university of kentucky phd thesis

The Doctoral Degree

Students will be admitted to the doctoral program only if they have first earned an M.A. degree in history at UK or at another institution.

Upon admission to the program, each student is assigned a faculty advisor in the student’s general field of study.  Students, however, may change advisors with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.  It is essential that students work with the advisor to develop a plan of study and to consider post-doctoral career plans.  They should meet regularly with their advisors to discuss matters such as the guidelines and rules specified in the Graduate Handbook , course selections, the scope of the qualifying exam fields, and the dissertation project.  Advisors are expected to meet regularly with their students to review progress to the degree. 

Credit Hours and Course Requirements

Doctoral students must meet three sets of course and credit-hour requirements.  One of these is the Graduate School’s requirement that a student have eighteen-hours of graduate coursework before sitting for the qualifying exams.  A second is the department’s requirement that all Ph.D. students take eight 600- and 700-level History seminars before they may sit for the qualifying exams.  (Students who have earned the M.A. degree in History at UK may apply seminars taken as an M.A. student toward this requirement.)  Finally, specializations within the department have established specific course requirements for their students.  These are explained in the Graduate Handbook.

Language Requirements

Students are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one foreign language and in many cases two or more languages.  If the M.A. degree has been earned at UK, language proficiencies achieved as part of the M.A. program apply to the Ph.D. program.

Doctoral Degree Progress Expectations

Ph.D. students contend with two timelines.  One of these is to prepare for the qualifying examinations by completing coursework, meeting language proficiencies, establishing an advisory committee, and assembling reading lists for the exams.  When a student will sit for the exams will vary depending on whether the student has earned the M.A. at UK and whether the student’s field of concentration requires additional language training.  The Graduate Handbook discusses these expectations in more detail.  Students who do not sit for the exams within four years of entering the doctoral program, however, may be dropped from the program.

The second important timeline commences after a student has passed the qualifying examinations and begins to research and write the doctoral dissertation.  At this point, students who are A.B.D., or “all but dissertation” or “dissertators,” must first defend a dissertation prospectus.  This should be done within sixty days of the completion of the qualifying exams.  The Graduate School, meanwhile, requires a student to defend the doctoral dissertation within five years following the qualifying exams.  The History Department requires its dissertators to submit an annual report about the progress toward completing the research and writing of the dissertation.

The Qualifying Examination

At the end of a student’s formal coursework and before commencing full-time work on the dissertation, doctoral students sit for the qualifying examination.  This consists of written exams in three or four broadly defined fields and then an oral examination by the faculty advisory committee.  (Some fields within the department also require a major historiographical paper as part of the qualifying examination.)  “Quals,” as they are called, are intended to assess student learning and to test a student’s capacity to think historically, that is, to use the knowledge they have mastered to fashion historical arguments.

To sit for the exams, a candidate must complete all field, departmental, and Graduate School course and language requirements.  In addition, either by the end of the second semester of the doctoral program or early in the third semester, the candidate must assemble an advisory committee and prepare a “qualifying examination contract" with the committee members.  The contract will define the scope of the written examination fields. 

There are two qualifying exam periods: August 15 - September 15 and January 5 - 31. The written exams should be completed over a ten-day period.  The oral exam should follow within five days of the last written exam.

The Dissertation

Students finish doctoral study by researching and writing a dissertation. This is done under the supervision of the dissertation advisor and the advisory committee.  Work on the dissertation begins with a dissertation prospectus, which must be presented to the advisory committee for its approval within sixty days of the qualifying exam.  The prospectus should define the topic, explain the contribution of the dissertation to historical knowledge, and propose a strategy for research.

The dissertation should be an original contribution to a larger debate or field of study and demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out historical research and analysis.

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

The Doctoral Program in Electrical Engineering has two paths leading to a Ph.D.:

• Direct-to-Ph.D.: Students entering the doctoral program with a B.S. degree take 42 credits of coursework in support of their research work.
• M.S.-to-Ph.D.: Students entering the doctoral program with an M.S. degree in a relevant discipline take 24 credits of coursework (18 if from an accredited M.S. program in the U.S.) in support of their research work.

Stages in the doctoral program include:

• Identify a research advisor and establish a research direction and course plan.
• Take the doctoral qualifying exam.
• Identify a dissertation committee, then develop and present an oral dissertation proposal.
• Carry out the necessary research work, write a dissertation document detailing this work and successfully defend the dissertation.

Comprehensive information about the Ph.D. program can be found in the  Graduate Bulletin  and the  Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Handbook

To learn more about the many research opportunities available in ECE, visit  ECE Research  or read about the backgrounds of our world-class  faculty .

Research and teaching assistantships are available – just indicate your interest on your application form and you will be considered. Read detailed information about application requirements and deadlines for the PhD program in Electrical Engineering.

To apply, fill out an application online at The Graduate School’s page .

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Other programs from the College of Arts & Sciences:

Statistics - graduate, sociology - graduate, psychology- graduate, political science - graduate, philosophy - graduate, linguistics - graduate (ph.d), history - graduate, geological sciences - graduate, gender & women's studies - graduate (ph.d), chemistry - graduate (ph.d), biology - graduate, anthropology - graduate.

The UK Department of Physics and Astronomy comprises 30 regular and 5 active adjunct and/or emeritus faculty members, 8 post-doctoral researchers, 16 office and technical staff members,  78 graduate and 71 undergraduate students. Among its faculty are 10 Fellows of the American Physical Society and several award winning educators. Undergraduate majors and graduate students take a complete array of courses with small class sizes spanning modern topics in physics and astronomy, and they work closely with faculty researchers in studies of nuclear and particle physics, condensed matter and atomic physics, and astronomy and astrophysics.

Master's Program Description

The M.S. program can include an emphasis on basic or applied physics or physics education, and students are encouraged to take courses in related programs that satisfy the appropriate academic objectives. Before taking the M.S. oral exam, the M.S. student must have completed (with a B average) 16 (plan A with a thesis) or 20 (plan B without a thesis) credit hours in approved graduate courses.

Doctoral Program Description

The Ph.D. degree is a research degree granted on the basis of broad knowledge of physics and in-depth research in a specific area leading to a dissertation (and generally publications in appropriate refereed journals). Students may perform this research at the University of Kentucky or appropriate collaborating institutions. Before taking the Ph.D. qualifying exam, the student must pass the Physics GRE at the 50th percentile or higher and satisfactorily pass core courses in graduate classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, as well as electives in topical areas of modern physics.

Master's (MS) or Doctoral (PhD) - Application Requirements

• Please discuss your career aims and research interests.
• ​The Department of Physics and Astronomy would prefer that recommenders fill out an upload their letter of recommendation which can be found at  https://pa.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/Letter%20of%20Recommendation.pdf . Recommenders can upload the completed document through your recommender invite under “Knowledge of Applicant” using the “upload document” button.

The GRE is not required for admission to this program.

Applicants must meet the Graduate School admission requirements .

Application Deadlines

• Application for admission with financial aid: February 1
• Application for admission without financial aid: July 19 (domestic applicants) or February 1 (international applicants)

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PhD in Economics

Quick links .

Economics Department Economics Faculty Current Economics PhD Students Job Market Candidates Initial Placements Selected Alumni Profiles PhD in Economics FAQs

View 2021–2022 Economics PhD Handbook

Admission Guidelines

Admissions are competitive. To be considered for the PhD in Economics program, the applicant must meet the admission guidelines of the Graduate School and Gatton College of Business and Economics.

Degree Requirements

Economic Theory - The student must show competence in economic theory by passing departmental written examinations in Microeconomic Theory and Macroeconomic Theory. These examinations are given twice a year, in January and June, and students must pass both exams at the PhD level. Students failing either exam are allowed a second attempt; those failing on the second attempt are not permitted to continue in the program. The student should take the theory examination at the end of two semesters after entering the program. The theory examination should be taken after completing:

ECO601 - Advanced Microeconomic Theory ECO602 - Macroeconomic Theory ECO701 - Neoclassical Microeconomic Theory ECO702 - Advanced Macroeconomic Theory

OR equivalent courses.

Statistics/Econometrics - Students must demonstrate competence in the area of statistics and econometrics. This competence may be demonstrated by satisfactory performance in the following courses:

ECO603 - Research Methods and Procedures ECO703 - Introduction to Econometrics I ECO706 - Introduction to Econometrics II

ECO707 - Research Seminar in Economics or ECO 790 - Time Series Analysis 

OR by passing a special examination.

Elective Areas -All PhD students must choose two fields of study approved by the student's Advisory Committee. The two fields may be chosen from the following:

• Environmental and Health Economics
• Industrial Organization
• International Economics
• Labor Economics
• Macroeconomics
• Public Economics

Minimum course preparation for each field shall consist of at least two courses as determined by the student's Advisory Committee. In addition to the chosen fields, the student is encouraged to take elective courses in other areas of economics, such as econometrics or economic theory, or in other disciplines such as Agricultural Economics, Finance, Marketing, Mathematics, or Public Administration. Courses in other disciplines must be approved by the DGS of Economics in order for them to count toward the economics elective requirements.

Supporting Work - At least nine hours of supporting course work must be selected. These courses must be approved by the student's Advisory Committee. The supporting work will allow the student to pursue more intensive study of one or both of the two chosen fields, or to pursue courses in other fields of economics. The supporting work cannot consist of 400 or 500 level courses, ECO610 or ECO611, ECO652, or any of the core courses in economic theory (ECO601, ECO602, ECO701, ECO702, ECO704) or econometrics (ECO703, ECO706). Only three of the nine elective hours can be satisfied by taking ECO797.

Grades - A minimum average of grade "B" must be attained in all courses attempted for graduate credit after being admitted to the Graduate School . Students obtaining six quality points below a "B" average will not be allowed to continue in the program.

Qualifying Examination

Written Examination - The written examination must be taken in one of the student's elective fields as part of the requirements for candidacy for the PhD degree. This examination is given twice a year following the year in which the field is offered, in June and, if necessary, in January. The written examination is prepared and graded by specialists in the respective fields. In the event that the student fails the examination, the student's Advisory Committee determines the conditions which must be met before another examination is given. Two failures to pass the written examination constitute failure of the qualifying examination. Students typically take the field exam in June after completing their second year in the program.

Oral examination - After the student has passed the written qualifying examination, the Director of Graduate Studies will, on the advice of the Advisory Committee, schedule an oral examination through the Graduate School which will be administered by the Advisory Committee. The examination will ordinarily consist of the presentation and defense of a dissertation proposal. The student should complete the oral examination prior to the end of the 7th semester in the program.

PhD Dissertation -The dissertation will be based on original research on a significant topic. The dissertation will be defended in an oral examination.

Typical PhD Course Schedule

First Year:

Micro & Macro Prelims are taken in June at the end of the 1st year of coursework.

Second Year:

Written field exams are usually taken in June at the end of 2nd year of coursework.

Third Year:

Dissertation Research and Workshops

Fourth Year:

Frequently Asked Questions

Obtaining your PhD involves a tremendous amount of preparation and hard work. Click the link below for some answers to frequently asked questions about achieving your PhD in Economics.

Master's Thesis Research

Prereq: All course work toward the degree must be completed. Note: Registration for this course is not available via telephone (UK-VIP) or webUK. For enrollment information contact the Graduate School at 257-4905.

Half-time to full-time work on thesis. May be repeated to a maximum of six semesters.

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Celebrating Academic Excellence: Recognizing Our Honors Thesis Graduates

• Nina Marijanovic
• Thursday, May 16th, 2024

As the 2023-2024 academic year has come to a close, we proudly recognize the outstanding achievements of our 2024 Mahurin Honors College capstone experience/ thesis graduates. These exceptional students have demonstrated unparalleled dedication, intellectual rigor, and innovative thinking through their thesis projects. Each thesis represents not only a significant academic milestone but also a valuable contribution to their respective fields of study. Join us in celebrating these scholars who have exemplified the highest standards of academic excellence and are poised to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow. To explore these theses, please visit  TopSCHOLAR (wku.edu) .

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May 17th, 2024

Western Kentucky University celebrates the successful completion of its inaugural cohort of the Career Launch program, a transformative four-week immersive experience designed to equip students with essential skills for navigating the hidden job market.

May 16th, 2024

Our library website has recently undergone an update that brings a modern and streamlined look. Also, more mobile-friendly!

Western Kentucky University's College of Education and Behavioral Sciences (CEBS) proudly announces the recipients of this year's WKU Distinguished Educator Awards (DEA).

May 9th, 2024

18 WKU students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in the March 2024 application cycle, more than any other college or university in Kentucky.

May 3rd, 2024

WKU’s five academic colleges recognized their spring and summer 2024 graduating classes during ceremonies on Friday at Diddle Arena.

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UKnowledge > Graduate School > Master's Theses

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

ESTIMATION OF MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF UNSATURATED SOILS FROM A SOIL-WATER CHARACTERISTIC CURVE , Lucas Acheampong

GEOPHYSICAL METHOD USED FOR THE DETERMINATION AND PREDICTION OF SOIL STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS PARAMETERS , Dabo Adama

Investigating a New Drug Target in Alzheimer’s Disease: NOX2 , Tiffany Adams

GENERATING CLIMATE RESILIENCE OR INTENSIFYING VULNERABILITIES? A FEMINIST POLTITICAL ECOLOGY ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULUTRE PROJECTS IN SRI LANKA’S DRY ZONE , Nethmi Sachithma Perera Bathige

Extracting Social Network Model Parameters from Social Science Literature , Isaac Batts

Modulating the mTOR Pathway Using Inducible Retrogradely Transported AAVs as a Novel Approach to Improve Motor Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury , Christopher Bosse-Joseph

Bouyon: Stories , Savannah Bowen

Precision Application of Water to Equine Racing Surfaces , Sydney Rae Cannon

TORE ALL TO PIECES: POEMS AND SHORT STORIES FROM QUEER APPALACHIA , WILLIE CARVER Jr.

How Important is Parental Involvement and Engagement in Preschool , Emilee M. Dixon

Routine Outcome Monitoring In Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Clinical Perspective , Lillian Dunn

USING NATURALISTIC LANGUAGE INTERVENTIONS TO INCREASE EXPRESSIVE COMMUNICATION OF AAC USERS WITH AUTISM , Kacey Eaton

Effect of Video Modeling and Teacher Praise on Turn-taking Behavior of Preschoolers in an Inclusive Setting , Happiness Efeturi

EFFECTS OF UNILATERAL LOWER LIMB SUSPENSION ON QUADRICEPS’ STRUCTURE AND CONTRACTILE FUNCTION , Eve N. Elmore

THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF REST , Morgan Findley

"And I / Am the Arrow": The Narrative, Personae Construction, and Language Ideology of Confessional Poets' Identity Performance , Madison Fuchs

PIXELS OR PEOPLE: A COMPARISON OF THE DIFFERENITAL EFFECTS OF ANIMATED AND HUMAN VIDEO MODELS ON EXERCISE BEHAVIORS FOR HGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY , Jade Alexis Fulkerson

THE NATURE OF ALBANIAN NASAL-STOP SEQUENCES: PHONETIC, PHONOLOGICAL, SOCIOLINGUISTIC & HISTORICAL BEHAVIOR , Patrick A. Gehringer

EXAMINING ANXIOUS ATTACHMENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON SEXUAL BEHAVIORS IN ADULTHOOD , Justin Graham

CHILD LANGUAGE AND HAPPINESS BEHAVIORS: EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF CAREGIVER COACHING , Ashlen Grubbs

Evaluating a Rapid Coaching Intervention Delivered Remotely: Teaching Naturalistic Language Strategies to a Parent of Child with Down Syndrome , Pallie Gullett

LANGUAGE MODELS FOR RARE DISEASE INFORMATION EXTRACTION: EMPIRICAL INSIGHTS AND MODEL COMPARISONS , Shashank Gupta

Training Paraprofessionals In The Implementation Of Aided Language Modeling With Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities And CCN , Julianne Hill

Associations Between Physical Activity Levels and Physical and Mental Health in Military Veterans. , Troy Hubert

THE MOVIE IS ON!: PRAGMATICS OF THE VIDEO JOKER IN WHO KILLED CAPTAIN ALEX? , Hunter Hulett

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Cincinnati Enquirer: UC students win Flying Pig races

3 current students win championships in full, half marathons.

University of Cincinnati students won championships in the 2024 Flying Pig Marathon , including the women's marathon and men's and women's half marathons, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported .

Olivia Anger

Olivia Anger, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in management in the Carl H. Lindner College of Business,  won the women's full marathon  in 2:43.22.

Her time of 2:43.22 is the second-fastest winning time in women's Flying Pig Marathon history.

“I can see how running and getting a PhD can go hand in hand because we need to have determination,” Anger said. “Long-distance running takes a lot of patience, a lot of hard work, time to get done, like completing a PhD and completing your dissertation.”

Juliana Madzia

Juliana Madzia, a sixth-year MD/PhD candidate in the medical scientist training program in the College of Medicine, who also is pursuing a doctorate in sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences,  won the women's half marathon  in 1:19.50.

Madzia, who competed for the UC cross country and track and field teams, previously won the 2014 Flying Pig women's half marathon.

“The first time I won it, I was a freshman in college at UC, and I've been in school at UC ever since, and I'm actually starting my last year on Monday,” Madzia said. “So it feels kind of like this beginning and end of my time in Cincinnati and my time as a student at UC.”

Jonathan Harley

Jonathan Harley, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences and a second-year student in the College of Medicine,  won the men's half marathon  in 1:10.40. He also competed for the Bearcats' cross country and track and field teams.

“I didn't know exactly what to expect,” Harley said. “I just had to trust my training and trust that all the work that I put in was gonna pay off. I knew the half marathon was going to be tough. I'm super thankful for my friends, family and teammates here at Cincinnatus Elite.

“This experience is just phenomenal. Cincinnati brings so much energy. Running on Seventh Street, the spectators were hyping me up. It's been a great weekend.”

The Flying Pig, whose course travels through Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,  was ranked No. 1  in USA Today’s 10 Best list of top-rated marathons.

See more from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Featured image at top: Runners cross the finish line at the Flying Pig Marathon. Photo/Kelly Bennett

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The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

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University of Cincinnati students won championships in the 2024 Flying Pig Marathon, including the women's marathon and men's and women's half marathons, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

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Electronic Thesis Defense

Step 1:   In order to be eligible for the degree, you must complete the Application for Degree (myUK.uky.edu / Student Services /  myRecords  / Apply for Degree). This must be submitted by the deadline for the semester in which you intend to graduate. For the exact due date, see the  Graduate School Key Dates page  or the Graduate School Calendar ).

Step 2:   After consulting with your advisor, submit a  Final Examination Recommendation  form to the Graduate School a minimum of two weeks prior to the specific date of the defense. This form must be complete with date, time, room number and valid committee. Upon receipt, the Graduate School will check your records to be sure you are eligible to sit for the defense.

The final examination must take place no later than eight days prior to the last day of classes of the semester in which the student expects to graduate. Final examinations may not be scheduled during the period between semesters or between the end of the eight-week summer session and the beginning of the fall semester. Consult the  Graduate School Key Dates page  or the  Graduate School Calendar  for deadlines on the scheduling of final examinations.

Step 3:   After your Final Examination, you have 60 days to have the final copy of your thesis accepted in the Graduate School in  pdf  format ( or less than 60 days  if you want to graduate that semester and the  Thesis acceptance deadline  is sooner) and a completed  ETD Approval Form , signed by your advisor and Director of Graduate Studies ( DGS ). Scan the ETD Approval Form after signing it and forward electronically to the advisor for signature who in turn can pass it to the  DGS  for signature, and lastly the student uploads to  UKnowledge  (Additional Files) as part of your ETD. The ETD Approval Form may be uploaded when you first submit the ETD to  UKnowledge , or at a later time, and can be viewed in the Supplemental Content area. The ETD Approval Form will not be accessible to the public when the ETD is approved.

Scan the ETD Approval Form after signing it and forward electronically to the advisor for signature who in turn can pass it to the DGS for signature, and lastly the student uploads to UKnowledge (Additional Files) as part of the ETD submission. The ETD Approval Form may be uploaded when you first submit the ETD to UKnowledge, or at a later time, and can be viewed in the Supplemental Content area. The ETD Approval Form will not be accessible to the public when the ETD is approved.

You are required to submit your thesis for a format check to  UKnowledge  (click here for  Thesis Preparation and Formatting Guidelines  and here for ETD Submission Guide ). Your thesis will be checked to ensure that it meets format requirements of the Graduate School. It is your responsibility to ensure that the ETD will display clearly and properly on a monitor when accessed, including working links so the ETD can be readily navigated (whether it is composed of a single or multiple files), that the printed  pdf  version will be clear and legible (including any figures or images), and that fonts have been properly embedded. We also require copies of any reprint permission letters and any required third party software licenses.

Final Submission checklist:

• Final submission of electronic thesis via  UKnowledge  (see  ETD Submission Guide  for instructions)
• ETD Approval Form  completed, signed by all parties, scanned and uploaded to Additional Files (Supplemental Content) as part of your ETD
• Reprint permission letters and/or third party software licenses, if required (see  ETD Submission Guide  for instructions)
• Embargo requests are now handled as part of the ETD Approval Form

Thesis Fees

The base thesis fee is  $14.00 . The fee must be paid at Student Account Services, 18  Funkhouser  Building or online via  myUK . The fee will be added to your Student Account after the final thesis is accepted by The Graduate School. No diplomas will be released without payment of the applicable thesis fees.

Direct questions to the   Academic Affairs Officer   for your program.

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• PhD in Planning

Program Director

Elisabeth Infield   

PhD Handbook

The Program

The PhD program in Regional Planning leads to a research degree for students interested in careers in the academic world or in research in public agencies or private corporations. We are able to supervise doctoral work in most areas of planning, plus some areas where planning and landscape architecture overlap. To learn more about faculty interests and expertise, and the intellectual tone of the department, potential applicants should review faculty descriptions and the sections on both the Master's in Regional Planning and the Master's in Landscape Architecture elsewhere in this website. It is generally helpful if the student's research interests align with a planning faculty member, and contact with the appropriate faculty member prior to application will assist the student in understanding current research opportunities. 

Applicants to this program are encouraged to visit the campus and meet with the Program Director and pertinent faculty. Considerable care and thought should be given to the written statement as part of the application. Research and writing samples may be included by the applicant in their admissions forms.  While we include standardized test scores (TEOFL) in our application requirements, these are only one aspect of the qualities we seek in a candidate.  Other important attributes include a passion for scholarship in planning, originality of thought, ability to work independently, ethical awareness, leadership and collegiality, and a commitment to rigor in research whether qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods are used.  We encourage the use of electronic mail for inquiries (addressed to @email ).

Students admitted to this program normally have a Master's degree in planning or a closely related field (such as landscape architecture or geography). Those with a Master's degree in other fields but with appropriate professional experience are given serious consideration and encouraged to apply. The typical student will require two years to complete the course requirements and the comprehensive examinations, and a third or fourth to complete the dissertation. The total time allowed to complete the degree (known as the Statute of Limitations) is four calendar years for those with a Master's degree in planning, and six years for those with degrees in other fields.

Persons interested in part-time study must be aware that PhD studies at the University of Massachusetts requires a minimum of one year residence (two consecutive semesters).

Financial Support

We attempt to offer an assistantship that carries small stipend and a tuition waiver to all students admitted to the doctoral program, either a teaching assistantship in one of the other academic programs offered in the department, or a research assistantship in one of our research programs.

Course Requirements

The degree requires satisfactory completion of 60 credits, of which 22 are required, three in the PhD Seminar (Regional Planning 891), and 18 in dissertation credits (Regional Planning 899). The course program is initially developed by the student and the Director of the PhD Program, and is subsequently adjusted in consultation with the dissertation supervisor. The principal criteria for selecting courses are preparation for the comprehensive examinations and relevance to the student's research field and dissertation. As a result, each student will have a highly individualized curriculum.

Foreign Language Requirement

The program has no foreign language requirement.

Comprehensive Examination

A written and oral Preliminary Comprehensive Examination must be taken after course requirements are completed. The written examination has three parts: (1) planning history and theory; (2) the substantive area of interest of the student; (3) research methods. The oral examination will deal with issues raised in the written exam, major issues in the planning field, and the dissertation proposal.

Dissertation Supervisor and Committee

A dissertation supervisor is generally identified by the end of the first semester in residence, and a committee by the end of the second semester. They are formally appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School after submission of an acceptable research proposal, generally in the fourth semester.

General Regulations of the Graduate School

The General Regulations of the Graduate School cover such matters as graduate credit, the course numbering system, changing or dropping of courses, requirements regarding incomplete work in a course, and the format of the doctoral dissertation. These regulations are listed in the Graduate School Bulletin.

Doctoral Degree Eligibility Form

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Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

The College of Arts and Sciences is seeking nominations for the  2024 Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award . Full details about the award can be found on the  CGS website . The fields for this year’s awards are:  1) Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering  and 2) Social Sciences . In each category, only one institutional nominee can be selected.  We will use the following timeline/process:

• Submit nomination materials electronically to Dr. Brian Orefice ( [email protected] ), Assistant Dean, Graduate Studies.
• ASC nominations will be competing with nominations from other colleges in each category, so the Graduate School will identify the institutional nominee. 
• Nominees must have had their doctoral degree awarded between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024.
• An abstract of the nominee’s dissertation (not to exceed 5 double-spaced pages).  Appendices containing other material, such as charts, tables, and/or references may be included as additional pages. All pages should be numbered, and each should bear the name of the nominee.
• Three letters of recommendation letter evaluating the significance and quality of the nominee’s dissertation work. One letter is to be from the nominee’s dissertation supervisor, another from a member of the nominee’s dissertation committee, and the third from a person of the nominee’s choice.
• The nominee’s curriculum vitae (not to exceed five pages).
• Monday, June 24 – Nominations due from College of Arts and Sciences to the Graduate School
• Wednesday, July 3 – Graduate School submits materials to CGS