Year 1:
By the end of the first year, the candidate should have completed:
• 3 credit hours, Graduate Seminar (6000)
• 12 credit hours in graduate seminars (6011-6102)

Year 2:
By the end of the second year, the candidate should have:
• completed comprehensive examinations
• chosen a dissertation topic 
• completed the second language requirement examination if necessary

Year 3:
By the end of the third year, the candidate should have:
• defended the thesis proposal
• made considerable progress on the dissertation through the proposal process

Year 4:
By the end of the fourth year, the candidate should have:
• submitted the dissertation for examination by the committee members, graduate supervisor, and external examiner
• successfully defended the dissertation in an oral examination