Milestones Toward Ph.D.

Fall   

  • Attend departmental and Graduate School orientations in the week before classes start
  • Attend RCR Orientation, which takes place the week before classes start, to complete 6 of the required 12 RCR credits 
  • Register for and take any classes suggested by your advisor or other faculty in your research area, including one-on-one tutorials with faculty (Bio 791T). You are required to continue to take tutorials (up to three) until you formally declare your PhD advisor. 
  • Register for Continuation
  • For international students: Register for any English courses deemed necessary (if student can register for only one, Oral English course recommended first)

Spring           

  • Register for Continuation
  • Register for and take any classes suggested by your advisor or other faculty in your research area, including one-on-one tutorials with faculty (Bio 791T). You are required to continue to take tutorials (up to three) until you formally declare your PhD advisor.
  • For international students: Register for any English course deemed necessary
  • Attend appropriate RCR Forums when available, each worth 2 credits towards the required 12

Summer       

  • Register for Continuation

Fall   

  • If you will be employed as a teaching assistant for the first time this academic year, take the required departmental teaching assistant training (if you will be on fellowship or RA this year, take the training before the Fall semester of the year you will first teach)
  • Register for Continuation
  • Attend RCR Forums when available, each worth 2 credits towards the required 12
  • Formally declare a Ph.D. advisor (by sending an email to the DGSA) and form your dissertation committee using form submitted to the DGS office
  • Hold the first committee meeting and submit the Program of Study form to the DGS office

Spring     

  • Register for Continuation
  • Take any additional courses specified by the dissertation committee in the initial committee meeting (the Program of Study meeting)
  • Attend RCR Forums when available, each worth 2 credits towards the required 12
  • For international students: Complete all required English courses by end of this semester

Summer

  • Register for Continuation

Fall          

  • Register for Continuation
  • Schedule your preliminary exam
  • By this semester (or, at latest, the following semester) present a research proposal (“major essay”) to the dissertation committee at least one week before the preliminary exam
  • Take the preliminary exam and submit the Preliminary Exam form to the DGS office
  • If you passed your prelim in your second year, OR if you will not take your prelim until the Spring semester of your third year, submit an Annual Progress Report to the dissertation committee by Nov. 15, and attend annual committee meeting before the end of the finals period to discuss the Annual Progress Report with the dissertation committee (advisor will then submit a report of the dissertation committee to the DGS office by Jan. 1 of the following year)

Spring           

  • Register for Continuation
  • Submit research proposal to dissertation committee and take preliminary exam (if not done in the fifth semester).

Summer        

  • Register for Continuation
  • All RCR requirements should be completed by this time

Fall          

  • Register for Continuation
  • Submit an Annual Progress Report to the dissertation committee by Nov. 15
  • Attend annual committee meeting, scheduled by advisor, before the end of the finals period to discuss the Annual Progress Report with the dissertation committee (advisor will then submit a report of the dissertation committee to the DGS office by Jan. 1 of the following year)

Spring                 

  • Register for Continuation

Summer  

  • Register for Continuation

Fall 

  • Register for Continuation
  • If not planning to complete the dissertation in the current academic year, submit an Annual Progress Report to the dissertation committee by Nov. 15, and attend annual committee meeting before the end of the finals period to discuss the Annual Progress Report with the dissertation committee (advisor will then submit a report of the dissertation committee to the DGS office by Jan. 1 of the following year)
  • If finishing the dissertation this year (Fall or Spring), give a seminar on the dissertation results, present the dissertation to your committee at least two weeks before the defense, and meet with your committee to defend the thesis; complete all paperwork required by The Graduate School to graduate.

Spring                 

  • Register for Continuation