Doctoral Degree Requirements

• The following is what students are required to complete per University and School of Graduate Studies policy.
• Due to the variability of each graduate degree, a program may have additional steps, forms or specific requirements not listed below.
• Students should contact their Graduate Program Coordinator to make sure they are aware of all program requirements, required forms, timelines, and for official degree completion guidance.

Credit Hours Requirement:

• 30 to 60 academic credits beyond a master’s degree.
• 60 to 90 academic credits beyond a bachelor’s degree.
• Specific credit-hour requirements vary by department. Students should consult their department for detailed program expectations.

Residency Requirement:

The School of Graduate Studies does not have any academic residency requirements for graduate students, but departments and colleges may impose residency requirements in their programs as they see fit.

Dissertation Credit Requirements:

• A minimum of 12 dissertation credits (7970) for students entering with a master’s degree.
• A minimum of 18 dissertation credits (7970) for students entering with a bachelor’s degree.
• Dissertation credits should be taken during the semesters when the actual dissertation work is being conducted, and faculty supervision is provided.

Publication Policy for Degree Completion:

• The School of Graduate Studies recognizes that scholarly publications are a vital component of graduate training and may be essential for post degree success. Publications or manuscripts of which the student is a co-author may be included if the committee determines that the student made a substantial intellectual contribution to the work.
• Permission to include a publication or manuscript in a dissertation does not depend on the order of authorship.
• Any included publication or manuscript must be a logical component of the overarching theme or themes addressed by the entire dissertation, which, as a whole, must represent the student’s individual and original effort.
• The student is responsible for obtaining reprint permission from the copyright holder for any published works included as part of the dissertation.
• A program or faculty mentor may require manuscripts to be submitted for publication as part of its degree completion requirements. However, because publication timelines are often subject to external factors, actual acceptance/publication of a manuscript cannot be a degree requirement, and time to degree cannot be extended to accommodate publication of a manuscript.

Professional Doctoral Degrees – Au.D., Ed.D., and DVM:

In addition to research-based doctoral degrees (e.g., Ph.D.), the university offers professional doctoral degrees such as:

• Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)
• Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)

These degrees differ from traditional research doctorates in the following ways:

• Focus: Professional doctorates emphasize advanced practice, clinical training, and application of knowledge in professional settings, rather than original research.
• Capstone Requirements: Instead of a dissertation, these programs may require a clinical project, portfolio, or other culminating experience.
• Credit Requirements: Credit requirements vary by program and may not follow the same dissertation credit model as Ph.D. programs.
• Timeline: Professional doctorates may follow a different academic calendar or progression model, often with integrated internships or residencies.

Students pursuing Au.D., Ed.D., or DVM degrees should consult their program’s handbook and Graduate Program Coordinator for detailed requirements, timelines, and completion procedures specific to their degree.

Establish a Supervisory Committee and Submit an Approval (SCAF) Form

Purpose

The SCAF establishes a graduate student’s supervisory committee and routes to all required reviewers for approval.

Committee Participation

• All full-time USU faculty/staff on a committee must be approved graduate faculty.
• External, adjunct, emeriti, or limited-affiliation individuals require separate ad hoc approval from the Department Head and the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies.

RCR CITI Training Requirement

Required before submitting the initial SCAF for the following students:

• All doctoral students
• Any student funded by NIH, NSF, or USDA-NIFA

For more information about the Responsible Conduct of Research Training, please check out the USU RCR website.

Submission Deadline

• A completed initial Supervisory Committee Approval (SCAF) form must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies for approval by the end of the student’s third semester.
• Changes to a committee can be made by submitting a Supervisory Committee (SCAF) Revision Form.
• No changes to the committee within 6 weeks of the final defense.
• NOTE: If the SCAF form does not have all required committee roles filled and the completed RCR training, it will be denied.

Approvals Required

• Student
• Major Professor
• Committee Members
• Department Head
• Vice Provost of Graduate Studies

For further details about supervisory committee requirements, please review SGS Catalog Section 6: Supervisory Committees.

Finalize and Submit a Program of Study (POS)

Purpose

The Program of Study outlines a graduate student’s approved coursework and must meet degree-specific credit and level requirements. NOTE: Graduate Certificates do not require a POS.

Credit Requirements

• Doctoral (with prior master’s): Minimum 18 credits at the 6000-level or above
• Doctoral (without prior master’s): Minimum 30 credits at the 6000-level or above

Coursework Restrictions

• Courses below 5000, undergraduate prerequisites, and audited courses cannot be included.
• Continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, and military science credits are not acceptable.

Creating the Program of Study

• Students work with the GPC to create the POS in DegreeWorks, entering planned coursework in the Plans tab.

Submission Deadlines

• A program of study for doctoral students must be submitted by the end of the 3rd semester, after SCAF approval.

Revisions

• All changes require a formal POS revision.
• Students should work with their Graduate Program Coordinator, who updates DegreeWorks and submits the revision through ServiceNow.
• The major professor and department head must approve revisions.

Approvals Required

• Major professor
• Department head
• Committee Members
• School of Graduate Studies

To view required forms by degree type, please see the Academic Forms page. NOTE: Students should not wait until their final semester to submit required forms, as doing so may delay graduation. Timely submission of all required forms is essential to ensure all degree requirements are met without complications.

Comprehensive Examinations

Some departments or interdepartmental programs may require qualifying examinations in addition to comprehensive examinations.

Action: Students should check with their program for specific exam requirements and timelines.

• Passing comprehensive exams is a major, required milestone toward candidacy and should generally be completed by the end of the second year.
• The School of Graduate Studies does not have a policy regarding the nature of student comprehensive exams, but it does require them.
• Departments may dictate their own policies on this matter, provided that they do not violate University and School of Graduate Studies policies.

Review Requirements for the Dissertation

• Before beginning any work on their dissertation, students must review and understand the requirements in the SGS Catalog Section 12: Thesis, Dissertation, Plan B Paper/Project Requirements. This information is also delineated on the Thesis, Plan B Paper/Project, & Dissertation Requirements page.
• Students should work with their supervisory committee to finalize a topic and a research plan for their dissertation.

Doctoral Degree Time Limit

• A doctorate degree must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program.
• Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.