Doctoral 7-year Time Limit

PhD, DMA, and DEd students have 7 years from the term of admission in which to complete the doctoral degree. Examples:

  • A student admitted in Fall 2020 must complete the degree by the end of Summer 2027. 
  • A student admitted in Summer 2020 must complete the degree by the end of Spring 2027. 

Students may petition for additional time to complete the degree by submitting the Extension of 7-year Deadline petition. As part of the petition process, students must submit a plan with term-by-term progress milestones. Each quarter, a renewal request must be submitted outlining the progress they have made that quarter and confirming that they are making satisfactory progress on the dissertation. 

These policies do not apply to JD students in the School of Law. JD students should contact the School of Law with any questions about time limits for their degrees.