The Planned Educational Leave Program is designed to allow you to
suspend your program of study for good cause (i.e., illness,
temporary departure from the university for employment or
research away from the campus, preparing for examinations, if
doing so at a distance from the campus, financial problems,
personal problems), leave the campus, and be guaranteed the right
to return later to resume academic work.
When the dissertation research has been completed and the result
written in potentially final form, the dissertation will be
submitted to the student’s dissertation committee within the time
constraints imposed by the Office of Graduate Studies. Currently
normative time to degree is five years following admission to the
doctoral program. The student may be on “filing fee” status for
two quarters with the possibility of extension.
Once the pre-qualifying requirements and the qualifying
examination have been passed, the student may be advanced to
candidacy. The Advancement to Candidacy Form asks for nominations
for the dissertation committee and verifies that the student has
passed the qualifying exam. The form is signed by the Chair of
the oral qualifying examination committee, the adviser, and the
nominated Chair of the dissertation committee. After obtaining
all the necessary signatures, the student files The Advancement
to Candidacy Form with the Office of Graduate Studies.
Once the data have been collected and analyzed, it is possible to
go on “filing fee status.” The student will certify that he or
she will no longer need university resources. If approved, the
student will no longer have to pay fees. On the other hand, the
student will also not be eligible for many university benefits,
so this move should be considered carefully. There is a limit of
two quarters a student may be on ‘filing fee status” although
there is a possibility for extension.
Unlike undergraduate degree programs, and some master
degree programs, there is no specific length of time associated
with earning a Ph.D. Across disciplines and campuses; the average
amount of time to earn the degree is between 4 and 5 years,
although individual time varies widely.
The Graduate Adviser, after consultation with the student,
nominates faculty to serve on the higher degree committees. The
committees are appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
A Qualifying Examination Committee ordinarily consists of five
members. It is strongly recommended one member be appointed from
outside the department or the graduate group with which the
student is studying. The chairperson of the Qualifying
Examination Committee may not be the faculty member who will
serve as chairperson of the student’s dissertation committee.
