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Program Requirements & Procedures
Core Coursework Requirements Preceding summer: Fall Semester: Spring Semester: Summer Semester: * course # subject to change After completing core coursework (after the first year for full-time students, and after the second year for part-time students), students sit for qualifying examinations. Qualifying Examination Format and Timing After passing the qualifying examination, the candidate formally declares a field of study and identifies and seeks the advice and support of a faculty advisory group, which consists of three of more full-time GW faculty who advise and monitor the student’s progress. The field of study corresponds with either a GWSB department or an identifiable group within a department or the school with a critical mass of research-active faculty. The GWSB Doctoral Committee approves the field of study during the study plan review process. The faculty advisory group consists of at least three full-time GW faculty. Otherwise, advisory group members can be of any rank or tenure status and may or may not be affiliated with the candidate’s home department, but all advisory group members must be research active with expertise in the declared field of study. One member of the group is designated the primary advisor. The primary advisor must be a tenured full-time GWSB faculty member. The advisory group may change during the candidate’s time in the program, but such changes require approval by the GWSB Doctoral Program Director. An advisory group with the specified profile must be maintained after the first year and then continuously throughout the candidate’s time in the program. The composition of the faculty advisory group is reviewed and approved by the Doctoral Committee in conjunction with study plan reviews and periodic reviews of student progress. Advisory group members should not have conflicts of interest with the student such as would arise from a supervisory or business relationship or a personal relationship outside the university. All students submit a research paper to be evaluated by the Doctoral Committee during the fall semester as part of the study plan process. In most cases, the manuscript will be co-authored with one or more members of the faculty advisory group. The manuscript, which is targeted ultimately for submission to an academic journal or conference, must also be presented formally at a research workshop presentation to first year students, interested faculty, and other second year students, during the year of submission. The Doctoral Committee evaluates the paper, provides feedback, and decides whether the submission meets the minimum standards. The study plan is prepared with the guidance of research-active faculty advisors, and submitted by the September 30 following the successful completion of the qualifying exam. Study plans are reviewed and approved by the GWSB doctoral committee. Further information regarding study plan guidelines is available in Ph.D. Handbook (77KB PDF) The comprehensive evaluation establishes the student’s mastery of the current and classic literature of the chosen field. After the student completes the field coursework, as listed in the study plan, the faculty advisory group administers a comprehensive evaluation. A full-time, research-active faculty member in the student’s field, who is not a member of the student’s advisory committee, is assigned by the doctoral committee to read or otherwise form and offer an opinion regarding the comprehensive evaluation. If the comprehensive evaluation includes an oral presentation, then the outside member will be present at such presentation. Immediately following the completion of field comprehensive evaluations, students should choose an Advocate and a Research Advisory Committee to guide the dissertation process. Students are required to succesfully defend a dissertation proposal and final dissertation. Further details regarding the dissertation process is available in Ph.D. Handbook (77KB PDF)
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