Advanced degrees awarded from UNCG indicate that students have current, usable knowledge in their field; therefore, all requirements for the doctorate, including the dissertation, must be completed within seven academic years. Post-master’s (or equivalent) credit that is to be applied to the student’s doctoral program must be no more than seven years old when the degree requirements are completed. This means that all course work to be credited to the student’s doctoral program must fall within a seven-year period beginning with the date the first courses carrying graduate-degree credit applicable to the student’s program are begun.

If credit to be transferred was earned before enrollment at this University, the seven-year period commences with the beginning date of the term in which the transfer credit was earned.

The seven-year time limit does not apply to students who are admitted to a Doctoral Track Program (combined master’s/doctoral). In this case, the time limit is ten years.