PhD Program Requirements
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Degree Requirements
Required Credit Hours
PhD students are expected to develop a ‘plan of study’, including planned coursework, that will fulfill the Graduate School and Department degree requirements – see below.
The graduate school requires that PhD students must complete a minimum of 80 graduate credit hours beyond their bachelor’s degree. A minimum of 24 graduate hours beyond the master’s degree, or its equivalent, must be taken at The Ohio State University.
For students who do not hold a graduate degree, a minimum of 80 graduate credit hours are required. The credit hour requirements are as follows:
Credit Hour Requirements
- SPHHRNG 8900 PhD Pro-Seminar (1-credit hour per offering fall and spring semesters in the first two years of study)
- 4 credit hours
- 4 credit hours
- Advanced graduate coursework appropriate for doctoral study, as approved by the advisor
- 22 credit hours
- 22 credit hours
- Specialized research projects (e.g., SPHHRNG 7193 or 8940), as approved by the advisor
- 22 credit hours
- 22 credit hours
- Dissertation research project (SPHHRNG 8999) (Maximum: 12 credit hours)
- 4 credit hours
- Research Tools (e.g., research design, statistics, or similar)
- 9 credit hours
- *If taken in the department, they cannot count towards the above 52 credits
- Theme/Specialization (e.g., graduate coursework in an area outside the student’s primary area – typically outside the department
- 9 credit hours
For students who hold a graduate degree (master’s or professional doctoral degree), then 30 graduate credit hours can be counted toward the total 80 if they are transferred to Ohio State University.
Therefore, a minimum of 50 graduate credit hours are required. The credit hour requirements are as follows:
Credit Hour Requirements
- SPHHRNG 8900 PhD Pro-Seminar (1-credit hour per offering fall and spring semesters in the first two years of study);
- 4 credit hours
- 4 credit hours
- Advanced graduate coursework appropriate for doctoral study, as approved by the advisor
- 12 credit hours
- 12 credit hours
- Specialized research projects (e.g., SPHHRNG 7193 or 8940), as approved by the advisor
- 12 credit hours
- 12 credit hours
- Dissertation research project (SPHHRNG 8999)
- 4 credit hours
- (Maximum: 12 credit hours)
- Research Tools (e.g., research design, statistics, or similar).
- *If taken in the department, they cannot count towards the above 32 credits
- 9 credit hours
- Theme/Specialization (e.g., graduate coursework in an area outside the student’s primary area – typically outside the department)
- 9 credit hours
Thesis-Equivalent Research Project
Students accepted into the PhD program who have not completed a Master’s thesis or its equivalent (e.g., an AuD research capstone) must complete an equivalent research project before taking their Candidacy Examination.
Teaching Experience
Preparation for college-level teaching is a crucial component of our PhD program such that it prepares students for the responsibilities of university employment.
Therefore, every student’s plan of study should include coursework and/or experiences that address teaching (regardless of the type of funding received from the Department or University).
Candidacy Examination
It is designed to test your fundamental knowledge and your preparation in the discipline. Upon passing the candidacy examination, the student is assumed to be prepared to undertake independent dissertation research.
Dissertation
Every PhD candidate must produce a dissertation that is a definite contribution to knowledge of importance sufficient to warrant its publication.