A minimum of 84 graduate credits (including a minimum of 33 dissertation credits) are required beyond a Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree in a related field is considered equivalent to 30 credits. A minimum of 21 credits of course work is required beyond a Master's degree. No more than 3 credits of Directed Independent Study may be included in the degree program. All courses must be approved by the student's advisor. Students lacking proper background may have to take additional courses to make up for the deficiencies. In addition to meeting the course requirement, a doctoral student must pass the qualifying examination, complete the dissertation under the supervision of his/her advisor and dissertation committee, and pass the oral dissertation examination. The following rules apply to the courses taken (beyond the Master's degree):

1. A minimum of 15 credits of course work must be in the doctorate-granting department.
2. A minimum of 15 credits of 6000-level courses must be completed.
3. No more than 3 credits of Directed Independent Study may be taken. In that case, the subject matter may not overlap with the contents of the student’s dissertation.
4. A course that is more than seven years old at the time the degree is awarded cannot be counted toward the degree. This rule does not apply to the courses transferred from the Master's degree.
5. A maximum of one 4000-level course may be allowed toward the degree, with the approval of the student's advisor. This course must be passed with a minimum of "B" grade. Courses taken to make up the deficiencies will not be counted toward the degree.
6. Students must register for a minimum of 33 credits of dissertation.
7. Must have a GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0 maximum) or better.
8. All courses in the degree programs must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.

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