Degree Plan

The student and their adviser in consultation with the committee decide the exact courses, however, there is a general format that conforms to the following distribution of credits.

First Year Fall

• DDN 702 Research Paradigms (3 Credits)
• Arranged Study with Faculty (3 Credits)
• Advised Elective (3 Credits)

First Year Spring

• DDN 701 Research Methods (3 Credits)
• DDN 809 Colloquium (1 Credits)
• Arranged Study with Faculty (3 Credits)                                                           
• Advised elective (3 Credits)                       

Second Year Fall

• Second Methods Course as recommended (3 Credits)
• Philosophy or Statistics (3 Credits)                                
• Arranged study with individual faculty (3-6 Credits)
• Research Interest Area Presentation

Second Year Spring

• Arranged Study with faculty or Elective (3-6 Credits)                         
• Advised Elective (3 Credits)
• DDN 809 Colloquium (1 Credit)

Third Year Fall

• DDN 890 Preliminary Exam (3 Credits)
• DDN 893 Supervised Research (6 Credits)

Third Year Spring (Final Semester)

• DDN 895 Dissertation Research (9 Credits)
• DDN 809 Colloquium (1 Credit)        
• Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense)

Please keep in mind that advised electives may be graduate-level courses offered by NC State University or graduate-level courses offered through UNC Chapel Hill, or Duke University, as approved by the student’s mentor.

For additional information from NC State Graduate Handbook, please click here.