Additional Information
Additional Information
Students may register for additional individualized course work or guided research under the direct supervision of a SPIA faculty member if the following conditions are met: all required course work in the School-wide core has been completed or will be completed in the term PIA 3097 will begin; the student must be in good academic standing and making normal progress toward the degree; and a summary study or research design must be submitted in writing by the students and signed by the faculty member supervisor and Doctoral Program Director.
FTDK (Full-time Dissertation Study)
Doctoral students who have completed all credit requirements for the degree, including any minimum dissertation credit requirements, and are working full-time on their dissertations may register for full-time dissertation study, which carries no credits or letter grade but provides students full-time status. Students so enrolled are assessed a special tuition fee but are still responsible for paying the full-time computer and network, security/transportation, student health service, and activity fees. Students must consult with the Office of Academic Advising for permission to register for full-time dissertation study.
Full-Time and Part-Time Study
Students must be officially admitted to SPIA to be eligible to register for classes. Students who register for 9-16 credits in the fall or spring term are full-time students and are assessed the full-time SPIA tuition rate. SPIA requires students who receive School-based funding to register for 12 credits. Students who register for fewer than 9 credits are part-time students and are billed on a per-credit basis. During the summer term and summer sessions, SPIA students are billed on a per-credit basis regardless of the number of credits taken.
Maximum Allowable Credits per Term
No SPIA student is permitted to register for more than 16 credits in a term without permission from the student’s advisor and the director of student services. Graduate students who receive approval to register for more than 16 credits will be billed for each additional credit that exceeds their full-time tuition rate.
Independent Study
Full-time students are required to register for three credits of Independent Study (PIA 3097) to prepare for their Comprehensive Exam in the Fall Semester of their Second Year in the program. Part-time students must do so two terms before they intend to take their comprehensive exam.
Students may register for additional individualized course work or guided research under the direct supervision of a SPIA faculty member if the following conditions are met: all required course work in the School-wide core has been completed or will be completed in the term PIA 3097 will begin; the student must be in good academic standing and making normal progress toward the degree; and a summary study or research design must be submitted in writing by the students and signed by the faculty member supervisor and Doctoral Program Director.
FTDK (full-time dissertation study)
Doctoral students who have completed all credit requirements for the degree, including any minimum dissertation credit requirements, and are working full-time on their dissertations may register for full-time dissertation study, which carries no credits or letter grade but provides students full-time status. Students so enrolled are assessed a special tuition fee but are still responsible for paying the full-time computer and network, security/transportation, student health service, and activity fees. Students must consult with the Office of Academic Advising for permission to register for full-time dissertation study.
Adding and Dropping Courses
A registered student may add and drop courses only during the “add/drop period.” The dates for the “add/drop period” are listed in the University’s Schedule of Classes and on the University’s Academic Calendar at www.pitt.edu/~provost/calendar.html. Students who no longer wish to remain enrolled in a course after the add/drop period has ended may withdraw from the course or resign from the University. See Monitored Withdrawal from a Course or Resigning from the University.
Monitored Withdrawal from a Course
After the add/drop period has ended, students may withdraw from a course that they no longer wish to attend by completing Monitored Withdrawal Request form in the Office of Academic Advising. The grade of W will appear on the student’s grade report and transcript. There is no financial adjustment to students’ tuition or fee obligations involved in withdrawing from courses. Withdrawing may jeopardize satisfactory academic progress, School-based funding, and external sources of funding.
Resigning from the University
If students decide to drop all of their courses after the add/drop period has ended and before 60 percent of the term or session has been completed, they must resign from the University for that term. Official resignation from the University requires students to contact the Student Appeals Office. Students have several options. They may resign in person, by mail, or by calling (412)624-7588, where students may leave a message 24 hours a day, including weekends and holidays. An R grade will appear on the student’s academic transcript. Tuition is prorated from the date of the student’s notification to the Student Appeals Office of the student’s desire to resign, unless 60 percent of the term has been completed, in which case there is no refund.
After 60 percent of the term or session has passed, students who wish to terminate their registration may process withdrawal from all classes only with the permission of the associate or assistant dean. If the reason for withdrawal is medical or psychological in nature, the associate or assistant dean may consult with the director of Student Health Services prior to making a determination. There is no financial adjustment associated with this procedure, which results in the assignment of W grades for the courses.
Students who stop attending a course or courses and do not initiate add/drop, withdrawal or resignation procedures, or who withdraw from a course without authorization, will be assigned an F grade and will incur financial obligations.
Registering in Other Schools and Departments within the university
Students may register for graduate courses in other Schools and departments in the University with the prior approval of their faculty advisor and the approval of the department offering the course.
Cross-Registration outside the university
During the fall and spring terms, full-time students may earn credits by cross-registering in graduate courses at Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, CCAC, Chatham University, Duquesne University, LaRoche University, the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Point Park University, and Robert Morris University, when approved in advance by their faculty advisor. Credits earned by cross-registration are accepted as University credits for the purpose of calculating the grade point average and the completion of degree requirements. Students normally register for no more than one course at another institution in a given term.
Students who cross-register do not pay tuition to the host institution; however, they are responsible for any additional fees associated with the course, such as books and the like. During the summer, students may attend one of the above colleges as guest students, but they must pay that institution’s tuition and fees. Students are discouraged from cross-registering during their term of graduation to avoid delays in the receipt of course credit needed to graduate.
Inactive Status
Students who have not registered for at least one credit during a 12-month period are transferred to inactive status and must file an application for readmission to SPIA (application fee required) before being permitted to register again. Students on inactive status cannot apply to graduate; are not eligible to use University facilities, and should not expect to receive counseling from the faculty or active supervision by their advisor and committee.
Registration Status at Graduation
All graduate students are required to register for at least one credit during the 12-month period preceding graduation and must be registered for the term in which they plan to graduate. Students who complete all degree requirements at the end of a term, but for procedural reasons are graduated the next, may ask the Office of Academic Advising to petition the University Registrar for a waiver of this requirement. Waivers will not be granted to students who are inactive.
While students are permitted to earn credits at other institutions, the final 12 credits prior to graduation must be earned at the University of Pittsburgh.
Grading and Recording
Grading Policy
SPIA’s grading policy recognizes the grade of B or better as representing adequate graduate-level attainment. Although C or lower grades may be given, these are not considered as indicating acceptable performance. Under no circumstances will any grade of U or C- or lower be counted among the minimum total number of credits required for the degree.
Other Grades: Incomplete, Audit, Withdraw, Resign
G Grade
The G (incomplete) grade is a temporary grade used when extenuating circumstances (such as illness on the day of the final exam) prevent a student from finishing a class on time. It represents a contract between the faculty member and the student to continue working together after the end of the semester to finish any incomplete course requirements. Students should not be given a G grade if, in actuality, they need to repeat the course.
Students assigned G grades are required to complete course requirements no later than one year after the term or session in which the course was taken. Once the deadline has passed, the G grade will automatically change to an NG and will no longer appear as in progress on the student record. The student will be required to reregister for the course if it is needed to fulfill requirements for graduation. SPIA students are strongly encouraged to remove the G grade within six weeks after the beginning of the term following the one in which the G grade was reported.
If a student wishes to request a G grade, the student should submit the Incomplete (G) Grade Agreement Form request directly to the faculty member before the end of the semester.
Faculty may choose to give a G grade (or not) at their sole discretion. If a faculty member approves a student’s request for a G grade, both must complete and sign this form and submit a copy to the academic advisor.
It is the responsibility of the faculty member and the student to make sure the new grade is submitted in the deadline period. If the instructor does not submit a change of grade request, the G grade remains on the transcript for three terms (including the term it was assigned) and then automatically reverts to an NG grade. If the student graduates in the time period, the student will not be able to receive their diploma or transcript until the grade has been changed.
If the student does not complete the agreed upon work. The grade must be changed. For a G grade the choice of grading is up to the instructor. All G grades revert to a Non-Grade (NG) after one academic year. The Registrar’s Office automatically assigns this grade. The instructor should act to change the grade before that time. It is up to the instructor to determine if they should assign an NG grade or assign the grade that should have been given at the end of the term. Once an NG grade is automatically assigned, the grade is final.
If the instructor is no longer teaching or no longer with the university, it will be up to the Program Director or Associate Dean to decide what final grade to assign. Adjuncts or faculty who are not teaching the following term should NOT assign a G grade.
All graduating students must have final grades in all courses in order to receive their diploma and transcript. The degree will be awarded based on the schools’ certification lists but will place diploma & transcript holds on any graduate missing final grades. G grades are not considered final grades, just placeholders or missing grades. This means that the record is not accurate/complete until the G grade/s are changed. If an instructor has assigned a G grade, the instructor is required to enter a grade at some point for the student even if the student has not completed the work. This applies to all courses that the student has enrolled in even if the course is not required for the degree.
A G grade will affect school-based funding.
I Grade
This grade is assigned in SPIA for research that faculty members and students know, during course registration, will extend beyond the term. I grades are only permissible in the following courses: PIA 3097: Independent Study, PIA 3098: Practicum, and PIA 3099: Dissertation.
All graduating students must have final grades in all courses in order to receive their diploma and transcript. The degree will be awarded based on the schools’ certification lists but will place diploma & transcript holds on any graduate missing final grades. I grades are not considered final grades, just placeholders or missing grades. This means that the record is not accurate/complete until the I grade/s are changed. If an instructor has assigned an I grade, the instructor is required to enter a grade at some point for the student even if the student has not completed the work. This applies to all courses that the student has enrolled in even if the course is not required for the degree.
It is the responsibility of the faculty member and the student to make sure the new grade is submitted in the deadline period. If the instructor does not submit a change of grade request, the I grade remains on the transcript for three terms (including the term it was assigned) and then automatically reverts to an NG grade. If the student graduates in the time period, the student will not be able to receive their diploma or transcript until the grade has been changed.
If the instructor is no longer teaching or no longer with the university, it will be up to the Program Director or Associate Dean to decide what final grade to assign. Adjuncts or faculty who are not teaching the following term should not assign an I grade.
Doctoral students are required to remove all incomplete grades (G or I grades) in order to be eligible to sit for the Comprehensive Examinations.
Repeating Courses
Students may repeat any course in which a grade of B- or lower is received and an authorization to repeat the course is given by the student’s advisor and proper paperwork is filed. Students earning a B- in a core course or in a required course for the degree will have the option of repeating that course after discussion with his advisor. Students earning a C- or lower in a degree required course will be required to repeat that course.
The grade earned by repeating a course is used in lieu of the grade originally earned, although the original grade is not erased from the transcript. No course may be repeated more than twice. No sequence course may be repeated for credit after a more advanced course in that sequence has been passed with a B or higher grade. The repeated course must be the same as that in that the original grade was earned. In extenuating circumstances, a division director, with the assistant dean’s approval, may substitute another course of similar content. Grades of W, R, or N reported for the repeated course will not be counted as a course repeat.
To ensure that only the last course grade is included in the GPA calculation, a Course Repeat Form must be filed by the student with the Office of Academic Advising.
Acceptable Academic Standards, Probation, loss of funding AND Dismissal
Acceptable Academic Standards
Once admitted to SPIA, students must maintain acceptable academic standards as a condition of their right to continue their graduate studies and or/receiving funding from the School. Students who do not maintain acceptable performance are considered to be academically deficient and not making normal progress toward the successful completion of their degree. See also Appendix B in PhD Student Handbook.
Aside from maintaining acceptable performance on their coursework, Doctoral students must also meet expected degree milestones in a timely manner. Part-time students should consult Appendix B for relevant standards. Failure to meet the expected degree milestones carries a risk of loss of funding and/or dismissal from the program. The following chart illustrates what constitutes expected degree progress for full-time students (see also the Doctoral Milestones section).
Probation
A student is automatically placed on academic probation when any of the following occurs: (1)The student fails to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative and/or current (term) GPA in all courses;(2) The student fails to earn a minimum of 9 credits per term if full-time or 3 credits per term if part-time; (3) The student earns two G or I grades in one term, or maintains two G or I grades at any one time; (4)The student earns a grade of U, C-or lower; or (5) the student fails to meet expected doctoral milestones. Please refer to complete policy in Appendix B.
Loss of Funding
Doctoral students may lose their SPIA funding if they are placed on academic probation and/or they do not meet the expected degree milestones according to the laid-out schedule (see Table Expected Degree Progress for Full-time Students). The Office of Academic Advising and the Doctoral Program Director will make decisions regarding loss of funding.
Dismissal
Students are dismissed from SPIA if after 1 term they do not meet their probation requirements. In the event that a student is dismissed from SPIA, they are notified in writing by the Office of Student Services. All appeals to dismissal must be made to the Associate Dean by the stated deadline. Appeals can only be made on procedural grounds. Lack of notification of status is not a basis for appeals.
Obtaining a master’s degree upon dismissal
SPIA PhD students who leave the doctoral program early without completing the doctoral degree do not automatically receive a master’s degree for the work that they have completed. However, a PhD student who leaves the program prematurely may petition to receive a master’s degree for completed work. If a student leaves the PhD program prematurely but has completed the requirements for a master’s degree while pursuing the PhD, the student may be approved to graduate with a master’s degree with the consent of the appropriate SPIA master’s program director, associate dean, director of student services, and PhD program director. Approval is not guaranteed, and SPIA will evaluate whether the student has in fact completed all of the requirements (including the internship requirements, where applicable) for the Master of Public Administration, Master of International Development, Master of Public and International Affairs, or Master of Public Policy and Management.
Under no circumstances will a master’s degree be awarded to students who complete their SPIA PhD program. If a student receives a terminal master’s degree, that student may not return to the doctoral program or continue pursuing the PhD without first applying and being readmitted.
Doctoral Milestones
The first two years of the PhD program are structured by coursework and preparation for comprehensive examinations. Students are strongly encouraged to explore dissertation possibilities early in the program. To earn a PhD, students must pass the following milestones.
Plan of Study Meeting
Every student is assigned a first-year advisor at program entry. The student should consult with the first-year advisor to identify coursework for the first semester. Prior to the end of the student’s first year the student should meet with their first-year advisor regarding the plan of study. This meeting’s aim is to structure a program that best serves the student’s interests and ensure that the degree requirements are met in a timely and stipulated manner.
Annual Progress Evaluation: First and Second Years
The annual evaluation serves the filling purposes:
- To monitor the student’s progress in the program
- To identify any necessary adjustments to the student’s original plan of study
- In exceptional circumstances, to signal that a student’s performance points to a reconsideration of their doctoral status
In their first two years in the doctoral program, students must meet with their faculty advisor as part of their annual progress evaluation. The relevant advisor for these meetings is the first-year advisor until the student has identified a dissertation advisor, at which point that individual becomes the relevant advisor. During these meetings, the faculty advisor should revisit the plan of study to assess student progress and, if necessary, suggest corrective actions and/or adjust the plan. The student is responsible for scheduling this meeting near the end of the Spring term and should be fully aware that many professors may be unavailable after the end of the term. Failure to schedule this meeting in a timely manner may lead to the evaluation being undertaken without student participation.
Aside from the evaluation undertaken with the faculty advisor, the Doctoral Program Director may also solicit comments from faculty with whom the student has taken coursework during the year, especially in relation to courses in which the student did not perform adequately (i.e. received a G, I or lower than B grade). Unsatisfactory progress may lead to students being put on probation, suspension of financial aid and/or dismissal from the program.
Annual Dissertation Progress Evaluation: Third and Fourth Years
At the end of the third and later years, the student must undergo an annual evaluation of their progress toward the dissertation. The dissertation advisor is the relevant advisor for these meetings. The student is responsible for scheduling this meeting and should be fully aware that many professors may be unavailable during the summer. Failure to schedule this meeting in a timely manner may lead to the evaluation being undertaken without student participation. As stated in the Regulations Governing Graduate Study at the University of Pittsburgh, “meetings of the doctoral candidate and their dissertation committee must occur at least annually from the time the student gains admission to doctoral candidacy. During these meetings, the committee should assess the student’s progress toward the degree and discuss objectives for the following year an a timetable for completing degree requirements.”
The student’s dissertation committee will undertake the evaluation. Students’ full dissertation committees must sign off on normal progress for each academic year following defense of the proposal. This will normally occur for the first time at the end of the third academic year. If the committee decides that insufficient progress has been made, one semester will be permitted for correction prior to removal from the program.
The annual review should be schedule at least once every academic year.
Unsatisfactory progress may lead to students being put on probation, suspension of financial aid and/or dismissal from the program.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination is designed to assess the student’s mastery of their intended field of research. The examination is based on a reading list jointly written by the student and two faculty advisors in the end of the first year of doctoral study (more detail below). Unless an exception is granted by the Doctoral Program Director, comprehensive examinations are taken in May following a student’s fourth semester, after the student completes all required courses and earns at least 67 credits (including advanced student credits). In addition, all incomplete grades must be removed by meeting the requirements to complete the courses: even if the course is viewed by the student as not being relevant to their degree program.
The process for the comprehensive examination is as follows:
One month prior to the last day of the Spring semester of the student’s first year, the student identifies two faculty members to serve as advisors (a “chair” and a “reader”) for the exam and second year research paper. Ideally, the student would seek out individuals who would go on to serve as members of the dissertation committee in following years, but there is no commitment to do so at this stage on either end. The chair must be a SPIA faculty member. The reader should also be a a SPIA faculty member but may be external to SPIA with permission from the PhD Program Director.
After identifying advisors, the student and advisors discuss the student’s initial dissertation research interests and plans and would collaboratively form a reading list around those interests. This process should be complete by the last day of the Spring semester of the student’s first year. The reading list will form the basis of material that may be covered on the comprehensive exam at the end of the year. The reading list must contain readings in three categories.
- Core readings in the student’s field (where “field” is defined on an individual basis), even it not directly related to the student’s specific research plans, to ensure that the student is well-read in the field that the student will be working in
- Topical readings specific to the student’s research interests
- Methodological read ins specific to the student’s research plans
All readings should be aimed towards providing knowledge and expertise necessary to execute the planned dissertation research. This does not presume that the student has solidified specific research questions(s) for their dissertation at the time that the list is being formed; indeed, part of the aim of this process should be to help the student identify where there are gaps in the literature which will then help them pose or refine their research questions.
Individualized reading lists will be reviewed by the PhD director (with assistance from members of the PhD committee in relevant fields as necessary) to ensure sufficient coverage of each of the three categories described above. No changes may be made to the reading list within six months of the comprehensive examination date.
Students will register for an independent study in the first semester of the second year, supervised by the comprehensive exam chair, to facilitate absorbing material on the reading list.
The chair and reader will then write an exam based around the reading list with six questions, asking the student to respond to three. However, we will require that the questions cover the three broad categories noted above. That is, the student must respond to one question on “core readings”, one on topic-specific readings, and one on methodology.
Each exam will be 60-hour take-home exam. Answers are limited to 3,000 words per question (not including references or footnotes). During the 60-hour period, students cannot communicate with others about the exam questions.
Students will take the exam in May and will receive either a “high pass”, “pass”, or “fail”. If a student fails, they must retake the exam prior to the start of the following Fall semester. A second failure will result in dismissal from the program. Faculty readers are expected to complete their evaluation and return the evaluation form to the PhD Director within two weeks of the student completing the exam.
Second Year Paper
In addition to an exam, students will complete a second-year research paper. A second-year paper will require students to complete a research project which could (though it not required to) become a chapter of their dissertation and/or could be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. The student will pose an original research question, review relevant literature, outline the methods used to answer their question, employ those methods, report their results, and provide a conclusion.
The timeline for the paper is as follows: students will submit a short proposal for their planned paper to their chair and reader no later than the last day of the Spring semester of the second year; students can and could be encouraged to complete the proposal sooner. Approval of the proposal by chair and reader will be submitted to the PhD director. Students must then submit a complete paper by the first day of the following Fall semester of the third year. Student should present their research in a venue with their chair, reader, and the PhD program director present by the end of October of their third year. The presentation should incorporate feedback provided by reader and chair following submission of the draft. The paper (and presentation) will then be evaluated as “high pass”, “pass”, or “fail”. As with comprehensive exam, a “fail” can result in dismissal from the program.
Establishing the Dissertation Committee
During the fifth semester (typically the fall of the third year of studies), and before admission to candidacy for the PhD degree, the academic advisor proposes, for the approval of the director of the school’s doctoral program and the dean, a committee of four or more persons, including at least one from another department in the University of Pittsburgh or from an appropriate graduate program at another academic institution, to serve as the dissertation committee. The majority of the committee, including the advisor, must be full or adjunct members of the Graduate Faculty. This committee must review and approved the proposed research project before the student may be admitted to candidacy. A published Graduate Faculty Membership Roster is updated three times a year. Only a SPIA faculty member is eligible to serve as the chair of the committee.
This dissertation committee has the responsibility to advise the student on their research and has the authority to require high-quality research and/or the rewriting of any portion or the entire dissertation. It conducts the final oral examination and determines whether the dissertation meets accepted standards. The student must meet with their dissertation committee at least once a year (see Annual Dissertation Progress Evaluation above).The membership of the dissertation committee may be changed whenever it is appropriate or necessary, subject to the approve of the Doctoral Program Director and the Dean.
When a dissertation committee member leaves the University, the member must be replaced unless the dissertation is almost complete or the member has an essential role on the committee. In the latter case, the dean’s approval should be obtained. When the chair of a committee leaves and cannot be conveniently replaced, a co-chair must be appointed from within the department, and the restructured committee requires the approval of the dean and either the department chair or the director of the school’s doctoral program. If the defense takes place within a few months of the chair’s departure, the requirement of the co-chair is usually waived.
Retired faculty members may remain as members or chairs of committee if they are spending considerable time in Pittsburgh or the vicinity and are still professionally active. Retired faculty who meets these criteria may also be appointed as a member or as a co-chair (but not chair) of a newly formed committee. Retired faculty who leave the Pittsburgh area and/or do not remain professionally active should be replaced on committees and the revised committee approved by the dean and either the department chair or the school’s director of doctoral programs.
The completed and signed Dissertation Committee Approval Form and/or the Change in Dissertation Committee Form should be submitted to the Academic Advising office for posting and filing.
All coordination between Dissertation Committee members is the responsibility of the student.
Dissertation Proposal
Immediately after passing the comprehensive examinations, and establishing the dissertation committee, the students should meet with the chair to discuss the development of a dissertation proposal, which outlines the goals and objectives, theoretical argument, policy implications, literature, research design, and timetable for the dissertation research. Students must defend their dissertation proposal within two semesters after having completed comprehensive exams, which will normally correspond to the end of Fall semester of the third year of studies. Students who do not defend their proposal by the end of the semester after their comprehensive exams will be placed on probation; students who do not defend their proposal by the end of the following semester (the probationary semester) are removed from the program.
The student will submit the Announcement of Dissertation Proposal Meeting Form to the Academic Advising office or the Doctoral Program Director ten days prior to the proposal meeting. The announcement will be sent to the faculty and graduate student email lists. Proposal defense meetings are open to all faculty and students.
There must be a minimum of three members present for the meeting to be convened, and the absent member is required to submit a written evaluation of the proposal to the Committee Chair. Under no circumstances can the meeting be held without the Chair. If the Committee accepts the proposal, all Committee members will sign the Approval of Dissertation Proposal Form. The completed and signed form is then submitted along with a copy of the approved proposal to the PhD.D. Program Director, who has final approval. According to University guidelines, only after the proposal has been accepted as final by the Doctoral Program Director does the student advance to candidacy. The signed and completed form is to be returned to Academic Advising office for posting and filing.
Dissertation
The Dissertation Committee must meet a minimum of once a year; however, students are strongly encouraged to schedule more frequent committee meetings.
An appropriate dissertation should be a substantive piece of original and independent research grounded in an appropriate body of literature. The characteristics which a dissertation should demonstrate are:
- the establishment of a historical context for the presentation of an innovative and creative approach to the problem analysis and solution,
- a clear understanding of the problem area as revealed by analysis and synthesis of a broad literature base,
- a well-defined research design,
- clarity in composition and careful documentation,
- results of sufficient merit to be published in refereed journals or to form the basis of a book or monograph,
- sufficient detail so that other scholars can build on it in subsequent work, and
- the preparation of the author to assume a position within the profession.
Oral Defense of the Dissertation
At the oral defense, the student will be asked to explain and justify dissertation research and to assess its relation and contribution to the literature and policy in the field. The final oral examination in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by the dissertation committee and need not be confined to materials in and related to the dissertation. Any member of the Graduate Faculty of the University may attend and participate in the examination. The date, place, and time of the examination should be published well in advance in the University Times. Other qualified individuals may be invited by the committee to participate in the examination. Only members of the dissertation committee may be present during the final deliberations and may vote on the passing of the candidate. A report of this examination, signed by all the members of the dissertation committee, must be sent to the Office of Academic Advising for posting and filing. If the decision of the committee is not unanimous, the case is referred to the dean for resolution. The chair of the dissertation committee should ensure that the dissertation is in final form, i.e., all required changes have been made, before requesting signatures of the members of the committee
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD)
After approval of the dissertation, all candidates are required to publish the document electronically via d-scholarship. For access to more information on ETD and training, go to www.pitt.edu/~graduate/etd/training.html.
General Academic Regulations in SPIA
Applying for Advanced Standing (Transfer Credits)
At the Plan of Study Meeting students who have completed a master’s degree from an accredited institution prior to admission to SPIA must submit official transcripts certifying graduate courses completed. They can then be evaluated for acceptability as advanced standing, provided grades of B (or its equivalent) or better have been earned. Other documentation such as course syllabi and descriptions will be required to support the student’s request. All accepted course credits will be entered as block credits on the student’s transcript. Grades and GPAs are not recorded for transfer credits.
The required 72 credits of coursework may include credits obtained through meeting Advanced Standing requirements. In no cases, however, will accepted credits be used to waive required core courses. For students with master’s degrees, a maximum of 30 credits for coursework may be applied to the PhD degree. For those students who have a master’s degree from SPIA, a maximum of 36 credits for coursework may be applied.
In recognition of relevant doctoral study completed at a school other than SPIA, a maximum of 12 additional credits may be applied to the minimum credit requirement. In no case, however, can the total of all credits accepted through advanced standing exceed 36 credits (master’s degree and relevant doctoral degree credits together, regardless of where the credits were obtained). Course Credit Acceptance forms are available through the Academic Advising office. When completed and signed, this form and supporting documentation must be submitted to the Academic Advising office for further evaluation, approval, posting and filing.
Acceptance of Transfer Credit
The completion of requirements for advanced degrees must be satisfied through registration at the Pittsburgh campus of the University; however, graduate students already enrolled may, when approved in advance by the Doctoral Program Director, spend a term or more at another graduate institution to obtain training or experience not available at the University, and transfer those credits toward the requirements for a SPIA degree. In such instances, neither the University nor SPIA is responsible for any financial assistance to the graduate student.
Credit acceptance will not be granted for courses in which a grade lower than a B (GPA=3.0) or its equivalent has been received. No credits will be granted toward a SPIA degree for work completed in extension courses, correspondence courses, courses delivered electronically, or those offered in the off-campus center of another institution unless those credits are approved for equivalent graduate degrees at that institution, and provided that the institution has an accredited program.
Course Work Acceptable as Graduate Credit
Courses at the University of Pittsburgh numbered 2000-2999 and 3000-3999 are acceptable graduate courses. No undergraduate language courses, courses numbered below 2000, or language acquisition courses may be applied toward SPIA degree requirements.
Substituting Non-SPIA Courses for Degree Requirements
Required courses for the individual degree programs are considered by the School as essential to the study of public and international affairs. Accordingly, students are required to take these courses in SPIA. In exceptional cases, and on a case-by-case basis, students may be permitted to substitute comparable courses offered in other Schools and departments, provided they obtain prior approval from the Doctoral Program Director and the faculty advisors for either or both the fields of specialization.
Statute of Limitations
The purpose of the statute of limitation is to ensure that a graduate degree from SPIA represents mastery of current knowledge in the student’s field of study.
Requirements for the doctoral degrees must be completed within a period of eight consecutive calendar years from the students’ initial registration for doctoral study.
Under exceptional circumstances a candidate may apply for an extension of the statute of limitations. The request must be approved by the program director and submitted to the assistant dean for final action. Each student who requests an extension of the statute of limitations must be prepared to demonstrate proper preparation for the completion of all current degree requirements.
Leaves of Absence
Under special conditions, graduate students may be granted one leave of absence. A maximum leave of two years may be granted to doctoral students. The length and rationale for the leave of absence must be stated in advance and approved by the dean or his/her designee. Only students in good academic standing will be approved for a leave of absence. If approved, the time of the leave shall not count against the total time allowed for the degree being sought by the students. Readmission following an approved leave of absence is a formality.
Students who take an unapproved leave of absence may, at the discretion of the dean and the program director, be readmitted to the School, but must finish their degree requirements within the statute by their original matriculation.
Parental accommodation. Consistent with the University’s efforts to be inclusive and to support academic personal life balance, the University believes it is important to provide accommodations for graduate and professional students who become new parents, whether by childbirth or adoption, so that they may contribute to their family responsibilities while continuing to make progress towards their degree. This practice will help develop students who can successfully integrate their academic and personal pursuits. In recognition of the challenges of balancing the demands of graduate study and parenting a new child, these guidelines aim to improve the academic environment for student parents. The Graduate and Professional Student Parental Accommodation Guidelines assist graduate students immediately following the birth or placement for adoption of a child. The purpose of these guidelines is to make it possible for a student to maintain registered full-time student status, along with all the benefits of such status, while facilitating the return to full participation in courses, research and teaching.
Eligibility: The Parental Accommodation Guidelines apply only to full- and part-time students enrolled in graduate and professional programs who are in good academic standing and who are making satisfactory progress toward completion of a graduate degree. Students must have completed at least one full-time semester of their degree program to become eligible for coverage under these guidelines. The guidelines cover the situation of students who experience a childbirth, who adopt a child who is unable to be enrolled in full-day public school due to age or other developmental reasons, or who is a partner of someone who has experienced a childbirth or an adoption for whom the student has parental responsibilities. These eligibility requirements cover all provisions of the guidelines.
Graduation
Certification Requirements for Graduation
SPIA doctoral program requires the satisfactory completion of:
- Minimum of 67 credits of coursework (includes transfer credits)
- Dissertation credits (PIA 3099) - 6 credits
Successful completion of the following milestones:
- Plan of Study Meeting
- Annual Progress Evaluations
- Comprehensive Examinations
- Approval of Dissertation Committee
- Dissertation Proposal
- Dissertation Defense
- Electronic Dissertation Submission
Moreover, all candidates for graduation must be in good academic standing and registered in the term in which they wish to graduate.
The following must also be completed and submitted.
Complete the Required Surveys
• Survey of Earned Doctorate
• AAUDE Doctoral Exit Survey
• Forward the confirmation emails or certificate to korade@pitt.edu
Submit final ETD in ETD Administrator
• Review the instructions for submitting ETDs
• Submit your final ETD in ETD Administrator
Submit your Receipt for ETD Processing Fee
• Initiate the ETD Processing Fee by emailing payments@pitt.edu and provide the following information: your student ID, the dollar amount ($50), and the academic term (ex: spring 2025)
• Once the fee is posted, you will see the charge in PittPAY on the Account Activity tab; the payment can be processed on the Make Payment tab.
• PittPAY will email you a receipt as soon as the payment is made.
• Forward a copy of your receipt to korade@pitt.edu
Application for Graduation
Students must complete an electronic application for graduation early in the term in which graduation is expected. To apply for graduation, complete the online application by logging into my.pitt.edu and following the instructions. As noted above, students should be registered in the term in which they are to graduate; in exceptional circumstances, students who complete all the degree requirements at the end of a term but graduate in the next term may petition the assistant dean of SPIA for a waiver of this registration requirement.
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