has supervised the student on teaching.
• The student must submit a teaching portfolio and have it approved by the Teaching Excellence Committee. The portfolio should include a 2-page teaching statement and supporting documents such as sample instructional materials created by the student.

Every student is required to discuss research progress in a formal capacity with all the members of their supervisory committee at least annually. In a given year, this requirement can be met by a full committee meeting, or by a series of one-on-one meetings with each member of the committee. The Department conducts an annual progress review of all graduate students. Each student is required to submit a set of written materials as input to the annual review (see Appendix D for deadlines and details). Faculty members provide written feed-back on these materials. In the case when a student fails to make satisfactory progress, the Faculty may place the student on departmental probation (see section below on Good Standing.) The progress review documents are uploaded and evaluated using Gradcentral .

See Appendix C for additional details about the procedure for the Annual Progress Review.

All entering graduate students must attend and participate in the first offering of CPS 701S after their matriculation. This “immigration course” clarifies the goals and requirements of the graduate programs and exposes the students to methods, best practices, and ethical and professional issues for research in computer science. The Department’s Admissions Committee and DGS pair each entering student with a member of the Faculty who will act as a faculty mentor, before an advisor is identified.

The faculty mentor shall meet with the student early in each semester, and additionally as appropriate. The responsibility of the faculty mentor is to discuss the student’s research interests and goals, and guide the student toward a suitable match with an advisor. The faculty mentor also reports on the student’s progress as input to the annual progress review if the student has not yet identified an advisor.

For additional, more detailed information, please see Mentoring for CS Graduate Students .

Students maintain good standing in the graduate program by complying with the requirements and regulations set forth by the Department, the Graduate School, and the University. A student who is not in good standing can be placed on departmental probation , e.g., by the supervisory committee or Faculty for lack of progress, or by the DGS because for failure to meet degree requirements or violation of the Department’s House Rules .

The terms of probation will specify a concrete set of goals for the student to accomplish within a deadline. The probation period gives the student a chance to address issues raised by the committee or the Faculty. Failure to meet the goals by the deadline will result in termination from the program.

Within 10 days of receiving a decision of departmental probation or termination from the program, students have the right of a formal appeal in writing to the Department Chair. The appeal will be heard by the Department’s Graduate Curriculum Committee or a special committee appointed by the Chair.

Clarification of Terms

The Graduate School classifies Graduate Faculty into two categories: full members and term members . All tenure-track faculty members at Duke are full members of the Graduate Faculty; other cases of full membership require approval of the Dean. Faculty members who are not full members of the Graduate Faculty, as well as expert researchers outside Duke University, may serve as term members; such memberships must be nominated by the DGS and approved by the Graduate School. Note: Inclusion of expert researchers outside Duke in supervisory committees is common, and is encouraged when appropriate. Students should notify the DGS office in advance so there is enough time to collect from external committee members information required for nominating them for membership in the Graduate Faculty.

The i-th semester (into a graduate program) refers to the i-th semester (Fall or Spring) since the student’s date of matriculation into the program. Summer terms are not counted.

The n-th year (into a graduate program) refers to the n-th year since the student’s date of matriculation into the program. The year starts from the first day of class in a Fall or Spring semester (depending on the semester of matriculation), and ends on the last day of the final examinations in the following Summer term or Fall semester (respectively). Note: Unless pre-approved otherwise, a Leave of Absence from the program does not stop the clock as far as the graduate requirements are concerned.

Regular courses include those approved by the University for repeated periodic graded offerings. CPS 590 offerings, if graded, are also considered regular courses. CPS 701S and CPS 791 are not regular courses.

Guidelines for Milestone Documents and Presentations

Table 2 gives the standard length guidelines for documents and presentations required by the various degree milestones. These standard lengths are only guidelines. Minor deviations are common and expected. Supervisory committees have discretion to request or permit significant deviations from the standard length guidelines, although these must be negotiated in advance.

Students should allow adequate time to incorporate review comments from the advisor before submitting a document to the committee, and adequate time to incorporate review comments from committee members before the document is due. The document for a milestone must be delivered to all committee members for final review well in advance of the public presentation, unless they agree to accept it later; see the section Completing the Milestones for the lead time required for various milestones. The approved final versions of all milestone documents must be filed at the DGS office.

Public presentations associated with degree milestones should proceed in three phases: 1) the student gives a prepared talk and answers questions from the supervisory committee and other attendees; 2) the student discusses the work with the committee in a private session; and 3) the committee discusses the work in a private session. Other faculty members may attend the private sessions with approval of the committee.

Students are responsible for negotiating with committee members to schedule and announce each public presentation and to file the necessary paper-work in conformance with published deadlines. The DGS office assists with this process. Note: Students should begin the scheduling process early. Scheduling is often time-consuming and difficult toward the end of a semester, and the Graduate School requires the student to apply for graduation in DukeHub by a deadline well before the end of the semester in which a degree is received.

Additional guidelines on the documents and presentations for specific milestones are provided below. The supervisory committee has discretion to set standards for content of documents and presentations. It is critical that students discuss expectations with each committee member in advance. Stu-dents may provide additional material such as supplementary report text or publications for consideration by the committee.

PhD RIP It is expected that a successful RIP will lead to publishable work. Students are encouraged to publish RIP final reports externally, with approval of the committee.

PhD Preliminary Exam A preliminary exam re-port should 1) define a research problem suitable for dissertation research, 2) survey the literature in the area, 3) present the student’s preliminary research in the area, and 4) outline objectives and plans for continuing research. The prepared talk should summarize the content of the report and may provide additional supporting detail in selected areas. The report and presentation together should provide sufficient detail for the committee to judge four criteria for a successful defense: 1) the proposed research is of suitable scope and scale for a PhD dissertation; 2) the candidate has mastered previous work in the area; 3) the candidate’s preliminary research demonstrates sufficient aptitude and mastery of research methods and tools; and 4) the candidate meets standards of scholarship and presentation necessary to earn a doctoral degree.

Students may publish preliminary exam reports externally with approval of the committee.

PhD Dissertation and MS Thesis PhD dissertations and MS theses present research that makes a substantial contribution to knowledge. The supervisory committee has full discretion to define content standards for dissertations, theses, and their presentation.

The Graduate School publishes all dissertations and theses. Students must format these documents according to standards set by the Graduate School, and must submit a draft document to the Graduate School for a format check before a Final Exam Card required for the defense can be issued. See the Graduate School website for details.

In some situations, public access to dissertations and theses should be embargoed (i.e., restricted) for a period of time. Students must consult their supervisory committees for the appropriate embargo option. Project-Based MS Students pursuing the project (non-thesis) option for their MS degree must request from their advisor a note to the Graduate School, at the time they apply for graduation in DukeHub, stating that they are ready to graduate. The supervisory committee has full discretion to define content standards for the MS project reports and their presentation.

Table 2: Guidelines on lengths of milestone documents and presentations. Document lengths in this table assume the standard (double-spaced) thesis format defined by the Graduate School. However, there is no departmental requirement to use the standard thesis format for documents submitted to supervisory committees; some faculty members may prefer a single-spaced format with wide margins. Also, note that there are no standard length guidelines for MS theses/reports and PhD dissertations; individual  circumstances vary widely.

Procedure for Annual Progress Review

The Department conducts an annual progress review of graduate students. The purpose of the review is to recognize and reward achievement, deliver constructive guidance to students, and assess the effectiveness of the graduate program. The DGS office gathers information from students and faculty and maintains records for each student as well as progress measures for the graduate program as a whole. The DGS and the Department’s Graduate Curriculum Committee prepare this material for discussion during an annual progress review meeting of the faculty.

Students must submit written material as input to each annual review. through Gradcentral . These materials include 1) an updated curriculum vitae, 2) a brief (1- or 2-page) research summary with a bibliography of the student’s publications and works-in-progress, and 3) a short (1-page) progress statement including a self-assessment of progress for the previous year, a statement of goals for the following year, and an updated schedule of planned milestone completions. This process of planning and documenting progress and accomplishments will be valuable for students, and it will facilitate more detailed feedback from the Faculty. Each year, the DGS office publishes deadlines and additional guidelines for submitting these materials.

Faculty mentors or advisors and supervisory committee members report on student progress at each annual review. Faculty advisors must provide written feedback for students on the materials submitted for review. Instructors of graduate courses should also provide feedback on students’ course performance since the last annual progress review. Faculty post comments in Gradcentral.

In a typical year, supporting materials from students will be due by the end of the fall semester, and reports from faculty advisors and supervisory committee members will be due within two weeks after the beginning of the spring semester. The Faculty will complete the annual progress review by mid-February.

An important function of the annual progress review is to identify students who are not making adequate progress in the judgment of the Faculty as a whole. As a result of the review, the Faculty may place at-risk students on departmental probation (see section on Good Standing), with a probation period of no less than eight weeks.

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Requirements for the PhD. in Economics

The Requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, effective for the entering class of 2020, consist of successfully completing:

• Course Requirements
• Doctoral Written Examination
• Doctoral Dissertation

This document describes each of these requirements in detail.

1. Course Requirements

A doctoral candidate must complete 16 Ph.D.-level courses, at least two (2) semesters of the “Dissertation Workshop” related to their Field, at least one (1) semester of the “Dissertation Completion Seminar”. The two (2) semesters of the “Dissertation Workshop” count as one of the 16 Ph.D.-level courses to be completed. [1] At least 13 of the 16 courses must be from the Economics Department unless the student’s field of specialization specifically requires additional courses from other units or the student has permission from the faculty in the field. [2] All field courses must be approved both by faculty of the relevant field and the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). By graduate school rules, a student becomes academically ineligible to continue in the program if a student receives a grade of F, F*, XF, or nine or more hours of L in the above-mentioned courses. Academically ineligible means that the student is out of the Ph.D. program. “Out of the Ph.D. program” is the wording we will use to denote this state in the rest of the document. [3]

1.1 Courses in the Fundamentals of Economics

The courses that provide the fundamentals of economics are:

• ECON 700 and 701: Quantitative Methods
• ECON 710 and 711: Graduate Microeconomics
• ECON 720 and 721: Graduate Macroeconomics
• ECON 770 and 771: Graduate Econometrics

ECON 700 is a daily math camp offered in the first three weeks of August, and counts as a standard core course (3 credit hours).

1.2 Courses in the Fields of Specialization

Each student selects a field of specialization.

At least three (3) courses in the field of specialization are required. Current examples of field of specialization courses are available on the webpage  Field Specialization Requirements. Notice that these are only examples and new fields of specialization can be created by students under the supervision of a faculty member. The new field of specialization and the related three courses should be approved by the DGS. Examples of fields of specialization are:

• Econometrics
• Financial Econometrics
• Health Economics
• Industrial Organization
• International/Macroeconomics
• Labor Economics
• Microeconomic Theory

1.3 Courses in Supporting Fields

Supporting courses are chosen by the student in consultation with the DGS and other faculty. The supporting courses may be within the specialized field or in other areas.

1.4 Additional Course Requirements

Students are required to take at least two (2) semesters of the “Dissertation Workshop” related to their Field. Dissertation Workshops are typically taken starting in the third year of the Ph.D. program. In addition, students on the job market are required to take at least one (1) semester of the “Dissertation Completion Seminar”. The Seminar is taken in fall of the final graduation year, typically the fifth or sixth year of the Ph.D. program.

1.5 How to satisfy the 16-course requirement

In general, courses offered in the Ph.D. program in the department or approved by the DGS and taken in other departments or schools count toward satisfying the 16-course requirement. But there are the following exceptions:

• The “Dissertation Workshop” (ECON 920, 970, 985, 990) counts only ONCE even if you enroll for multiple semesters. Specifically, two (2) semesters of the “Dissertation Workshop” count as one of the 16 Ph.D.-level courses to be completed;
• The “Seminar in Teaching Methods” (ECON 805 and 806) does NOT count;
• The newly introduced workshop “Dissertation Completion Seminar” does NOT count.

2. Doctoral Written Examination

  Students must pass written qualifying examinations in econometrics, macroeconomics, and microeconomics. Students must also pass the field paper requirement. Passing the qualifying examinations and the field paper satisfies the Graduate School requirement for the doctoral written examination.

2.1 Qualifying Examination requirement

All students who have successfully completed the eight (8) courses in the Fundamentals of Economics described in Section 1.1 are required to take qualifying examinations in econometrics, macroeconomics, and microeconomics. These examinations are administered around the first week of June, are three hours each and are meant to test if the core knowledge necessary to successfully proceed in the program has been acquired by the student. Exact dates will be communicated in advance by the DGS. The qualifying examinations requirement is satisfied by accomplishing the following:

• Out of the three (3) possible grades {P, L, F} (where P>L>F), obtain at least two (2) P and one (1) L over the three exams.

The exams are prepared and graded by a qualifying examinations committee nominated by the Chair and chaired by the DGS. The grades for all three exams are communicated jointly at the end of the grading process. If a student does not satisfy the criteria on the first attempt, another attempt is offered around the end of August. Exact dates will be communicated in advance by the DGS. On the second attempt, the student is required to retake the exams graded with an F and may decide to retake the exams graded with an L. For example, if a student accomplishes {P, L, F} on the first attempt, he has to retake the F and may decide to retake the L or not. As another example, if a student accomplishes {P, L, L} on the first attempt, she has to retake at least one of the two L’s but she is free to decide which one. She may also decide to retake both to diversify risk.

If a student does not satisfy the criteria on the second attempt, a third attempt is offered the following year at the same time and with the same exams administered to the new first-year Ph.D. students. The same criteria described for the second attempt apply to the third attempt. If a student does not satisfy the criteria by the third attempt, no additional chance to pass the requirement is offered and the student is out of the Ph.D. program. [4]

2.2. Field Paper requirement

The field paper requirement is satisfied by accomplishing the following steps:

• Identify a possible advisor for the field paper. The deadline to identify a possible advisor is June 1 of the summer between the second and third year of the Ph.D. program.
• Complete a first draft of the paper. The first draft of the paper is not a complete paper but a draft that states clearly motivation, objective and methodology. It also needs to demonstrate the student’s understanding of the relevant tools and literature in the field. The deadline to complete the first draft is the first week of classes of the third year Fall semester. During preparation of the draft, the student is expected to be in regular contact with the advisor and the advisor is expected to be responsive to the student.
• Complete the final draft of the paper. The final draft of the paper is a self-contained draft that accomplishes a specific objective and implements a specific methodology. It does not need to be polished at the level of a paper ready for publication but it should constitute a substantial building block for a research paper and/or a dissertation chapter. The deadline to complete the final draft is the last day of examination week of the third year Fall semester. During preparation of the draft, the student is expected to be in regular contact with the advisor and the advisor is expected to be responsive to the student.

The Field Paper committee is composed of the advisor chosen in step 1 plus two (2) additional faculty members. The advisor will also be the faculty of reference to enroll in ECON 994 ‘Doctoral Research and Dissertation’, which is required for all Ph.D. students after two years in the program. The field paper committee decides if the field paper requirements are satisfied. If the field paper committee decides that the final draft of the paper is not satisfactory, the student fails the requirement and has the possibility to resubmit a final draft. The deadline for resubmission is the last day of examination week of the third year Spring semester. If the resubmission is not approved by the committee, the student is officially out of the Ph.D. program. The Field Paper committee decisions are shared with the DGS and the student in a timely manner.

3. Doctoral Dissertation

The Doctoral Dissertation requirement is satisfied by accomplishing the following steps:

• The  doctoral oral examination , or preliminary oral examination, consists of an evaluation of the thesis prospectus. The thesis prospectus (i.e. dissertation proposal) is discussed in front of the Dissertation committee. The student must successfully complete their prospectus by the end of the fourth year in the PhD program. If the student does not meet this deadline, to remain in good standing in the program they must submit a letter to the DGS that describes the current state of their research and a plan for timely completion of their prospectus. In this case, one faculty advisor must sign-off on the student’s research plan. If the student does not complete the prospectus by the end of the fifth year, they must exit the PhD program. If the student was unable to complete the prospectus by the end of the fifth year due to extraordinary personal or academic circumstances, they may petition to remain in the program by submitting an updated research overview and plan, signed by a faculty advisor. Students who defend their prospectus after the end of the fourth year must allow for one calendar year between the prospectus defense and graduation dates; research plans should directly acknowledge this requirement.
• The doctoral dissertation . Students work closely with members of the Dissertation committee in developing their dissertation. Consult the  Graduate School Guide to Theses and Dissertations for additional information and style requirements. Doctoral dissertations are usually completed at the end of the fifth or sixth year in the program. Overall, a student has eight (8) calendar years from the date of first registration in the doctoral program to complete the doctoral degree. [5]
• The final oral examination, or final oral defense of the dissertation, consists of a discussion of the final dissertation in front of the Dissertation committee. The deadline for the defense with respect to graduation dates is provided by the graduate school here . At the same webpage, the Graduate School also provides additional instructions for filing for graduation.

The Dissertation committee is composed by five (5) faculty members. One of the five members is the advisor. Occasionally two faculty members may act as co-advisors. One of the five faculty members may be a scholar from outside the department or the university. If students do not pass step 1 or step 3, they have the possibility of one (1) retake at a time jointly agreed upon with the dissertation committee. If the retake is also not approved by the committee, the student is officially out of the Ph.D. program.

4. Additional Remarks

The requirements described in this document are consistent with the Graduate School requirements for a Ph.D. that can be found in the Graduate School Handbook and the Graduate Catalog . We invite students to be familiar with these requirements. In addition, students should also be aware of the general University Campus Policies , the University Policies for Research , and the Graduate School Policies on Academic Integrity and Ethics .

The expression “out of the Ph.D.” program used in the text refers to a student who cannot continue in the Ph.D. program. However, these students can appeal to be reinstated in the graduate program in order to obtain a Master’s degree. Requirements to obtain a Master’s degree are here .

[1] Additional enrollments in the workshop are expected throughout the time that a student is writing the dissertation.

[2] Credits transfer one to one from other units from outside the department. For example, a half credits/half semester course in the Economics Department at Duke transfers as half credits/half semester course at UNC.

[3] When special circumstances warrant, a student made academically ineligible under the conditions stated above may be reinstated in The Graduate School upon petition initiated through the student’s academic program. In our program, this typically means that the student can be reinstated in order to complete a terminal Master degree.

[4] A student out of the PhD program can petition to be reinstated in order to obtain a Master’s of Science in Economics. Please see here for requirements about the Master’s program.

[5] Under extenuating circumstances, a student in good academic standing may be warranted a one-year extension of the degree time limit. Please see the specific Graduate School policy available here for additional details.

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Dual Degree Requirements

The dual degree consists of 45 total credit hours:

• 21 credit hours from the Engineering Management Program (EMP)
• 24 credit hours from the Aerospace Engineering Program*

*The 24 credits required are at the discretion of the Aerospace department and may not need to all come from ASEN coursework.  Please consult the Aerospace department to confirm requirements for the degree of interest.

The EMP requirements as part of the dual degree are:

Current Requirements (starting Fall 2022)

• EMEN 5015: Engineering Communication (Previously EMEN 5830: Special Topics)
• EMEN 5020: Finance for Engineering Managers
• EMEN 5030: Project Management   OR EMEN 5405: Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
• EMEN 5050: Leading Oneself
• Three EMEN elective courses; EMEN 5000 does not count towards the Engineering Management degree requirements

When completing the ME Engineering Management degree candidacy application for graduation, in addition to the 21 EMEN credit hours, students will need to include 9 Aerospace Engineering credit hours to make the 30 total credit hours required to complete the ME Engineering Management degree.

• Contact [email protected] for Aerospace questions. 
• View Aerospace admissions criteria and application requirements .

When completing the MS Aerospace degree candidacy application for graduation, in addition to the 24 ASEN credit hours, students will need to include 6 EMEN credit hours to make the 30 total credit hours required to complete the MS Aerospace degree.

What are you looking for?

• International Students
• F-1 and J-1 Visas

Financial Documentation Requirements

Requirements for international student proof of funding.

Per U.S. immigration regulations, all international students intending to study on F-1 or J-1 visa status are required to demonstrate proof of their ability to pay for their education and living expenses in the United States.

Before an I-20 or DS-2019 can be issued, USC requires a financial statement demonstrating proof of funding. If you are applying to a graduate program, it is not necessary to submit proof of financial support or passport copies to be considered for admission to USC. Documents can be submitted after an admission decision has been reached and you have committed to attend USC.

If you are applying for an undergraduate program, proof of financial support is required to be considered for admission to USC.

Cost Requirements for I-20 Program

To determine your I-20/DS-2019 cost requirements, please find your program, by degree level, in the drop-down below. These amounts cover estimated, average program expenses and living expenses for one year, as determined by the USC Financial Aid Office.

Please Note: These numbers are for immigration purposes only. They should not be considered a bill of expense for your program. Your actual expenses may vary based on course load, living situation, special fees, lifestyle, etc.

Regardless of your actual expenses, the I-20/DS-2019 costs below cannot be negotiated. For example, you may not subtract living costs if you intend to live with a relative in Los Angeles. For questions about your degree program’s curriculum, units, classes, fees, etc. please contact the admission office of your program.

PhD/Doctoral Applicants: Since USC provides funding to the majority of PhD candidates, PhD applicants do not need to submit a personal financial statement, unless the university has confirmed that no funding will be provided.

J-1 Students Only: Before the Office of Admission can issue a DS-2019, you must provide proof that the majority of your funding is sponsored by a government, university, or other major international organization. Personal funds may not be used unless you have dependent expenses not covered by your scholarship.

If you have dependents (a legal spouse or child) who will apply for F-2/J-2 visas, you must be able to provide an additional $14,253 for your spouse and $7,127 for each child.

Program Cost by Degree Level

What is an acceptable financial document.

Please visit our USC Guidelines for Acceptable Financial Support Documentation for more information.

How to Submit Your Documents

Undergrad uate students: You must submit your documents when you apply for admission. Please submit them with the Common Application .

Grad uate students: We will require financial documentation only if you are admitted to and choose to attend USC. Financial documents for graduate student s are not required or accepted when you apply for admission. Please do not send any financial documents while your application is under consideration, as they will not be reviewed.

Admitted students who have committed to attend USC can log in to Trojan International to:

1) Submit their financial statement.

2) Submit their passport copy.

3) Request their I-20.

Please log in with your USC NetID and click on the “Admission” menu to proceed. We also recommend reading the Trojan International Checklist beforehand for guidelines on how to prepare your passport and financial documents.

Physician Assistant, Master's

The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School (UMB) promotes excellence in education to foster the development of competent, ethical and compassionate primary care providers. We value diversity, lifelong learning, research, and scholarship. To accomplish this mission, emphasis is placed on both academics and professionalism. Our students are expected to exemplify the virtues of integrity, honesty, respect, and ethical behavior. The University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School Physician Assistant Licensure Disclosure can be found below.

• Licensure Disclosure

Details, Dates & Deadlines

Program details, class format, program location.

University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus

Program Length

Credits to complete, cost/credit hour.

In State: $764 Out of State: $996

Bachelor's degree or higher

Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of B:

• General Microbiology
• Anatomy and Physiology 1
• Anatomy and Physiology 2

Dates & Deadlines

Applications Open: April 27, 2024

Application Deadline: September 1, 2024

Program Start Date: Summer, 2025

Career Outlook

Health care is poised to experience the greatest employment growth of any sector in the U.S. over the next few years. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics is predicting the field will experience 19% growth across the nation by 2024. Additionally, the demand for physician assistants is projected to grow 30% from 2014 to 2024. The knowledge and training you'll receive in the   M.S. Health Science with Physician Assistant Concentration will prepare you to capitalize on this growth in a number of fields, including:

• Primary Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Medical Specialties
• Public Health
• Health Research
• Healthcare Planning
• Healthcare Administration
• Academic Research Institutions
• Public Policy

Program Structure

For students who are currently enrolled, the Physician Assistant Program is a 25-month, 116-credit program offered by the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB).

Beginning with the Class of 2025 (matriculating May, 2023) and beyond, the Physician Assistant Program is a 24-month, 116-credit program offered by the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB)

Current Program Curriculum

Learning Outcomes

Students will become competent, ethical and compassionate health care providers who are ready to fulfill the roles and duties of the primary care physician assistant, recognize and promote the value of diversity and who are committed to lifelong learning. Students who complete all course work from University of Maryland Baltimore Physician Assistant Program will be eligible to sit for the national certification exam for Physician Assistants.

In addition, at the conclusion of their study, students in the Physician Assistant Program will be prepared to:

• Search, interpret and evaluate the medical and public health literature; including qualitative and quantitative studies.
• Examine and critically appraise healthcare delivery systems and health policy at the local and global level.
• Discuss and inform health care system care delivery, patient safety, quality and risk management.
• Apply knowledge to improve prevention of disease, maintenance of public health and participate in disease surveillance, reporting and intervention.
• Articulate and explain principles and practice of medical and public health ethics.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to apply through CASPA? YES, all applicants must apply through CASPA and the application must be completed and received by UMB by September 1 for consideration.  UMB will send notification via e-mail when the application is received and instructions regarding how to proceed with the admission process Applicants are encouraged to submit their CASPA applications by July 1, 2022 to ensure the application is completed by the September 1, 2022 deadline.  Only applications that reflect all of the completed program requirements will be reviewed . Applications that do not reflect all of the listed program requirements will be considered incomplete; applicants still working on the listed program requirements are encouraged to wait until the next admissions cycle to apply. Please review the applicant’s checklist prior to clicking “submit” on your CASPA application to be sure it is a complete application.
• Do my prerequisites need to be completed by the application deadline? All prerequisites must be posted with grades on official transcripts submitted to CASPA.
• Does my degree need to be completed by the application deadline? Conferred degree and date must be posted on official transcripts submitted to CASPA.
• Does the type of bachelor’s degree matter? No, any bachelor’s degree or higher from a nationally recognized institution is acceptable.
• If I retake a course, which grade will count for my GPA? For cumulative GPA and science GPA (as calculated by CASPA) ALL courses will be counted in the GPA. UMB uses the GPA calculated by CASPA.
• Do I need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)? No, starting with the 2024 - 2025 application cycle, we will no longer require the GRE.
• Can I work while I am in the UMB Physician Assistant program? The program is very challenging and students need a time commitment for studying and clinical education. For your success in the program, we do not recommend that you work while matriculating in this program.
• Can I get credit for previous academic work or work experience? No, the UMB PA Program does not grant credit for prior academic or work experience. Prerequisite requirements and work experience are factored into the ranking system used to evaluate applicants. Work experience is verified as needed through the admission and CASPA application process.
• How often do you admit students? Once a year. Since the CASPA cycle opens mid-April, we recommend submitting a CASPA application by July 1 so that a completed CASPA application is received by UMB by the deadline date of September 1. Interviews are held in the fall for competitive applicants and selections are made for the new class that begins in the following May of each year.
• Do you offer a part-time PA program? No, our program is a 25-month, full-time program.
• I am a foreign educated applicant; will you accept my foreign transcript? After completing the CASPA application, UMB may request official evaluations for all foreign transcripts (for all higher-level institutions attended), evaluated   (course by course evaluation)   by one of the following organizations: World Education Services (WES) at  wes.org , Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) at  www.ece.org   or SpanTran at   https://spantran.com/web/services/evaluations . No other evaluation services will be accepted. University of Maryland, Baltimore  will not  evaluate these documents prior to going through this process. 
• I am foreign educated; do I have to take the TOEFL? All foreign educated students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to submitting their CASPA application. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score (reflected on the CASPA application) for admission is 250 for the computer-based test and 100 for the internet-based test. Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for two years from the date the CASPA application is submitted.
• If I send letters of recommendation to CASPA, do I need to submit them to UMB as well? No, UMB obtains letters of recommendation from CASPA. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that CASPA receives all three letters of recommendation.
• I do not have a background in the health care field. How can I obtain patient contact experience? Patient contact experience is recommended; however, it is not required. A student who does not have patient contact experience can take a one-semester course and possibly earn a professional certificate in just four months and begin to accrue patient contact experience hours as a paid health professional (or nationally certified professional such as an EMT). Volunteer and student hours are not considered under the program’s current definition for patient contact experience.
• What are the PANCE first-time pass rates? Please review the  5 Year Pance Report .
• How many seats are available in the PA program? Starting with the Class of 2025 there are 60 seats available.
• How many applications does your program typically receive? The typical number of applications received is more than 800.
• If I am offered a seat in the program, how do I apply for financial aid? Financial aid for the program is completed through the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) Office of Student Financial Assistance. The school code is  002104  and you can contact them directly at 410-706-7347 or email:  [email protected]  or visit the   Financial Assistance page here .
• I am a graduate from the program.   How do I obtain degree and transcript verifications? If you graduated in 2019 or before, please refer to the Anne Arundel Community College   Office of Records and Registration . Individuals who graduate in 2020 and after, please refer to the   University of Maryland Office of the Registrar .

Program Contacts

Karen Frank Assistant Director of Admissions  [email protected]   410-706-5242

General Inquiries

[email protected]   410-706-5242

Next Steps: Your path to success starts here

• Register for an Information Session

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Internal Revenue Service

Pathways recent graduate program (user experience designer) 12-month roster.

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IRS Recent Graduates Program affords developmental experiences in the Federal Government intended to promote possible careers in the civil service to individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Selected applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government. In addition, the IRS implemented the new IRS Forward Recent Graduate Program that includes an additional year of formal development, training, networking, project teams, and may include rotational assignments.

Following the completion of program requirements, selectees may be considered for non-competitive conversion to a career/career-conditional or term appointment. All conversion requirements will be identified in the Participant Agreement. Program requirements include but are not limited to:

• Successful completion of at least 1 to 2 years of continuous service depending on the position;
• Completion of at least 40 hours of interactive training;
• Mentorship;
• Demonstration of successful job performance; and
• Meet the qualification position standards.

Conversion to the competitive service is not implied or guaranteed.

If selected, you will be placed in a developmental position as a Pathways Recent Graduate Program (User Experience Designer) 12-Month Roster, GS-0301- 09 with promotion potential to GS-12 in the Online Services (OLS) division.

A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Design mockups to communicate design themes for improved user experience that incorporate various elements of IRS branding and visual identity.
• Build interactive prototypes based on requirements, user experience (UX) best practices, and Section 508 accessibility guidelines and other applicable rules and regulations.
• Keep the websites’ interface in alignment with IRS requirements, while ensuring the existing platform and customers continue to be successful. Establishes and promotes design guidelines, best practices and standards.
• Research trends in online design, development, and functionality, including areas such as mobile and internet of thing (IoT) user experiences. Outlines options for management and senior staff.
• Create Personas, Journey Maps, Market/Comparative Research, Analytics reports, Surveys, Interviews, and Customer Experience Metrics.

Requirements

Conditions of employment.

• Telework Eligible Positions : Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework. Employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements (e.g., reporting at least twice a pay period to your assigned Post of Duty (POD) ) and supervisor’s approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. Employees must also be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. As a reminder – If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
• Undergo a review of prior performance/conduct and an income tax verification. Refer to “Get Your Tax Record” at http://www.irs.gov/ ( https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript ) to check the status of your account, balance owed, payment history, make a payment, or review answers to tax questions. If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9 . Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies .

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis.

To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

In order to qualify, you must first meet Pathways Recent Graduate Program eligibility:

You must have, within the previous 2 years, completed all educational requirements for a qualifying associate, bachelor, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying institution; or intended graduation is no more than 9 months from date of application;

Veterans (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108) who, due to a military service obligation, were precluded from applying to a Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period may have their eligibility period extended so that they receive the full 2 years of eligibility. The remaining 2-year eligibility period will begin upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. The veteran’s eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of all requirements of an academic course of study.

Secondly, you must meet any basic requirements of the position and the experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Administrative and Management Positions.

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

GS-9 SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service: Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience analyzing, methods and procedures to research and assist in the development of new website service deliver. Analyzing and evaluating methods and techniques to assist in research of emerging technologies, design, content creation and development strategies for the Web. Using JavaScript frameworks and libraries, as well as HTML and CSS to communicate technical details. Experience using current design principles and development techniques to enhance the look and usability of websites. Preparing draft reports and other substantive guidelines and materials

EDUCATION: You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: master’s or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master’s or equivalent graduate degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related

COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: At least 1 year of combined graduate education and experience as defined in paragraphs above.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM’s Qualifications Standards .

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit dated documentation showing completion or intended completion (if graduation is no more than 9 months from the date of application) of all educational requirements (e.g. letter from the registrar, unofficial transcripts). An official transcript will be required if you are selected. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

CERTIFICATE: If you are qualifying based on a certificate program, please refer to Treasury’s Pathways Program for more information on qualifying certificate programs. A Certificate Program is a post-secondary educational program in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one full-time academic year of study, that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational or business school curriculum. For study at a business or technical school, 36 weeks of study (20+ classroom hours per week) is comparable to 1 academic year of full-time study. IF you are applying with a completed IT or Business Professional Certification you must submit a dated transcript or letter issued by the Academic Institution detailing your completed coursework and credit hours completed. If your Academic institution calculates a full-year of academic studies with fewer hours, or academic credits are expressed in contract months, units, or other terms that differ from the conventional hours, please have your academic advisor provide a letter certifying the Certificate program meets the regulatory definition.

For more information on education requirements go to Treasury’s Pathways Program.

Additional information

• Pathways in an Excepted Service Appointment, Schedule D, 5 CFR Part 362. Selected applicants who occupy positions in the Competitive Service must acknowledge the outcome of voluntarily leaving the Competitive Service prior to accepting an Excepted Service Appointment in a Pathways Program. See 5 CFR 302.102(b)(2).
• All selectees must sign a Participant Agreement.
• An official transcript must be provided to confirm degree completion prior to appointment to the position.
• Subject to a 1-year trial period (unless already completed).
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.
• The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages .
• This is a bargaining unit position.
• Tour of Duty: Day Shift/Mondy-Friday
• Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.
• Obtain and use a government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

If the position(s) are no longer needed prior to the closing date, this announcement may be closed early. This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill vacancies in the locations listed as they become available for the next 12 months contingent upon funding and space requirements. Applicants must apply and/or update their applications by 11:59 pm ET at the close of the following cutoff dates to be considered: Cutoff date(s): 05/22/2023, 7/22/2023, 9/22/2023, 11/22/2023, 01/22/2024, 03/22/2024, and 05/08/2024. This announcement may be amended to include additional cut-off dates within the 12-month period if needed, not later than 5 days prior to the additional cut-off date(s). Eligible applicants in the highest category who apply by the initial cut-off date will be considered first. If additional vacancies exist , applicants who applied after the initial cutoff date who place in the highest category will be considered next. Selections from this announcement may be made no later than (NLT) 05/08/2024.

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You are here, research assistantship with prof. chavarria for summer 2024.

One Graduate Research Assistantship is now available on the DAMIC-M experiment starting in Summer 2024 under Prof. Alvaro Chavarria. Description: The student will participate in the construction and commissioning of the DAMIC-M detector, and analyze the first data to perform a world-leading direct search for sub-GeV dark matter particles. Requirements:  -   Enrollment in the Physics PhD Program, with excellent grades -   Completion of a 600 level reading course with Professor Chavarria. The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.  http://ap.washington.edu/eoaa/ For more information, please contact:  Prof. Chavarria - [email protected] . If interested, please respond by Thursday, April 18 .

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