The doctoral degree is based on evidence that candidates have achieved a high level of scholarship and proficiency in research. The proficiency of students and their ability to work independently are established by a series of qualifying and comprehensive examinations and by the quality of their dissertations.

Credit Requirements
A minimum of 60 credit hours carrying graduate credit is required for every doctoral degree program. Graduate programs may require a greater number of credit hours.

Residence Requirement
The majority of credits used to satisfy requirements for a doctoral degree must be completed in residence at UMSt. Louis. For example, for a doctoral degree requiring 90 hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree, at least 46 hours must be completed at UMSt. Louis

At some point in their course work, doctoral students must successfully complete a minimum of 15 hours over two consecutive terms ("term" meaning a regular semester or a summer session). The 15 hours may not all be taken in one term.

Work completed as a postmaster's degree student, prior to admission to a doctoral program, may be counted toward a doctoral degree, up to a maximum of 12 credit hours. Inclusion of such course work is subject to graduate program approval and must have been completed within eight years of the time the doctoral degree is awarded. Exceptions to this regulation must be justified on academically defensible grounds and must be approved by the graduate dean prior to filing the program of study.

When doctoral students have earned a master's degree, appropriate credits may be applied toward meeting the requirement for the doctoral degree, subject to graduate program approval. Such credits must constitute less than half of the total credits required for the doctorate.

For example, for a doctoral degree requiring 90 credit hours of work beyond the bachelor's degree, no more than 44 credit hours from a master's degree may apply to the doctoral degree. Credit for courses taken for a master's degree is exempt from the eightyear time limitation.

Time Limitation
Doctoral degree work must be completed within eight years after the first course of the doctoral program of study

Comprehensive Examinations 
Each graduate program will determine the number of times a comprehensive examination may be taken by a student. The graduate program must file with the Graduate School a statement specifying (a) the number of times the graduate program will allow its students to take a comprehensive examination and (b) the maximum and/or minimum period of time the department will allow between the first and final attempt to pass the comprehensive examination.

Appointment of the Comprehensive Examination Committee is made by the graduate dean upon recommendation of the graduate program.

The comprehensive exam format must be approved by the graduate program and the dean of the Graduate School.  The format may consist of an oral and/or written portion.  No revision of the approved format is permitted without the approval of the graduate program and the dean.

Application for Candidacy
An Application for Candidacy should be filed immediately after the student has passed all comprehensive and language examinations, as required by the graduate program and completed all course work.

Dissertation Proposal
A doctoral dissertation proposal should be filed before the student conducts any substantial research. Prior to this filing, the dissertation committee will meet with the student for an oral defense of the dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal must be accepted by the Graduate School before a doctoral student completes the sixth semester of study, or before the student takes more than 4 credit hours of dissertation credit, whichever comes later.

It is understood that the dissertation research may evolve in directions quite different from the dissertation proposal, and the proposal is not intended to restrict the development of a research project.  The dissertation proposal is in no way a contract between the university and the students.  Depending on the outcome of the research, the dissertation may require substantially more work than anticipated at the stage of the dissertation proposal.  The termination of a line of research and the adoption of a substantially new dissertation project will require the preparation, oral defense, and acceptance by the dissertation committee and the dean of the Graduate School of the new dissertation proposal.

Continuous Enrollment
When students are advanced to candidacy, they must remain in continuous enrollment until the degree is conferred. If students are actively engaged in degree activities on campus, they shall enroll for credit commensurate with this activity. If away from campus, students shall enroll for at least one credit hour each semester

Dissertation Committee
The Doctoral Dissertation Committee will consist of at least four members of the UMSt. Louis Graduate Faculty. Included in this number is the committee chair, who must be a member of the Doctoral Faculty. Also included in this number is at least one person from outside the division, college, or school.
 
The majority of members of the committee must be from the department in which the student is obtaining the degree.
 
When the Dissertation Committee deliberates on a dissertation or on an oral defense of the dissertation, two negative votes are sufficient for failure, even if outnumbered by positive votes. An abstention will be considered a negative vote. A student failing an oral defense should be provided with an opportunity for an additional defense. The timing and format of the subsequent defense will be determined by the Dissertation Committee and the second defense will take place before the same committee.

Dissertation and Final Examination
One copy of the dissertation, certified as complete and provisionally acceptable by all dissertation committee members, must be submitted to the Graduate School at least six weeks before commencement. The dean of the Graduate School may assign the dissertation to other readers, on or off campus, or seek such other advice as the dean feels pertinent

Upon preliminary acceptance of the dissertation, the dean of the Graduate School appoints the Defense of Dissertation Committee to conduct the final examination. The dean appoints members of the Dissertation Committee and such other members of the Graduate Faculty as seem appropriate

Candidates must submit an oral defense announcement, including an abstract of the dissertation, at least three weeks before the oral examination

The Defense of Dissertation Committee certifies the final acceptability of the dissertation to the dean of the Graduate School on the basis of a fianl examination open to all Graduate Faculty members.  the chairperson of the Dissertation Committee is responsible for verifying that all the changes suggested by the graduate dean and the Dissertation Committee have been incorporated in the final draft of the dissertaiton or have been discussed further with the graduate dean or the committee.  This certification is made by signing the Final Approval of teh Doctoral Dissertation form.  Microfiliming of doctoral dissertations by UMI is required by the Graduate School.  Information on requirements, costs, and optional copyrighting can be obtained from the Graduate School or the library representative.

Degree Conferral
Candidates for the doctoral degree are expected to attend Commencement.