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(Updated 12/21/2015 due to Accreditation Compliance)

The doctoral degree is earned on the basis of advancement to doctoral candidacy status and satisfactory completion of the dissertation. The minimum number of credit hours to earn the doctorate is 72, post-bachelors, including dissertation. The minimum number of credit hours required for each individual doctorate program is noted in the degree requirements section of the Graduate Catalog for that program listing. Some graduate programs may require more than 72 hours. Programs with formally approved concentrations must have core major requirements that all students must successfully complete.

Students must comply with general enrollment requirements and also institutional residency requirements. All doctoral students must have at least one gradable (A-F) graduate course taken at USF to satisfy the GPA minimum requirements. No undergraduate course may be used to satisfy the gradable minimal course requirement for the doctoral degree. Lower level undergraduate courses may not be used to satisfy doctoral degree program requirements, but may be taken to meet specific prerequisites. All graduate and undergraduate courses taken as a graduate student count in the overall GPA, whether or not they count toward the minimum hours for the degree.

Office of Graduate Studies note - Although the University requirement for a minimum of 90 hours post-baccalaureate was revised to the above, most doctoral programs still require 90 hours post-baccalaureate, unless they have revised their program and received approval from the University Graduate Council.  Refer to the individual Program listings in the Catalog for specific minimum hour requirements.