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PhD program progression

Your PhD program progresses through a series of academic and research milestones, from the Preliminary Examination through dissertation defense and graduation. Use this page to understand the sequence, timing and forms associated with each step.

Policy 1.9 outlines the full requirements.

Policy 1.9: Final Scholarly Project and/or Dissertation Requirements

Program milestones

This timeline reflects typical progression for full-time students. Part-time progression will vary and may extend the timeline by one to two years. The first milestones follow a relatively defined sequence. Later milestones depend on your research progress and committee approval.

  1. Year 1

    Preliminary Examination

    Written and oral examination on your Year 1 nursing core. The written and oral parts are assessed together, and you receive one result. Once successfully passed, complete the Masters of Science degree completion form and submit to phdadv@uw.edu.

    MS Degree Completion

    Sample Verification of MS in Nursing Science Degree

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.1

  2. Year 2

    Supervisory Committee

    Choose your chair first, then select the rest of your committee members together. Your committee will meet and help you navigate your PhD experience, including meeting to:

    • approve your Program of Study
    • conduct your General Examination
    • conduct your Final Examination

    Additionally, once your committee is formed, you complete the UW Graduate School Human and Animal Subjects Advisory Certification form.

    How to choose a committee

    Letter of request

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.1

    Human and Animal Subjects Form

  3. Year 2

    Program of Study

    The Program of Study outlines your planned coursework and scholarly direction. Your course plan, approved at a meeting with your full committee is then shared and filed by Advising.

    Program of Study form

    Program of Study example

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.2

  4. Timing from here depends on your research

    Each milestone below opens the next. The Graduate School allows up to 10 years from first enrollment to complete the degree.

  5. After 60 credits

    General Examination

    Written and oral examination. Passing admits you to candidacy. Before you can schedule it, you need at least 60 credits, a completed Preliminary Examination and registration during the examination quarter. Your dissertation committee will review a draft of your dissertation proposal before you schedule your General Exam.

    Request in MyGrad

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.3

  6. After candidacy

    Dissertation Proposal

    Your committee approves your dissertation plan before the research begins. You also choose your dissertation format at this point, and it is recorded on the approval form.

    You may complete up to 10 credits of NMETH 800 before your proposal is approved.

    Proposal approval

    Research plan

    IRB Forms and Templates

  7. After proposal approval

    Dissertation Research

    Complete a minimum of 27 credits of NMETH 800 across at least three quarters, including at least one quarter after the General Examination. The requirement cannot be compressed into a single quarter, and you may register for no more than 10 dissertation credits in any quarter.

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.7
  8. After reading committee approval

    Final Examination

    Your dissertation defense, in a later quarter than the General Examination. You must be registered during the defense quarter.

    Two things must happen at least two weeks before your defense date or the defense must be rescheduled:

    • Send your committee the dissertation. Every member of your Supervisory Committee needs the full dissertation, in your approved format, at least 10 business days before the exam.
    • Request the examination in MyGrad. The School of Nursing requires this at least 10 business days beforehand.
    Request in MyGrad

    Policy 1.9 §II.C.9

  9. After you pass

    Deposit and graduate

    Submit your final dissertation through the UW Electronic Thesis/Dissertation (ETD) system, with your abstract and signed Committee Signature Form. You must be registered during the quarter you submit, which may be the quarter of your Final Examination or a later one.

    ETD submission

    Degree completion

Does my committee meet the requirements?

Look each person up in the Graduate Faculty Locator before you ask them to serve. It shows Graduate Faculty status, endorsement to chair and departmental appointments, which is what these four checks turn on.

  • Check the committee composition.

    Confirm that your committee meets the minimum requirements in Graduate School Policy 4.2.

  • Confirm your Chair is eligible.

    Your Chair must meet the Graduate School’s requirements to serve and be endorsed to chair.

  • Check your Graduate School Representative (GSR).

    GSR eligibility depends on Graduate Faculty status, endorsement, departmental appointments and conflict-of-interest requirements. Review the Graduate School’s GSR eligibility guidance.

  • Confirm your School of Nursing members.

    At least two committee members must be School of Nursing faculty.

GSR conflict of interest

Your GSR must have no conflict of interest with you or your Chair and no appearance of one. Budgetary, personal and research or publication relationships may be conflicts of interest. If you and your Chair are unsure, contact the Associate Dean for Student and Academic Affairs at sonadaa@uw.edu.

Dissertation formats

Two dissertation structures are approved. You choose a format with your committee when your proposal is approved, and the format is recorded on the proposal form.

Front matter for both formats

  • Title page
  • Copyright page (optional)
  • Abstract
  • Dedication (optional)
  • Acknowledgements (optional)
  • Table of contents
  • List of figures and tables, if applicable

Traditional dissertation

Six chapters for a single integrated study.

  1. Introduction. Problem or research question, specific aims, significance and overview.
  2. Literature review. Synthesis of current knowledge on your topic.
  3. Research methods. Design, methodology, sample, data collection and analysis plan.
  4. Results. Findings, including tables, figures and statistical output.
  5. Discussion. Interpretation, comparison with the literature and limitations.
  6. Conclusions and implications. Key findings, implications for nursing science and practice and future work.

Appendices may include data collection tools, supplementary tables and figures, IRB approvals and statistical code.

See an example dissertation

Three-manuscript dissertation

Five chapters for thematically linked papers you intend to publish.

  1. Introduction. Research problem, aims, theoretical framework and why the manuscript format fits.
  2. Manuscript 1. Formatted to journal style or dissertation requirements.
  3. Manuscript 2.
  4. Manuscript 3.
  5. Synthesis. Integration of the three papers, broader implications and future directions.

Appendices may follow chapters 2–4. A later chapter may refer to an earlier appendix.

The three papers must be thematically related rather than separate topics. You must be first author on at least one paper and submit it to a peer-reviewed journal before your Final Examination. A previously published paper may be included, subject to copyright permission.

See an example dissertation

Graduate School formatting, copyright and electronic deposit

 

All PhD forms

Use these forms throughout your program. The program milestones timeline shows when the most commonly used forms apply.

Questions?

Contact your program adviser about sequencing, timing or anything not answered on this page.
Contact your PhD adviser