I know that its not uncommon for a PhD program to impose a time limit on finishing degree; however, I have to evaluate whether or not it is realistic for me to finish the degree while attending part-time. Assuming that I will be attending part-time for 4-5 years and full-time for the remaining 2-3 years -- how likely is it that I can complete the program in 7 years? Should this be a major concern for me? University of South Florida, a program with which I am very interested, states that all work toward the PhD must be completed within seven years. I wonder if this includes work spent acquiring a masters degree? Everything else being equal, does anyone have any thoughts on whether I should be concerned or not?
Hi JoAnn - I think that with a bit more thought you should be able to make a more accurate estimate than you've made above. There are X number of course credits required, you can afford to take how many per semester? Then there is the dissertation. It sounds like you'll be doing the coursework on a part-time basis and the dissertation on a full-time basis. It sounds workable to me. In my school the limit is six years but they allow you to request an extension (although I think they require a pretty good reason). In most schools the expectation is that you are making "reasonable progress" in your program. Like many other aspects of doctoral work, much of it probably comes down to your relationship with your advisor. Jack
That's about right. While part-time I will be shooting to complete about 15 semester hours per year (6 hrs during both Fall & Spring, 3 hours during Summer). The PhD program consists of 90 credit hours (70 course work, 20 discertation.) This means if I don't encounter any problems I should be able to complete the coursework in about 5 years leaving me two years at full-time to complete the discertation. That seems reasonable to me, but it also seems to leave little room for things going wrong. Right now I'm feeling somewhat iffy toward the USF program. However, I'm going to meet with the directory of the USF graduate program tomorrow so maybe I'll have better information then.
No. The seven years limit applies only to the doctoral courses and the dissertation. Ike Okonkwo, PhD
Re: Re: PhD Time Limit Thank you Dr. Okonkwo. Do you know if this is still the case if you enter directly into the PhD program after a bachelors? In this case, are the courses normally taken to fullfill a masters degree somehow discounted?
Word from USF I met with Dr. Perez, the graduate program advisor with the Comptuer Science & Engineering program at USF, and he let me know that the 7 year limit is in place to prevent people from leaving the PhD program and then returning years later expecting to complete it. For part time students, as long as you stay continuously enrolled then the department is likely to extend the time limit for you. I thought this was good news. Even though I think I can finish in seven years after being admitted directly into the PhD program (i.e. no masters) I thought it might be close. This makes me feel better!
Re: Word from USF Again, I agree with him. As long as you demonstrate good progress in your research and your advisor believes that you will be able to complete your dissertation, you may be allowed to apply for one year or two years extension. Nova Southeastern University has 7 years limit but I know two students that completed their doctoral works in 8 years. Ike Okonkwo, PhD
