The doctoral degree is granted in recognition of high attainment in a specific field as demonstrated by passing coursework, the successful completion of required examinations and the successful defense of a dissertation based on original research. Consequently, the University does not specify a minimum number of courses or credits that must be completed for the degree.
Residency Requirement
The residency requirement provides students an opportunity to be engaged in concentrated study over an extended period of time in association with faculty and other students in an atmosphere conducive to a high level of intellectual and scholarly activity.
Doctoral students must be registered for nine (9) hours each semester at UT Tyler for a minimum of two consecutive semesters or six (6) hours each semester for three consecutive semesters (not necessarily including summer). However, the student does not necessarily have to be physically present on campus (for example, the student may be taking courses over the internet or doing field research). The residency requirement must be met prior to admission to candidacy.
Hours taken as part of a master’s degree or during conditional admission status may not count toward the residency requirement.
Time Limit
All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed and the degree awarded within a maximum of nine years from the term of full doctoral admission, and within five calendar years from the term after the student passes the preliminary oral examination.
(Example: if the date of admission is Fall 2008, the nine-year time limit ends Summer 2017. If the student in this example is admitted to candidacy in March 2010, the time to degree expires at the end of the spring semester 2015). When extenuating circumstances warrant, the Dean of The Graduate School may grant an extension for one year. The student must complete the Request for Extension of Time Form and receive approval from the major advisor/dissertation chair and the program’s graduate director, who forwards the request to the Dean of The Graduate School.
Leave of Absence
A student in good academic standing may request a leave of absence from doctoral study for up to one year for any of the following reasons: childbearing, adoption, illness, critical care of child, spouse or parent, or job related interruptions.
To be eligible for a leave of absence, a student must not have received an extension of the time limit for the degree, must not have any Incomplete (“I”) grades, and must be in good academic standing.
If the leave of absence is approved, the time of that leave will not count against the total time allowed for the degree. Ordinarily, a leave of absence may not be renewed.
To request a leave of absence, a student must complete and submit a Request for Leave of Absence Form and receive approval from the major advisor/dissertation advisor and the program’s graduate director, who forwards the form to the Dean of The Graduate School.
Upon returning from a leave of absence, the student must complete an Application for Graduate Studies.
Inactive Status
A student not yet admitted to candidacy who has not enrolled for two consecutive calendar years and has not been granted an extension or a leave of absence will be placed in inactive status.
In order to resume graduate studies, the student must complete an Application for Graduate Studies and meet all admission requirements in force at the time of the new application. Readmission under these circumstances is not guaranteed, however. If readmitted, the student will be subject to all program requirements in force at the time the student is readmitted.
Doctoral candidates who have not enrolled for two consecutive calendar years, have not graduated by the end of the five-year candidacy period, or have not been granted an extension or a leave of absence will be placed in inactive status and their candidacy revoked.
To resume studies, the student must complete an Application for Graduate Studies and receive approval from the dissertation chair, the program’s graduate director and/or Graduate Program Committee, and the Dean of The Graduate School.
Readmission is not guaranteed, however. The faculty in the major field and/or the Dean of The Graduate School may set any readmission conditions deemed necessary, such as, but not limited to, registering for additional coursework, retaking examinations, filing a revised doctoral proposal, or completing the degree within a specified time period.