Doctoral students admitted Fall 2010 or later follow their departmental time-to-degree standards as approved by the Graduate Council.

For more information, please refer to Time-to-Degree Standards

Doctoral Program

Years to Advance

Years to Complete

Humanities and Fine Arts, College of Letters and Science

Classics

5

7

Comparative Literature (MA/PhD)

4

7

Comparative Literature (PhD only)

4

6

East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies (MA/PhD)

4

7

East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies (PhD only)

3

6

English

4

7

Film and Media Studies

4

6

Hispanic Languages and Literatures (MA/PhD)

4

6

Hispanic Languages and Literatures (PhD only)

2

4

History

5

8

History of Art and Architecture (MA/PhD)

5

8

History of Art and Architecture (PhD only)

3

6

Linguistics

4

7

Media Arts and Technology

4

7

Music DMA

3 & 1Q

5

Music PhD (Musicology or Theory Emphases)

3

6

Music PhD (Composition Emphasis) Prior to Fall 2020

3

6

Music PhD (Composition Emphasis) Fall 2020 and later

2

5

Music PhD (Ethnomusicology Emphasis)

5

8

Philosophy

3 & 1Q

6

Religious Studies Track 1

4

7

Religious Studies Track 2

5

8

Theater/Dance

4

7

Math, Life, and Physical Sciences, College of Letters and Science

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

2

6

Chemistry

2

5

Dynamical Neuroscience

3

5

Earth Science

3

5

Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology

3

6

Geography

4

6

Marine Science

3

6

Mathematics

4

6

Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

3

6

Physics

3

6

Psychological & Brain Sciences

3

6

Statistics and Applied Probability

3

5

Social Sciences, College of Letters and Science

Anthropology

5

8

Chicana and Chicano Studies

3 & 1Q

6

Communication (MA/PhD)

4

5

Communication (PhD only)

3

4

Economics

3 & 1Q

6

Feminist Studies (MA/PhD)

4

7

Feminist Studies (PhD only)

3

6

Global Studies

4

Political Science

4

7

Sociology

4

7

College of Engineering

Biological Engineering 3 6

Chemical Engineering

3

6

Computer Science

4

6

Electrical and Computer Engineering

4

6

Materials

3

5

Mechanical Engineering

3

6

Technology Management 

3

5

Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology

4

6

Education

4

6

Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

Environmental Science and Management

4

6

Environmental Science and Management
(Students with start quarter of Fall 2015 or later only)

3

5