PhD Time Limits & Milestones
Graduate College Time Requirements for Degree
- Bachelors to PhD Program Time Limits - 7 years from first term enrolled in doctoral program. Please see PhD Milestones below for the School's Time Requirement for Ph.D.
- PhD Program Time Limits with a MS at Illinois - 5 years (2 yrs. for MS and 5 yrs. for PhD)
- PhD Program Time Limits with a Non-Illinois MS - 6 years from first term enrolled in doctoral program
PhD Milestone Timeline
The department's timeline is an average of 6 years to complete the Ph.D. degree. The timeline below is based on a 5-year program of study.
| Year | Semester | Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 2 |
Design and submit Program of Study Select a Ph.D. Thesis Advisor |
| 2 | 3 4 |
Take the Qualifying Exam - 4th semester |
| 3 | 5 6 |
|
| 4 | 7 8 |
Preliminary Exam (Thesis Proposal) - 8th semester |
| 5 | 9 10 |
Final Exam (Thesis Defense) - 10th semester |
Graduate Advising
The Graduate Academic Office, a guiding hand for graduate students, offers weekday assistance.