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Doctor of Philosophy

The Program

Doctor of Philosophy degree candidates pursue an advanced program of study and research in preparation for careers in research and teaching.

Admission Requirements

• The minimum of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 (A=4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work or 3.5 for all graduate work if entering with a masters degree
• official results of the aptitude portions of the Graduate Record Examination (a cumulative score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative is expected)
• three letters of recommendation.
• international students must also submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, with a minimum score of 580 on the paper based TOEFL test, 237 on the computer based test, or 92 on the internet-based test (iBT).
• students for whom English is not their native language and who wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship must achieve a score of 230 or higher on the Test of spoken English (TSE) or the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) on versions prior to 1996. A score of 50 or higher on the newer versions.

Degree Requirements

• Candidates must complete 96 graduate hours or 64 hours of work beyond the master's degree, including 32 hours of thesis research.
• Candidates are required to demonstrate competence in research methodology appropriate to their area of study.
• Ph.D. student progress is reviewed at the end of the first year of study.
• Ph.D. candidates must successfully complete the preliminary and final doctoral examinations.

For more information contact:

Julie Jenkins
Graduate Program Support Specialist
jjenkns@illinois.edu
Phone: (217) 333-1083

Dr. Steven Petruzzello
Associate Head for Graduate Studies
petruzze@illinois.edu