1. Identify a Ph.D. advisor, by the end of the first semester after admission.

2. Formation of the advisory committee and development of a Ph.D. Plan of Study detailing all course and examination requirements, by the end of the second semester after admission.

3. Successful completion of the Breadth part of the qualifying examination, which must be done by the end of the third semester after admission.

4. Consultation with the advisory committee about the contents of the Depth part of the qualifying examination and successful completion thereof, which must be done by the end of the semester following the semester when the breadth exam was completed.

5. Presentation of a proposal for Ph.D. research and admission to candidacy.

6. Successful defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation.

It is the student's responsibility to understand and follow the above requirements. The student should consult his or her advisor and/or the advisory committee to develop a Plan of Study for meeting the Ph.D. program requirements of course work and examinations. The student should update the Plan of Study on file in case of deviations. The ultimate goal is to develop a research plan in consultation with the advisor and/or the committee, leading to a  doctoral dissertation. Normally a student would be expected to have at least one archival publication on research performed for the dissertation.