Ph.D. Psychological Sciences: Program Requirements
The Ph.D. Program in Psychological Sciences consists of 90 credit hours of coursework and a non-credit course in library and information use and research. The program consists of 33 core credits, 6 thesis credits which serve as a foundation for dissertation research, 27 credits in advanced research, theory, and integration methodology, and 24 dissertation research credits. The program is completely online with both synchronous and asynchronous learning modalities.
Degree Time Limit
All students admitted to the Ph.D. Program must complete all degree requirements within seven academic years from the date of admission to the Ph.D. program, with an academic year comprising a fall semester, spring semester, and summer semester. Doctoral students must remain continuously enrolled until they have completed all program requirements, including the dissertation.
A doctoral dissertation must be completed and successfully defended. This requires a minimum of 24 credit hours. The doctoral dissertation takes the form of an independent and original research project in the field of psychology including an empirical component
Doctoral Dissertation
The dissertation topic must be developed in close consultation with the student’s dissertation chair and a dissertation committee. The dissertation proposal must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee. The dissertation is expected to meet scholarly standards and be of publishable quality. To be successfully completed, the written dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee and successfully defended orally before the dissertation committee.
Ph.D. students must begin enrollment for dissertation credits in the semester following the completion and defense of the scientific thesis which functions as a precursor and foundation of the dissertation research work, typically in the fall of the second year in the program. Once students have their dissertation chair appointed, they must be continuously enrolled and registered for PSYS 899 until all dissertation requirements are completed, or will be considered withdrawn from the program.
Virtual Residency
PSYS 504 Psychological Measurement includes a mandatory two-day virtual residency. The residency takes place in week seven of PSYS 504, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm EST. Goals of the residency are to develop an online learning community, introduce students to DMU’s integrative approach to psychology, and help students develop relating skills essential for work and ministry settings of any kind. Participation in the entire residency is mandatory for all students. Since the residency includes group activities and missing parts would be disruptive for the overall learning environment, attending the entire time is obligatory in order to receive credit for the residency. If a student is not able to participate in the residency, they can attend the next scheduled residency. The student will receive an incomplete for PSYS 504 until the residency has been completed successfully. However, if a student misses the residency a second time, a hold will be placed on their account and they will not be able to register for further courses until they have completed the residency.
Academic Good Standing
To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is required to graduate. The status of all students will be reviewed at the end of each academic period by the registrar, who will update student status accordingly. Academic progress is also reviewed by the appropriate University offices for compliance with the distinct eligibility requirements for financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and student visa status. See the respective sections for additional information.
Remediation
Students may be placed on a remediation plan for having a cumulative GPA below a 3.0
Academic Probation
In the event of failure to meet the above standard for academic good standing, students will be placed on academic probation and receive notification regarding their academic standing. The Registrar refers students on academic probation to the Program Director to develop a plan for remediation.
Passing Grade Requirement
For the Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences program, any course receiving a grade of C+ or below must be retaken. Students may repeat a course 2 times (total of 3 attempts) before being placed on scholastic suspension.
See the specific academic program policy section for any additional criteria regarding minimum grades for successful course completion. Depending upon these requirements, students may be obliged to repeat and/or remediate a specific course.
Retaking Courses
Students may repeat certain courses in order to improve their cumulative grade point average. In such cases where a course is retaken both grades will be reported on their transcript, but the higher of the two will be used for the purpose of calculating the grade point average.
Incompletes
A student may petition an instructor to be assigned an incomplete as a grade when one or more course requirements have not been completed by the end of the course, due to extraordinary circumstances. The awarding of an incomplete is at the discretion of the instructor and the student must have completed academic assignments through the end of week 5 and passing the course. To be awarded an incomplete, the student and instructor must complete and sign the incomplete course agreement form and the instructor must deliver it to the registrar at the time that grades are due. The instructor is responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar of the final grade assigned upon completion of all course requirements.
When a student has been assigned an incomplete the student must complete all outstanding course requirements within 28 days following the end of the term of registration for the course. Failure to complete all course requirements will result in the instructor awarding a grade based upon work completed and outstanding assignments.
Students who receive financial aid and who carry a grade of incomplete into a subsequent semester risk loss of financial aid for that semester. Carrying an incomplete course grade reduces the student’s overall grade point average and lowers the credit hours attempted-to-completed ratio – either or both factors can create a failure to meet the financial aid requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students who have two incompletes are not eligible to begin the next term until the incomplete grades have been submitted.
Academic Dismissal
Students placed on academic probation for two semesters and fail to resolve the academic deficiency may face academic dismissal.