Requirements for the doctorate may be completed in three years of full-time graduate work or the equivalent in combined full-time and part-time study; however, more time may be required. On the recommendation of the director of graduate studies (DGS) and with the concurrence of the dean of The Graduate School, successful completion of a master’s degree may be considered the equivalent of the first of the three years. The following residency requirements must be completed:
1. Students pursuing the doctorate must spend at least two consecutive semesters enrolled in a degree program on campus in intensive study. Such enrollment must occur prior to passing the Qualifying Examination. During these two semesters, the students must be enrolled as full-time students, carrying nine or more hours. If the summer term is to be used in lieu of one of these semesters, enrollment for nine hours is required.
Note: If students hold an awarded master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in the same discipline and completed two (2) consecutive full-time semesters while pursuing the degree, those semesters may be used in lieu of the above.
2. Students must complete the second year of residency in one or a combination of the following:
Transfer residency credit from an awarded master’s degree from another school
Complete a minimum of 18 hours of work (part-time or full-time) beyond the two full-time consecutive semesters (see note above)
Apply hours completed while pursuing a University of Kentucky master’s degree
Note: Students fulfilling No. 1 by use of a University of Kentucky master’s degree may not fulfill No. 2 in this manner.
3. Candidates (students who have satisfactorily completed their Qualifying Examinations) for the doctorate must complete two semesters of dissertation study immediately following the Qualifying Examination. This is accomplished by registering for two credit hours of 767 (which is called Residency Credit) each semester and completed with a grade of S. If a summer term is substituted for one of the semesters, two credit hours must be taken during that four-week session. The student need not be physically present on campus while enrolled for credit after the Qualifying Examination. While there is generally no formal classwork attached to these credits, and in some cases, the student may not be on campus, full-tuition costs are assessed in that students who are preparing their dissertations are utilizing university resources such as libraries, computing facilities and faculty’s time and energy.
Note: The semester during which the student passes the Qualifying Examination may be counted for one of the required terms of 767.
4. Candidates who have fulfilled the above requirements, but who have not yet defended the dissertation, are required to enroll in MNG 767 (2 credit hours) each semester until the dissertation is completed and defended. Such registration enables the university to keep accurate records of degree candidates and facilitates rapid and accurate information processing.
It should be understood that the above represents the minimum requirements of The Graduate School. Exceptions to this normal pattern may be made with the approval of the dean of The Graduate School upon the written recommendation of the student’s advisory committee and the DGS, which clearly demonstrates that the principle of residency is preserved. In those situations where part-time coursework toward the doctorate may be used in lieu of full-time enrollment, each nine hours of course credit earned on a part-time basis is considered the equivalent of a full-time semester. This does not apply to the two full-time consecutive residency semesters preceding the Qualifying Examinations or the two residence semesters following the Qualifying Examinations.