Expected Timetable

Expected Timetable for Satisfying Pre-Dissertation Requirements

All coursework incompletes remaining at the end of an academic year must be cleared by the start of the next academic year. All students should finish the course requirements (including the R/R courses and research paper) by the end of the 2nd year. Students are generally expected to complete their two qualifying exams by the end of the fall quarter of year 3. Students are generally expected to have passed their proposal defense by the end of the spring quarter of year 3. Every CHSS student submits to the Committee a written report on their progress by May 1 each year. If the student is in candidacy then this report should include a schedule for remaining research and writing. In the spring quarter of every year, the Committee evaluates the progress of all students. If a student is not advancing in line with the expectations, then that student may be placed on probation or asked to leave the program.

Teaching Requirement:

All students must complete 3 “Mentored Teaching Experiences” (which may be 3 TAships, 1 TAship and 1 lecture course, or another combination of pedagogical practices approved by the Committee). Two of these should generally be done in year 3, and the third in year 4, although exceptions can be made by petition. Students doing a lectureship and a TAship may petition out of the third teaching experience.

A Prize Lectureship is allowed as an add-on. Dependent upon the Prize Lectureship applied for, the graduate student may receive an awarded stipend.

* With the support of their advisors, students may opt to teach 1-2 courses beyond the 3 required MTEs (3+2). Students wishing to do so should register their plans with their academic advisor.

Mentoring:

Every student is assigned a CHSS advisor on matriculation. Every year, in spring quarter, the CHSS faculty evaluates the progress of all students who are not yet ABD. If a student is not advancing in line with the expectations, then they may be dropped from the program or placed on probation. All incompletes must be cleared by the start of the next academic year. Every year, every CHSS student submits a written report on their progress by May 1. If the student is ABD then this also goes to the chair of the dissertation committee. It must include a schedule for remaining research and writing. Every student in candidacy will meet with their dissertation committee once a year, during spring quarter.

Time to Degree:

The Committee expects that students will complete their dissertations in 6-7 years. The maximum time to degree is 9 years.

Petitioning:

Under extenuating circumstances, students may petition the Committee for modifications to these requirements.

Students with questions about doctoral program degree requirements and milestones should contact Beth Calderon (bethcalderon@uchicago.edu), CHSS student affairs administrator. Students may also contact Brett Baker (bbaker@uchicago.edu), Associate Dean of Students in the Social Sciences, and Amanda Young (amanday@uchicago.edu), Director, Graduate Student Affairs in UChicagoGRAD.