Faculty may not be awarded an advanced degree or certificate by UH Mānoa in the graduate program administered by the department in which they are employed. Should any APT employee wish to apply to a graduate program in the unit in which they are employed, they should work with the graduate program chair to contact Graduate Division for further guidance to identify and mitigate any conflicts of interest that may exist. Graduate Division and OVPAE must approve all conflict of interest management plans prior to admission into a program.
The doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree is awarded only for the most distinguished scholarly achievement. The quality of a candidate’s work is judged by a variety of means, culminating in a set of comprehensive and final examinations and a dissertation. The dissertation describes completed research and must be a significant original contribution to knowledge in the candidate’s chosen program. The additional, special requirements in any given graduate program prepare the candidate for the examinations and successful completion of the dissertation.
Candidates are accepted only in graduate programs in which the teaching staff, library, laboratory equipment, and cooperative relationships with other research institutions make it possible to offer training.
The Graduate Programs A-Z section has the most current listing of advanced degrees and certificate programs.
Doctor of Architecture
The degree of Doctor of Architecture (DArc) is awarded for distinguished academic preparation for professional practice in the field of architecture. It is an NAAB accredited program and the only professional architecture doctoral degree offered in the U.S. Candidates must progress through coursework and a series of design studios and practicum that culminate in a scholarly doctorate project.
Doctor of Education
The degree of Doctor of Education (EdD) is awarded for distinguished academic preparation for professional practice in the field of education. The quality of a candidate’s work is judged by a variety of experiences, culminating in an internship, a set of comprehensive and final examinations, and a dissertation. The dissertation is based on a selected research problem and is a significant part of the candidate’s field experience or internship.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
The degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is awarded for distinguished academic preparation for professional practice in the field of nursing. Candidates must progress through coursework and a series of capstone experiences culminating in a final project. The student must produce a tangible and deliverable academic product that is derived from practice immersion experience and is reviewed and evaluated by the faculty.
Requirements and Procedures for Doctoral Degrees
Time Allowed
Doctoral students are expected to complete all requirements within seven years after admission into the doctoral program. Candidates who fail to complete all requirements within seven years of admission will be placed on probation and are subject to dismissal at any point after, but automatically after 10 years. Extensions of time are allowed only upon petition by the graduate chair explaining why more time might be justified.
Credit Hour Requirements
There is no minimum number of required course credit hours set for doctoral degrees. Registration in courses by doctoral students is governed by (1) the judgment of advisors or faculty in charge of the relevant program of study as to the importance of particular course work to the training and preparation of the candidate for the writing of examinations and/or the dissertation; (2) residence requirements; and/or (3) provisions of graduate assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships. For information regarding required or recommended courses, see the section appropriate to the graduate program.
Language Requirements
At the discretion of the graduate program, candidates may be required to take an examination to demonstrate comprehension of one or more additional languages. Please refer to the graduate program’s website for additional information on such requirements.
Doctoral Committee
The chair of the graduate program faculty recommends to Graduate Division the appointment of a doctoral committee consisting of at least five members of the graduate faculty. Formation of the committee should occur prior to the student’s preparation for the comprehensive examination and dissertation proposal process. The student and chair of the committee should ensure the eligibility of members to serve on the committee in advance. The committee must include one graduate faculty member from another field of study. This is the University representative and he/she must be a member of a graduate faculty at arm’s length from the program of the candidate. The majority of the committee, including the committee chair, must be from the graduate program in which the student is enrolled. This committee, appointed by Graduate Division, prescribes for the candidate a course of study in preparation for the comprehensive and oral examinations described below. It also approves the dissertation research topic and the dissertation itself.
It is the student’s responsibility to select an appropriate dissertation topic coinciding with the expertise and interest of a graduate faculty member who is willing to work with him/her.
Examinations
Doctoral candidates must pass the following examinations:
Qualifying Examination
A qualifying examination may be required by some graduate programs. If it is required, all students in the program must take it. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether to encourage students to proceed in a doctoral program and, if encouraged, to enable advisors to assist students in planning a program that will familiarize them with the requisite knowledge and techniques of their chosen graduate program. Graduate programs requiring this examination give it early in the intended candidate’s program (often coinciding with the master’s final examination). It may be oral and/or written and is conducted by a special examination committee appointed by the graduate chair of the graduate program or by the student’s prospective doctoral committee. A student who fails the qualifying examination may repeat it once at the discretion of the graduate faculty concerned. However, students failing the qualifying examination a second time are dismissed from the program and lose their status as a classified graduate student.
Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination is an important step in the sequence of study toward the doctoral degree. This examination covers foundational and important knowledge, skills, and techniques all doctoral students in the program are expected to have learned. This information is fundamental to the graduate program and may include a sub-field or concentration as may be required by the graduate program. Its purpose is to ascertain the student’s comprehension of knowledge, skills, and techniques fundamental to their program of study.
The examination is given only after the student has completed any second language requirement, if any, and when, in the judgment of the graduate faculty, the student has had sufficient preparation in the graduate program either through coursework or other individual study and research. The comprehensive examination may be either oral or oral and written. It is conducted by a committee of the graduate faculty.
A student who fails the comprehensive examination may repeat it once at the discretion of the graduate faculty concerned. A student who fails the examination a second time is dismissed from the program and loses their status as a classified graduate student.
The student who passes the examination is eligible, at the option of the various graduate programs, to receive a UH Mānoa certificate indicating that all requirements of the doctorate except for the dissertation have been completed.
Final Examination
A final examination in defense of the dissertation may also cover related subjects and is required of all candidates for the doctoral degree. The examination is oral and is conducted by the candidate’s doctoral committee. Arrangements for the final examination must be made at least two weeks prior to the date of examination. The examination must be held while UH Mānoa is in session, must be open to the public, and advertised in the University Calendar.
A candidate who fails the final examination may be allowed to repeat it upon approval by the graduate faculty concerned. Notification should be sent to the Graduate Student Services Office via the Doctorate Form 3 - Dissertation Examination Evaluation of a second attempt. A candidate who fails the final oral examination twice is dismissed from the program and loses their status as a classified graduate student.
A candidate who passes the examination, and who has met all other requirements, will be awarded the doctoral degree at the end of the appropriate term.
Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation for the PhD is expected to be a scholarly presentation of an original contribution to knowledge resulting from independent research.
An essential aspect of dissertation research is the free and full dissemination of research results. Moreover, all dissertations must be publicly defended in an oral examination. Therefore, proprietary or classified information is not suitable for a dissertation; data which cannot be made public at the time of the final defense should not be incorporated into the student’s research.
When the dissertation topic has been approved by the doctoral committee, it will notify the Graduate Student Services Office through submission of Doctorate Form 2 - Advance to Candidacy. The candidate may then register for the dissertation research course (800) during the next registration period.
A candidate should look to the chair of his or her doctoral committee for primary direction regarding research methods and the preparation of results. It is the joint responsibility of the chair and the student to see that all members of the committee are kept informed of the scope, plan, and progress of both the research and the dissertation. Guidelines for preparation of the dissertation can be obtained on the Graduate Division website.Copies of the completed dissertation must be submitted to committee members at least four weeks prior to the date of the final oral examination.
A majority of the members of the doctoral committee, including the committee chair and University Representative, must approve both the dissertation and oral defense of the dissertation. A minority member has the right of appeal to Graduate Division for a final decision. The chair must ensure that the final form of the dissertation, including revisions and amendments agreed upon, is acceptable to a majority of the committee. The committee members express their approval on the Doctorate Form 3 - Dissertation Examination Evaluation and Doctorate Form 4 - Dissertation Submission (formerly signature page).
Candidates must be registered in the appropriate dissertation research course (800) during the term in which the work for the degree is completed. Failure to make satisfactory progress on the dissertation does not entitle a student to a refund of tuition.
The graduate chair of a program has the privilege of being an ex officio member of all doctoral committees in the field.
All doctoral students are required to publish their dissertation via ProQuest ETD. Dissertations must be submitted by the specified deadline (see the “Calendar ”).
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