Ph.D. Degree Requirements
Program of Studies
Constituting not less than three complete sessions of full-time graduate work or the equivalent, the program of studies must be successfully completed under satisfactory conditions of registration. The student may elect courses in more than one department or subject if they contribute appropriately to his or her program, but the entire program must be directed and approved by one department. (See Table of Major Requirements for specific requirements.) A formal degree application must be submitted and must be approved by the dean not later than October 1 if the degree is to be conferred in January, February 1 if the degree is to be conferred in May, or July 1 if the degree is to be conferred in August. With the approval of the supervising department and the dean, up to one session of the required three sessions of graduate work may be completed at another graduate school or may be taken at this University on a part-time basis; also with the approval of the supervising department and the dean, up to one session or the equivalent may be spent in dissertation research elsewhere. However, no candidacy will be approved unless the applicant has spent at least two consecutive semesters during the academic year beyond the M.A. or equivalent level in full-time residential study at this University. Exceptional students who complete all other degree requirements within two calendar years of entering this Graduate School may petition the dean to waive the third year of graduate work. Following the course listings of the departments will be found statements of any special requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
Foreign Language Requirement
Some graduate degree-granting departments have a foreign language requirement. Consult your department to see if you if you must fulfill such a requirement. Also, consult our language requirement examinations page
Dissertation
The preparation of a dissertation exhibiting independent research in the candidate's major subject is required. The advisory professor will periodically evaluate the student's progress on the dissertation. If the student's progress is judged to be unsatisfactory, the advisory professor may recommend a new topic or may recommend to the department that the student not be allowed to continue his or her graduate work. The title of the dissertation is to be approved by the advisory professor and submitted to the dean on the degree application. The dissertation must be submitted in completed form to the department for approval by the advisory professor and by the special examining committee (see below, under Final Examination). The original and one copy, or two electrostatic copies of the dissertation on acceptable paper, must be brought to the Graduate Enrolled Student Office for inspection by the appropriate deadline.
The dissertation must conform to the Graduate School physical standards for theses and dissertations. The student should consult the advisory professor in reference to any special departmental requirements relating to the dissertation.
After the dissertation has been inspected and approved by the Graduate School Office, the student will deliver it to the Photography Division of Printing Services, Alderman Library, and pay for the cost of permanent binding. A receipt showing that the dissertation has been delivered to the Photography Division of Printing Services must be returned to the Enrolled Student Office. Personal copies will also be handled by the Photography Division of Printing Services. Theses/Dissertations can be submitted electronically instead of submitting hard copies. Please visit UVa Printing & Copying Services for complete details to ensure your files meet all guidelines.
All dissertations will be published by having a master microfilm negative made from each original dissertation. These negatives will be stored and serviced by University Microfilms of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Positive microfilms, or enlarged prints, will be produced to order at the standard rate for other scholars who desire access to any dissertation.
Each dissertation, when submitted, must be accompanied by three copies of an abstract of 350 words or fewer. The abstract, or summary, will be published in Microfilms Abstracts for national distribution. No dissertation will be accepted without this abstract. A fee of $75 for the above service must be paid to the Photography Division of Printing Services by the candidate for the Ph.D. degree before it is conferred.
Final Examination
A candidate must receive a satisfactory standing in a final examination, oral, written, or both. Upon acceptance of the dissertation by the advisory professor and the department concerned, the dean will appoint, upon nomination of the department, a special committee to examine the candidate upon such phases of the major subject and of allied subjects as the committee shall prescribe. The examining committee, under the chairmanship of the advisor professor, will consist of not fewer than four members from the graduate faculty, one of whom must be from another department and serves as a representative of the graduate faculty. Through its chair, the examining committee may invite other members of the departmental faculty to take part in the examination; indeed, it is recommended that the doctoral examination be given before the entire professional staff of the department concerned. The result of the examination, with the names of the examiners and their departmental affiliation, must be reported by the chair of the examining committee to the Graduate School no later than two weeks before final exercises. The candidate shall not be admitted to the final examination before satisfying the foreign language requirement, if such is required by the candidate's department. No candidate may be admitted to the final examination until the dissertation has been accepted. Preliminary examinations may, in addition, be required by individual departments.
Time Limitation
All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years from the date of admittance into the Ph.D. Program. In special cases, upon approval of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, work out-of-date may be revalidated by examination. In case of interruption of work by military service, time spent in service will be excluded from the computation of this seven-year period.
Certificate of Candidacy
A Certificate of Candidacy may be awarded by certain departments to students who have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. degree except for the dissertation.
