Degree Requirements

Students are required to master a series of core courses, advanced elective courses, seminars, and laboratory rotations. These serve as an interdisciplinary base for the development of dissertation research and usually occupy the bulk of the first two years in the program. Dissertation research (including data analysis and writing) typically requires an additional three years to complete. Your degree will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of all credit requirements and acceptance of your written dissertation by your committee.

Waiver of Program Requirements
Students may petition to be exempted from part of the curriculum, usually by scoring a passing grade on an appropriate proficiency examination. Students with a master's degree in a relevant field of study will be exempted from appropriate course requirements.

Students may also petition for waiver of credit for previous graduate courses taken in another accredited program. Advanced course credit of up to 12 credit hours may be waived providing all of the following conditions are met:

• The grade attained in each course is a B or better.
• The course was taken within four years of the actual waiver.
• The course relates to the area of concentration chosen in this Program.

Petitions for obtaining credit for laboratory experiences may be made, subject to the same credit hour limitations and time constraints as for courses.

Petitions for exemption or waiver should be submitted to the Program Director. Acceptability of course waivers will be determined by the Interdisciplinary Review Committee.