Schedule for Completion of Ph.D. Requirements
Students must petition the Academic Affairs Committee to deviate
from this schedule.
Students entering in the summer and fall semesters are referred
to as the September cohort.
Students entering in the spring semester are referred to as the
January cohort.
Dates given are for the September cohort; students in the January
cohort, add one semester.
Year 1—To be completed by the end of year 1:
• Select Research Committee.
• Meet with the committee, and complete Certification.
• 2 Visiting Prelim questions (suggested).
• Seminar/oral presentation (e.g., PP923, Friday-at-Four,
national meeting, PP 875 Special Topics course).
• Satisfy requirements for foundation courses, start required
major and minor courses.
Year 2—To be completed by the end of year 2:
• Remainder of the Visiting Prelim questions.
• Seminar/oral presentation.
• Continue course work and degree requirements.
Year 3—To be completed by the end of year 3:
• Complete course work and requirements, including PP300,
PP505, PP559, PP602, PP799, PP875, PP923.
• Complete the Research Proposal and the Oral Prelim according
to the schedule below.
• Some requirements usually completed in the third year
should be completed earlier by students entering the Ph.D. program
with an M.S. degree.
To be completed by October 31 of year 3:
• Submit written Research Proposal to Research Committee
(use USDA or NSF format: 15 pages single- or double-spaced; Summary,
Background, Justification, Approach, Literature Cited).
To be completed by November through May of year 3:
• Receive comments from Research Committee, revise proposal,
and meet with Research Committee.
• Present Research Proposal Seminar (PP923), which satisfies
the seminar requirement for year 3.
To be completed by May of year 3:
• Complete Oral Prelim exam.
• Dissertator status is conferred when all of the degree
requirements have been satisfied.
Year 4 (and Year 5…)
• Seminar/oral presentation.
• Meet with Research Committee to review progress.
Final year
• Meet with Research Committee to review progress.
• Complete thesis.
• Give a Final Research Seminar on the day of the final
exam or in the preceding six months.
Note about PP923: Students register for 1 credit of PP923 in
the semester they present a seminar.
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