Doctoral Degree Requirements

 

Time Limit on Course Work

Leave of Absence Policy for Students Pursuing a Doctoral Degree

Hours of Credit Required for Degree

Transfer of Graduate Credit

 

Time Limit on Course Work

A minimum of three full years of graduate study is normally required to complete a program for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education. The time limit on granting the PhD degree is ten years from the time of filing the student's program of study in the Office of Graduate Studies, individual programs may have other deadlines. The time limit on granting the EdD is a maximum of four years for coursework and comprehensive examinations and six years to complete the dissertation. Neither the courses taken nor the time spent in study determines the granting of the degree. It is given primarily for high attainment in some special field of scholarship and for demonstrated power of independent research in a subdivision of this field.

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Leave of Absence Policy for Students Pursuing a Doctoral Degree

Doctoral students who are forced to interrupt their studies may request a leave of absence from the University for up to one year. In consultation with their department/school and their supervisory committee, students should define the program modifications the leave of absence requires. Requests should indicate the reason for leaving and the expected date of return to the University. If approval is granted, the time limits on the granting of a doctoral degree will be frozen for the time specified (up to one year). Students should file a request with their supervisory committee chair who will forward it to the Dean for Graduate Studies. Approval of the Dean for Graduate Studies is required prior to taking a leave of absence.

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Hours of Credit Required for Degree

The minimum amount of graduate credit for the Ph.D. is 90 semester hours, including a dissertation. At least 45 hours of the student's doctoral course work is to be completed after the approval of the program of study. The Ph.D. dissertation will normally account for 20 semester hours; however, the Information Technology dissertaion requires a minimum of 24 semester hours.


The minimum amount of graduate credit for the Ed.D. is 96 hours, including both dissertation and language or research tools, which will normally be at least six hours of credit. The Ed.D. dissertation will normally account for 12 semester hours.

Any graduate credit beyond the master's degree earned at a campus other than the University of Nebraska and taken at an institution having NCATE accreditation for either the educational specialist or doctoral degree may be accepted to apply on a student's doctoral program. At least 45 hours of the student's doctoral course work is to be completed after the approval of the program of study.

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Transfer of Graduate Credit

Approval of transfer of graduate credit for course work taken at another accredited university (including extension credit but not including correspondence courses) is made at the time a Change in Plan of Study form is submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies. Grades received in courses for transfer of credit must be the equivalent of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher. Transfer of graduate credits from a course taken with a pass/fail option must be recommended by the cognizant Graduate Program Committee, supported by a written evaluation from the instructor and approved by the Dean for Graduate Studies. All work accepted for transfer of credit must have been taken within the prescribed time limits for graduate degrees and is subject to restriction if previously used to satisfy requirements for another graduate degree.

The only course work from other institutions posted on the UNO transcript will be those used on the approved program of study.

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