Ph.D. Student Handbook

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

• The successful completion of the course requirements, with a grade-point average of at least 3.0.
• Satisfactory performance in the Ph.D. Qualifications Evaluation.
• Successful completion of the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal. 
• Annual Dissertation Committee Meeting Progress Report 
• Annual Individual Development Plan (IDP)
• The submission and successful defense of the dissertation according to the University Doctoral Dissertation Manual.

It is also required that all Ph.D. students spend at least one year of the program in full-time residency at the University.

Requirements for all Ph.D. students at the University can be found in the University of Pennsylvania Doctoral Dissertation Manual.

A list of graduate courses broken down by focus area can be found here. For more in-depth information about the Ph.D. degree program and its associated requirements, please view the online PhD Student Handbook.