Credit Hour Requirements

The doctoral degree will be granted for no less than the equivalent of three years of full-time graduate study. Individual program requirements vary, but eligibility for graduation typically requires a minimum of 90 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Doctoral students with a prior master’s degree may petition their program to allow up to 30 transfer credits from the master’s degree towards their doctoral degree. Degree credits must include at least 7 hours in dissertation research. Some program credit requirements may be higher.

The last 30 credits must be completed under the direction of University of Cincinnati graduate faculty. The degree will not be granted solely on the basis of the accumulation of the required number of credits. A program will recommend students for degrees only after they have developed the necessary intellectual maturity and have fulfilled all other requirements of the program and the university.