CSCR Timeline

Full-time students can complete the required CSCR PhD coursework in 6 semesters (three years). Preliminary exams are generally taken the semester after all coursework has been completed, followed by the dissertation proposal and defense. The timing of these milestones depends on many factors. A student beginning their graduate study and pursuing a PhD full-time should therefore expect to take at least five years from enrollment to graduation. Many students will take more than five years (nationally and in the School of Human Ecology, the average time to completion of a PhD is around six years). Timelines will likely be shorter for students entering with master’s degrees, or those with graduate coursework that is accepted as prior coursework. The Master of Science in Human Ecology can be completed in two years of full-time study.