All programs require full-time enrollment for timely completion of the degree.
Degree Requirements can be found here. The Doctoral of Philosophy program is research oriented and requires a thesis to be written and defended. The doctoral program generally emphasizes courses for three semesters, after which the focus switches to a dissertation, with an emphasis on original research. The dissertation topic is chosen early in the program so courses can be selected that provide the tools required to complete a meaningful thesis research effort. Especially at the Ph.D. level, it is critical the student take the lead in choosing and defining the dissertation topic, selecting the method of approaching the problem, and interpreting the results.