PhD Residence Status

PhD students are required to remain registered full-time for the duration of their studies (excluding leaves of absence). There is no part-time registration.

Nine/Twelve-Year PhD Limit

Students who matriculated prior to Summer 2016 and who have not completed their Ph.D. after the elapse of twelve years are no longer permitted to register in their degree programs. Students who have been admitted to candidacy by the end of 12 years will, however, still be permitted to graduate past the twelfth year with their department’s permission and completion and defense of the doctoral dissertation. Departmental permission may require that the student demonstrate current knowledge of their field (defined by each department). Students will then be required to pay a graduation fee in the quarter they plan to graduate.

To ensure that as few students as possible are removed from their programs at the end of the twelfth year, students at the beginning of the tenth year of their programs are required to submit a degree completion plan, endorsed by their dissertation chair, to their department.

Students who matriculated in or after Summer 2016 and who have not completed their Ph.D. after the elapse of nine years will not be allowed to register in their degree programs. If they have been admitted to candidacy by the end of nine years, however, they will still be allowed to graduate past the ninth year as described above.

Students who have been Administratively Withdrawn are not eligible for loan deferments, additional student loans, or health insurance coverage through the university. They will be eligible for a two-quarter grace period (usually Autumn and Winter quarters) during which they will maintain access to electronic resources. After the end of the two-quarter grace period students will only be eligible for alumni privileges, which are available regardless of whether a student has received a degree.

Additional information on the Residence System is in the UChicago Student Manual.