What is the sequence of a typical Doctor of Philosophy program?
• Two years of full-time residency and coursework. • In the second term of the first year of residence the student’s work is reviewed by his or her residence committee and further courses of study are planned. • Exploration and consideration of possible areas and topics for the dissertation. • Completion of Comprehensive Examinations, usually four or five in number, designed for five hours of writing each, followed by an oral examination of approximately two hours. All examinations are normally taken at one period, of which there are three each year: September / October, January, and April / May. • A dissertation committee is appointed by the Ph.D. Studies Committee upon nomination of the candidate’s department, taking into account the research topic and the candidate’s own suggestions. Under the guidance of the dissertation committee, the student develops the research topic into a formal dissertation proposal which must be submitted to the Ph.D. Studies Committee for approval. • After
