Once a student has entered the PhD program, the University requires continuous enrollment every fall and spring semester until completion of the program (this does not include summer semesters). For the first two years, this is achieved through enrollment in the cohort core classes.
The minimum residency requirement established by the Graduate Division is three semesters of full-time work or the equivalent in credits (8 credits per semester or a total of 24 credits) at the University of Hawai`i, a schedule which is met by the core LTEC PhD curriculum. Also note that for our hybrid program, weekend and summer week on-campus sessions are mandatory. UHM Graduate Division requires students to complete the program within seven years from initial enrollment.
Should students have a serious issue that prevents enrollment or requires an extension of the maximum time to degree, they should consult their advisor immediately. Students who fail to maintain continuous enrollment and who have not been formally granted a leave of absence are cut from the program per Graduate Division policy. The Petition for Leave of Absence Form is used to request a leave of absence, and it is critical that you complete this if you are not able to enroll for any reason. The Graduate Division drops students who are not enrolled, and it may take reapplying, including paying a fee, to be allowed to continue. The department and Graduate Division are not required to readmit students who have been dropped, so be sure to enroll or have a permitted leave of absence. Note that leaves of absence can be used for up to two semesters.
The LTEC department requires a minimum of 3 credits per semester after completing mandatory cohort courses and until students have completed their dissertation proposal and are eligible to enroll for dissertation credits (LTEC 800). This is accomplished by continual enrollment in the Advanced Seminar (LTEC 760) each fall and spring until a student has successfully defended a dissertation proposal. Students should be able to complete their comprehensive examination and proposal defense within two to three semesters. After the proposal defense has been passed, and the student has received permission from the Institutional review Board (IRB) of the University to collect data, a student is considered a doctoral candidate and one credit is considered full time, taken by enrolling in LTEC 800, Dissertation.