Degree Planning
First Year
- The student, with the assistance of the adviser, constitutes an advisory committee during their second quarter (winter quarter). Use the Advisory Committee Form to create an advisory committee.
- Student takes required courses and electives as selected in consultation with his/her adviser.
- Students, in consultation with the advisory committee, must satisfy the preliminary review in the quarter following the completion of 20 quarter hours of Ph.D. coursework. For a full-time student, this typically occurs during the 3rd quarter of enrollment, spring quarter.
- The advisory committee reports the outcome of the preliminary review using the Ph.D. Student Review Form.
Second Year
- Student continues to take coursework and maintains satisfactory progress.
- Student must satisfy the 2nd year review during spring quarter of the student’s second year of enrollment. The outcome of the 2nd year review is reported using the Ph.D. Student Review Form.
- Student begins preparing for general exam by forming supervisory committee and enrolling in INSC 600.
Third Year
- At the completion of 60 credits, the student is eligible to submit an application to the Graduate School to take the general exam to achieve Ph.D. candidacy.
- The general expectation is that the general exam is completed by the end of winter quarter of the the third year.
- Students scheduled to take the general exam, apply for the Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS) in the same quarter.
- Students who have not completed their general exam participate in a 3rd year review by the end of spring quarter.
Fourth Year and Onward
- Once the general exam is passed, students register for INSC 800 and begin work on their dissertation.
- Most students are expected to have a successful dissertation proposal defense by the end of the winter quarter of their fourth year.
- Once the student passes their dissertation proposal defense, he/she focuses on completing his/her dissertation and preparing for the final exam.
- It is generally expected that students successfully defend their dissertation by the end of spring quarter in their fifth year.
- Students must complete all Ph.D. requirements within 10 years of first admission.