The Graduate College Handbook of Policy and Requirements
for Students, Faculty and Staff - 2011
E. Time Limits
The time by which a doctoral candidate is expected to complete all degree requirements varies depending on whether or not the student was accepted with a master’s degree that will fulfill Stage I requirements (see chapter VI.C.). A doctoral candidate who must complete all three stages of the degree is expected to complete all degree requirements within seven years of first registering as a degree-seeking student in the graduate degree program. If the doctoral candidate has completed a master’s degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign within the last three years that will fulfill Stage I requirements (see chapter VI.C.), the student is expected to complete the Stage II and III requirements within five years of first registering as a doctoral student in the graduate degree program. If three or more years passed between receipt of the master’s degree at Urbana-Champaign that will fulfill Stage I requirements and returning for the doctoral degree, the student is allowed six years to complete Stage II and III requirements after first registering as a doctoral student in the degree program. If the doctoral candidate has completed a master’s degree accepted from another university that will fulfill Stage I requirements (see chapter VI.C.), he or she is allowed six years to complete Stage II and III requirements after first registering as a doctoral student in the degree program.
Programs may formally propose different time limits for completion of a doctoral degree program that are different from those of the Graduate College. The exceptions which have been approved are listed in the following table.
Approved Exceptions
| Program | Level | Effective | Time to Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| All College of Education programs | PhD and EdD | Fall 2000 | 7 years from first enrollment in doctoral program, after completing the Master's degree* |
| Anthropology | PhD | Fall 1999 | 10 years from enrollment in doctoral program, if no master's* was earned previously |
| Medical Scholars | MD/PhD | Spring 1991 | 10 years from enrollment in doctoral program, if no master's* was earned previously; 9 years from enrollment in doctoral program, if master's* was earned previously |
* Master's degree that fulfills Stage I requirements (see chapter VI.C.)
Time to Degree Completion Chart
Course work that is older than the number of years by which a doctoral student is expected to complete all degree requirements will not be automatically accepted for the degree. To request acceptance of old course work, the doctoral student must petition the Graduate College. The petition must include an explanation from the department of how the student's knowledge in the areas covered by the old course work meets current standards. This justification is needed for degree certification and the petition can be filed up to one year prior to the degree conferral date.
If more than five years elapse between a doctoral student's preliminary and final examinations, the student is required to demonstrate that his or her broad knowledge of the field is current by passing a second preliminary examination. It is not adequate that the student has sufficient current knowledge in the area of the dissertation. The form of the second preliminary examination need not be identical to that of the first. Scholarly publications and college-level teaching assignments may be used as partial evidence of the student's current knowledge of his or her field, but a preliminary examination committee must be appointed by the Graduate College, an examination given, and its result reported to the Study Abroad, Graduation and Graduate Support unit of the Office of the Registrar.
It is expected that the doctoral dissertation will be deposited within one year of the final examination. If more than one year elapses between the student's final examination and the deposit of the dissertation in the Graduate College, the dissertation must be accompanied by a signed petition and statement from the executive officer of the student's department to the dean of the Graduate College. The statement should recommend accepting the dissertation on the basis that it is essentially the one defended and should also state why the late award of the degree is appropriate.