The following policies apply to each student admitted to the Ph.D. program.
Residency Requirements
At least one year of full-time graduate study (24 units excluding registration for CTCS 794) must be completed in residence on the main USC campus. The residency requirement may not be interrupted by study elsewhere. Residency must be completed prior to the qualifying examination.
Grade Point Average
An overall GPA of 3.0 is required for all graduate work. Courses in which a grade of C- (1.7) or lower is earned will not apply toward a graduate degree.
Leaves of Absence
A leave of absence may be granted under exceptional circumstances by petitioning the USC Graduate School the semester before the leave is to be taken. Refer to "Leave of Absence" in the Graduate and Professional Education section of the USC Catalogue.
Changes of Committee
Changes in either the guidance or dissertation committee must be requested on a form available from the USC Graduate School Web site.
Completion of All Requirements
Everything involved in approving the dissertation must be completed at least one week before graduation. Approval by the dissertation committee, the Office of Academic Records and Registrar, and the thesis editor must be reported and submitted to the USC Graduate School by the date of graduation.
Time Limits
The maximum time limit for completing all requirements for the Ph.D. degree is eight years from the first course at USC applied toward the degree. Students who have completed an applicable master's degree at USC or elsewhere within five years from the proposed enrollment in a Ph.D. program must complete the Ph.D. in six years. Extension of these time limits will be made only for compelling reasons upon petition by the student.
When petitions are granted, students will be required to make additional CNTV 794 registrations. Course work more than 10 years old is automatically invalidated and cannot be applied toward the degree.