Timeline

Please note that the following deadlines presume that students enter the program in the fall semester. If you enter the program in the spring semester, they should be adjusted to the corresponding point in the next semester (so that September deadlines become February deadlines, June becomes January, etc.). Years are referred to as “G-years”; that is, G1 is a first-year graduate student, G3 a third-year, etc.

First Year

During your first year as a doctoral student, you will focus on your academic coursework and developing your teaching skills as a TA, working alongside a faculty mentor and leading discussion sections for a faculty-led lecture course. A standard courseload for doctoral students is three graduate courses (9 credits) per semester, in addition to the 1-credit TA workshop or language study. You will meet regularly with the GPD, who is your official advisor. G1 students are expected to take courses that will fulfill course and language requirements as outlined above in the Guide. Students are permitted at most one active incomplete; they are expected to complete coursework in the semester in which it is due. 

Second Year

Second-year doctoral students continue to fulfill their course requirements and to hone their teaching skills; under some circumstances second-year TAs may be permitted to teach stand-alone courses in which they design and implement their own syllabus for one of our Gen-Ed courses (Good and Evil, Spiritual Autobiography, International Short Story, etc.). In September, second-year students fill out the program's "Green Sheet" (a worksheet to help students plan out how they will meet the course distribution requirements). Mid-way through the second year (by February) students begin to select a faculty member to serve as chair of their comprehensive exams. By June, students should communicate their choice of advisor to the GPD.

Third Year

Third-year students focus on completing their course requirements and preparing for and taking the comprehensive examinations. In consultation with their advisor, G3 students constitute the committee for the comprehensive exams in the fall semester and draft the rationales for their three exam areas. Rationales should be completed by the end of February, so that exams can be taken by the end of the academic year. G3 students may be eligible for Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships from the Graduate School.

Fourth Year

Fourth-year students constitute their dissertation committee with the assistance of their chair and in consultation with the GPD and work to draft the prospectus. By November 30 of the G4 year, students must have defended their prospectus, which should be filed by the end of the calendar year. Once the prospectus is filed, G4 students become eligible for Dissertation Research Grants from the Graduate School.

Fifth Year

By September 30, G5 students should have completed one chapter of the dissertation and have shared it with their advisor, and possibly with their full committee. During the course of their fifth year, the student will be expected to produce at least one additional chapter. Fifth-year students are encouraged to attend the professional development workshops offered through the program and the Graduate School. 

NB: As of their sixth year in the program, PhD candidates are no longer guaranteed funding. 

Sixth Year 

Students must have at least two meetings with their advisor (and share their work with their full committee) each year. In order to remain in good standing, students must produce two acceptable dissertation chapters (or about 40-50% of the completed dissertation) by their sixth year, and about the same amount (40-50%) in the sixth year. Exceptions are at the discretion of the GPD. Ideally, you will complete and defend your dissertation and graduate by the end of your sixth year.

G7+: In the event that a student otherwise in good standing should encounter delays toward completing their degree (such as a parental or medical leave of absence), a seventh year may be petitioned with the Graduate School. Students who have not completed heir dissertation by the end of the eighth year may be asked to withdraw and reapply when they have a full dissertation draft. Students should be aware that funding is not guaranteed after year G5 and they are unlikely to be funded beyond their sixth year.

Notifying the GPD and Graduate School of Milestones

Certain milestones must be reported to the GPD, as detailed below. These deadlines are binding. Students are responsible for reporting the following milestones: 

G2/Second Year

• Student apprises GPD of the chair of their comprehensive exam committee by June 30 (or after the end of the fourth semester for students who join in the fall).

G3/Third Year (fifth and sixth semester of coursework for students who joined the program in the fall semester)

• Student apprises GPD of the members of their comprehensive exam committee no later than the end of the fifth semester, and GPD then writes a memo to the Grad School to formally establish the committee;
• Student shares rationales and date of comprehensive exams with GPD at least 30 days before their comprehensive exams;
• Student apprises GPD of any change to their committee following their comps; GPD notifies the Graduate School of these changes through a memo as needed.

G4/Fourth Year

• Student shares date of prospectus defense with GPD at least 30 days before defense.

Final Year in the Program

• Student apprises GPD of date of dissertation defense (as well as title and Zoom link if defense will be held online or hybrid) at least 30 days before defense (preferably earlier). GPD notifies the Grad School at least 30 days before defense who then post that information on the Graduate Bulletin. 

Committee chairs are responsible for reporting the following milestones through a memo to the GPD:

G3/Third Year (fifth and sixth semester of coursework for students who joined the program in the Fall semester)

• Committee chair writes memo promptly after defense of comps to GPD, GPD then writes memo to the Graduate School.

G4/Fourth Year

• Committee chair writes to GPD apprising them of the prospectus defense outcome; GPD does not submit a memo about prospectus to the Grad School as this is filed internally.

Final Year in the Program

• Committee chair writes to GPD after defense, apprising them of the result; GPD writes a memo to the Graduate School.