Course of Study and Student Flow in the Program

Residency

Upon admission to the Doctoral Program, students must complete three out of four consecutive semesters of study on campus, earning a minimum of six credit hours per semester. The Program offers a "Summers Only" option, allowing students to complete the Program by coming to Spokane only during summers. For students who intend to attend summers only, this requirement may be met by attending three out of four consecutive summer sessions.

Time Planning

The program can be completed in as few as 2 1/2 years by students who can attend full time and year-round, or in 4 to 7 years by students who can attend part-time or during summers. Students are to complete the degree within 7 years of the first day of a semester in which they first enroll in a doctoral program class. Courses are held at convenient times, such as evenings, weekends, and summers. Occasionally, a course may be augmented with online technology such as Blackboard and some elective courses are taught completely online. To plan your course of study and your presence coursework consult the course schedules and doctoral term calendars as well as the course planning guide.

Getting Started

A new student orientation program is held once per semester. Students are required to attend orientation preferably at the beginning of their first semester of presence study after being admitted into the program. Participation in the orientation program early in their coursework helps students find direction, familiarizes them with the University and Program resources that are available, and acclimates them to the Doctoral Community. Students are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with the information in the doctoral Web site.

Student Flow

Student flow through the program follows a course of study based on four phases: pre-candidacy, candidacy, proposal, and dissertation. During pre-candidacy the student is expected to complete the core courses. During the proposal phase, students prepare and defend their dissertation proposal which consists of the first three chapters of the dissertation. During the dissertation phase, students conduct, analyze, and write up their original research.

January 23, 2011