HSRP Doctoral Program Handbook
12
Dissertation Credits & Graduation: Doctoral students must register for at least one
credit of Full Time Dissertation Research (FTDR) in the 12-month period preceding
defense of their dissertation and be registered for at least one credit of FTDR during the
term in which they graduate. Students may register for FTDR (the zero-credit full-time
doctoral dissertation course) only after they have earned a minimum of 48 credits
beyond the master’s degree, including advanced standing credits. To register for FTDR
or dissertation credits, students must also have passed the comprehensive
examination.
Cross Registration: Students may register for courses offered at institutions
participating in the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) cross-registration
agreement (Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, the Pittsburgh
Theological Seminary and Robert Morris University). Such coursework must be
approved in advance by the academic advisor. Credits will not be counted as transfers
and will count toward the degree and GPA calculations.
Incompletes and Withdrawing from Class: In order to graduate, outstanding incomplete
grades of “G” or “I” must be changed to letter grades, N or W, and a memo must be
submitted from the Program Office to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs stating that
the incomplete course is not required for graduation. A “W” is given when students
complete a Monitored Withdrawal permission form to withdraw from the class.
(Contact the program coordinator for more information.) The class instructor’s
signature is required and the form must be completed by the Monitored Withdrawal
deadline specified in the academic calendar for the given term. Students must register
again for the class at a later time when it is offered if it is required for graduation.
Students may choose to audit any graduate course on a space available basis. After
obtaining the instructor's permission to audit a course, students should follow the same
procedures as registering for credit. Note that N or W grades result in zero credits.
Exemption from a Required Course: Students may apply for a course waiver if they have
already taken a course that may be equivalent to a required course in the doctoral
program. To do this, students must fill out a Course Exemption form and obtain
approval from their advisor and the program director. The appropriate form must be
accompanied by a transcript showing a passing grade and the course syllabus. If
students are requesting to waive a school core course, the designated instructor will
make the decision. If it is a departmental core class, the instructor for that course will
make the decision and the department chair must also sign off.
Milestones
Two examinations are required to assess the student’s progress and achievement of
general knowledge and skills appropriate for a health services researcher with a
Doctorate in Health Services Research and Policy: The Preliminary Examination and the
Comprehensive Examination. Subsequent to successful completion of these two
examinations, the Dissertation Overview and the Dissertation Defense (Final Oral
Examination) are also required.