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{Home > Graduate : Graduate Handbook: Ph.D.: Benchmarks, Forms, and Satisfactory Progress}

Benchmarks, Forms, and Satisfactory Progress

Benchmarks & Forms

The department thinks it is better for students, for our program, and for the profession if it takes four or five years to complete a Ph.D.  Students taking longer run the risk of running out of funding as a graduate instructor while they're trying to write their dissertation–adding to the stress of the process.  We are committed to supporting your efforts at maintaining satisfactory progress during your time in the program.

Students must begin to think about the dissertation soon after they arrive, not at the end of their course of study, and structure their course work toward learning what they need to know to complete the dissertation. For Ph.D. students it means that they must summon the courage to take their exams, not when they feel they know everything, but when they feel they know what they were taught in their course work in the program.

The Graduate School has a very helpful web site with a degree completion checklist and electronic access to the various forms you need to file. You are expected to follow those deadlines and rules; if you have questions ask your advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS,) or the Programs Administrator.

We have some local benchmarks and forms as well.

In March of your first year (and each subsequent year), complete the department’s Graduate Student Progress Report (form f-1.) Your advisor must sign this before you turn it in to the DGS.

During your second year, complete the Graduate School’s Program form (available from that web site).  You need to include the members of your examining committee on the form.  Also complete the department’s Ph.D. Program Form. Turn both into the DGS.

Ideally, by the end of your first year, meet the foreign language requirement and file the appropriate form.

• Foreign Language Certification Form - By Language Dept. F-4b (PDF)
• Foreign Language Certification Form - By Graduate Dept. F-4c (PDF)

About one semester before your final oral, download the Graduation Packet which has the preliminary exam and dissertation proposal forms, degree application, and spells out other important steps you must follow. 

Satisfactory progress

The first scenario assumes that you are teaching and take 2 or 3 courses a semester, and that you can transfer the full 18 credits from your Masters program.  The requirement is 42 credits (14 courses), plus 24 doctoral thesis credits.  With maximum transfer, it is 24 course credits (8 courses).  If you transfer fewer than 18 credits, see the alternate scenario for years after the second.

	Registration	Department	Graduate School
Year 1
Fall	2 courses, 6 credits	Pedagogy course required (5531)
Spring	2-3 courses, 6-9 credits	Department Progress Form (March)
Year 2
Fall	2-3 courses, 6-9 credits 5 required courses should be completed	Organize Prelim Exam committee Department Program Form	Program Form (after 10 credits) – with committee and transfer credits “Mid-career” fellowship application (if appropriate)*
Spring	2-3 courses, 6-9 credits Language requirement (if not already done)	Coursework completed Department Progress Form (March)	Last time to file Program Form Language form
Year 3 – first scenario with 18 transferred credits
Fall	Preliminary exams Pre-thesis credits (8666)	Expected 1 year after last course; no later than 3 semesters Organize dissertation committee after passing prelims	Written and Oral prelim forms
Spring	Dissertation Prospectus 12 thesis credits (8888)	Within one year after prelim oral Department Progress Form (March)	Thesis proposal forms Dissertation Fellowship application (if appropriate)
Year 4
Fall	12 thesis credits (8888)
Spring	FTE 1 cr. (8444)	Department Progress Form (March)	Dissertation Fellowship application (if appropriate)
Year 5
Fall	FTE 1 cr. (8444)
Spring	FTE 1 cr. (8444)	Final Oral exam End of 5 years of support	Defense ready form Oral exam form

Year 3 – second scenario with fewer than 18 transferred credits
Fall	2-3 courses, 6-9 credits	Coursework completed
Spring	Preliminary exams Pre-thesis credits (8666)	Expected 1 year after last course; no later than 3 semesters Organize dissertation committee after passing prelims Department Progress Form (March)	Written and Oral prelim forms Dissertation Fellowship application (if appropriate)
Year 4
Fall	Dissertation Prospectus 12 thesis credits (8888)	Within one year after prelim oral	Thesis proposal forms
Spring	12 thesis credits (8888)	Department Progress Form (March)	Dissertation Fellowship application (if appropriate)
Year 5
Fall	FTE 1 cr. (8444)
Spring	FTE 1 cr. (8444)	Final Oral exam End of 5 years of support	Defense ready form Oral exam form

Beginning in spring 2010, the DGS will give written notices that students must be making satisfactory-progress milestones or else they will lose their TA support.  The deadlines will be November 15 for spring and July 1 for the fall (so there is time to find a replacement teacher).  Notices will be sent out around October 1 and May 15, respectively.

• Students with 2 or more incompletes, must get down to 1
• Students who have not taken (and passed) prelims and are one year (2 semesters) after completing their program’s coursework
• Students who did not complete their dissertation prospectus one year (2 semesters) after passing prelims

A copy will go to the adviser (as well as Barbara Jensen and Tom Reynolds), and the adviser could write a letter to the DGS that explains the situation and how the problem would be resolved by or soon after the deadline.

 

* Note, for example, the Wallace-Stout fellowship. (See http://www.grad.umn.edu/fellowships/forms/.)