• Admission to a doctoral program, including the removal of any deficiencies identified at the time of admission.
• An initial academic advisor: assigned upon receipt of the intent to enroll form.
• An approved advisory committee: filed in the Graduate School by the end of eighteen (18) semester hours.
• An approved plan of study: signed by the GPD and all other committee members and filed in the Graduate School by the end of eighteen (18) semester hours.
• Completion of all milestone requirements (e.g. language, research, exams).
• Completion of the immersion requirement.
• Completion of any required diagnostic qualifying examination.
• Completion of all course requirements in the student’s approved program of study.
• Completion of the comprehensive written and oral examination and any required additional work resulting from this examination.
• Formation of an approved dissertation/project committee with an assigned chair/document mentor: filed in the Graduate School before a student may defend the proposal.
• Acceptance of a dissertation/project proposal: the approved topic filed in the Graduate School.
• Admission to candidacy upon the satisfaction of the requirements above (formal application to be made in the Graduate School).
• Submission of a dissertation/document acceptable to the dissertation/project committee.
• Satisfactory public oral defense of the dissertation.
• Acceptance of the dissertation by the Graduate School. (Submission requirements differ for each type of doctorate; students should consult their Graduate Program Director.)
• Application for graduation with the Graduate School: filed by the end of the first week of classes of the term in which the degree will be granted.
• Payment of the graduation fee.
• Payment of all accounts owed in the University: diplomas and transcripts of students owing money to the University withheld until the account is cleared.

The requirements above are the minimal requirements of every doctoral program at UNCG and must be met by the deadlines stated in the Academic Calendar. Detailed explanations of these minimum requirements follow. Some programs may have additional requirements not listed above but are explained in detail in the specific doctoral program handbook. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with all program requirements.