PhD Requirements
Deadlines: All exams to be completed by the end of the student’s third year, and if passed successfully, the student is admitted to candidacy. The dissertation prospectus is expected to be completed and approved by the end of Fall quarter of the student’s fourth year.
Requirements: sequence of comprehensive qualifying exams (three written and one oral); completion of dissertation prospectus; filing for graduation; dissertation. Please also see our Reading List for Graduate Students.
General Requirements: Each student, in order to qualify for admission to candidacy, must receive an MA degree, complete all the required coursework, including a minor-field project, and pass both written and oral exams. For more information on the general Ph.D. requirements, including qualifying exams, prospectus, PhD timeline, etc., see: http://www.tgs.northwestern.edu/about/policies/phd-degree-requirements.html#coursework