Planning Your Path to Graduation
PhD Timeline
This webpage contains resources and guidance for all residential graduate students in the College of Education currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree. Students in hybrid PhD programs should communicate with your Student Success Coordinator regarding the steps and timeline for your program.
Resources
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Step 1: Coursework
Consult with your major professor and register for courses each semester. You can register using the scheduling assistant in myPurdue and the registration pin 999999.
Alternatively, you can contact our office at edgrad@purdue.edu for registration. We can assist with adding courses through the first week of a semester.
Register early to avoid the $200 late registration fee.
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Step 2: Plan of Study
Submit your electronic plan of study in myPurdue by the end of the third semester.
The approval process can be lengthy, so submit as early as possible. The plan of study must be approved before the preliminary exam can be scheduled.
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Step 3: Preliminary Exam
To formally schedule your exam, you must submit an electronic form 8 at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date.
This form can be accessed via myPurdue. (Note: the option to submit a form will not appear until the plan of study step is completed.)
Students must have three members on their preliminary examining committee.
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Step 4: Dissertation Proposal and Research
An exam form is not required for the dissertation proposal.
The student or the committee chair can email edgrad@purdue.edu indicating that the proposal has been successfully completed.
Confirm your program area’s requirements for scheduling the proposal with your advisory committee. College policy requires that the prelim exam be completed prior to the proposal meeting.
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Step 5: Defense and Deposit
Candidate Registration
You MUST be registered as a candidate the semester of graduation. This registration can be entered by our office. Failure to do so may result in a late fee or a delay of graduation.
Final Defense
You should connect with our office the semester before you intend to graduate to review deadlines and procedures. As with the preliminary exam, an electronic form 8 must be submitted to formally schedule your dissertation defense.
Two entire semesters of research registration must elapse between the semester of the preliminary exam and the semester of the final defense.
Students must have four members on the final examining committee.
Dissertation Deposit
See the Thesis and Dissertation Office website for detailed instructions on how to deposit your dissertation. They have formatting samples and screenshots available as a guide.
Commencement
Refer to the Registrar’s Commencement website for commencement-related information and deadlines.