Program Requirements and Guidelines
General Overview
Typically the average course of study from the first lab rotation as a G1 to dissertation completion is 6 years. Financial support (tuition/fees and stipend) is contingent upon continous satisfactory academic progress toward the PhD. Students are supported financially by the Program in years G1-G2 and by the advisor beginning July 1st of the G3 year. Students who are recipients of outside grants or fellowships: The departmental or advisor supplementation to these funding sources will follow the same timeline as outlined above.
Definitions for satisfactory progress can be found beginning on page 3 of the Harvard Griffin GSAS Student Handbook and are enforced in the tracking of program-based requirements designed to meet the overall expectations of GSAS.
- The Dissertation/Thesis: Academic activity, including research, in support of the student’s dissertation, meeting with the dissertation advisory committee, and engaging with advisors on the substance of the dissertation
- Milestone Activity: Preparing for and/or engaging in qualifying exams or other assessments, preparing the dissertation prospectus, defending the dissertation, etc.
- Credit-bearing activity, including research credits: Examples include attending classes and engaging in coursework, fulfilling the requirements for any course, including 300-level research credits, for which the student receives a grade or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory mark
PhD Candidacy
Students who pass the PQE, complete their first DAC meeting, and meet all other course and teaching requirements are considered to have advanced to PhD Candidacy. Students are then are eligible to apply for a non-terminal Master’s (A.M.) degree, if interested, during any of the 3 degree granting periods. Instructions on how to apply for the A.M. degree in my.harvard can be found here.
Completing the Program
Students may apply for the Ph.D only after submitting first-author manuscript, and receiving approval to write the dissertation from their committee. It is expected that students defend and submit their dissertation no more than 12 months following their last DAC meeting. More information on applying for the Ph.D. and graduating can be found in the Graduation/Dissertations section.
MCO Program Requirements/Timeline (Summary)
MCO Program Requirements/Timeline (Detailed)