Stages of the Degree
Progress toward the Ph.D. at the Graduate Center is measured by movement through three levels, which are associated with different levels of tuition. Information on tuition costs at the various levels is provided on the Current Student pages of the Graduate Center Website.
At levels I and II, students take courses, fulfill two language requirements, and take two sets of examinations;the first of the these, the comprehensive exam, is taken at the beginning of a student's second year, and the second, the oral exam, following the completion of coursework.
To advance from Level I to II, students must complete 45 credits of coursework (including transfer credits) and pass the first (comprehensive) examination.
To advance from Level II to III, students must complete all 60 credits of coursework, fulfill both language requirements, and pass the second (oral) examination.
Advancing to Level III is equivalent to “advancing to candidacy.” Upon advancing to Level III, students can apply for an M.Phil. degree. (Earlier, after completing 45 credits and the first examination, students can work toward attaining an "en route" M.A. This involves completing a major research paper under the supervision of a faculty member.)
After students have advanced to Level III, they cannot take additional coursework for credit without paying extra tuition. Students who are earning a certificate from one of the Certificate Programs should be especially aware of this: all coursework for both the English Program and any Certificate Program or Concentration must be completed before the student advances to candidacy. (This includes clearing incomplete grades from the student's record; any incompletes that are not cleared prior to advnacing to Level III will remain permanently incomplete.)
The Graduate Center has several parameters for defining "Satisfactory Progress." If the grade point average falls below 3.0; if students have more than 2 incomplete grades; if the first examination is not taken by the point 45 credits of coursework have been completed, or the second examination within 10 semesters of enrollment; or if students exceed "time to degree" (eight years for students entering with a B.A., seven for those entering with an M.A. or the equivalent), their registration will be blocked by a "satisfactory progress hold." Such holds are reviewed by the English Program's "Student Progress Officer," who can recommend clearing a hold when s/he and the student involved have agreed upon a plan for making satisfactory progress.
The following link provides two sample schedules for meeting all the requirements for the Ph.D. in English in a timely fashion. Students' actual progress will vary, but these schedules provide useful guidelines for most students.