A dissertation subject is selected and an outline of the proposed research is submitted to the student’s advisory committee and the DGP for review and approval (This should happen when you make your research interest area presentation at the beginning of your third semester.)
Plan of Graduate Work is prepared by the advisory committee with the student, is approved by the DGP, and is submitted to the Graduate School for approval as soon as feasible after completion of 18 hours of coursework (at the beginning of your third semester)
Written examinations in the major and minor fields are scheduled no earlier than the end of the second year of graduate study and not later than one semester before the final oral examination. The results of these examinations will be reported to the Graduate School (this happens in your fifth semester of study if you have completed all of your course work and is the first part of your Preliminary Exam. Your Mentor/Chair should contact all of your committee members, ask them each for two questions related to your course work and literature review, and then select from those questions approximately four questions for you to answer in writing. Normally a student is given two weeks to complete and submit their written answers)
When all written examinations have been completed satisfactorily, (the chair forwards each written answer to the committee member who generated the question. The committee member then communicates to the chair if he or she feels that the answer is completed satisfactorily). If the answers are satisfactory, the chair schedules the Oral Exam and if the exam is passed without conditions, the student is admitted to candidacy. In the College of Design, this exam also includes a formal review of a student’s research proposal.
When the student is finished writing the dissertation they formally present it to the committee and defend it at the Doctoral Oral Examination.
A GPA of at least 3.0 is required for graduation.
All degree requirements must be completed within ten calendar years from the date the student commences courses carrying graduate credit applicable to the Ph.D. in Design degree.
Students must maintain continuous enrollment until they have graduated, not including summer sessions. All students attending classes must be registered for either credit or audit. If you have completed all your coursework but still need to work on your research prior to taking your Preliminary Comprehensive Exam you can register for additional credit hours of DDN 890 to maintain your continuous registration. If you have passed your Preliminary Comprehensive Exam and completed your nine credit hours of DDN 895 but need additional semesters of work before your dissertation is complete you can register for DDN 899 each semester as needed. Once the minimum number of credit hours for the degree has been reached, one credit is sufficient for continuous enrollment and three credit hours constitute full-time registration.