Program of Study Core Courses Admission Transfer Credit Residency Academic Integrity Preliminary Candidate Evaluation Annual Student Evaluation Comprehensive Examinations Admission to Candidacy Dissertation Requirements Final Examinations Continuous Enrollment Changing Mentors or Committee Members Concurrent Degree Programs

Doctoral student policies and requirements are established by several university groups. University wide basic policies and minimum requirements are set by the Graduate College. Additional program requirements are established by the PhD Executive Committee. Individual Program of Study Committees and mentors may also vary in their particular requirements. Although minimum expectations are similar, students cannot anticipate that all requirements will be identical for every doctoral student. Graduate College policies and requirements are provided in the Arizona State University Graduate Catalog and revised each year. Doctoral students are responsible for being aware of the policies in the catalog on which they were admitted to the institution and for the management of their own doctorate program.

Plan of Study
The PhD in Environmental Design and Planning is structured as a 54-semester-hour post-master's program. Students must be thoroughly familiar with design and/or planning and are expected to demonstrate a high level of academic maturity before being admitted to the program.

Each student entering the PhD program is required to submit a program of study at the end of the first year (second semester). This committee includes a prospective mentor and is responsible for approving the student's program of study and monitoring the student's progress in the program. The program of study consists of a minimum of 54 semester hours of graduate work beyond the master's degree.

For further information contact: Dr. Sharon Yee, PhD Graduate Coordinator

Core Courses
EPD 700 Interdisciplinary Research Methods(required)
Introduction to the philosophy and methodology of interdisciplinary research in environmental design and planning. (Spring)

EPD 710 Current Research in Design (required)
Review and critical evaluation of contemporary literature and method in architecture, building science, interior design, industrial design, and landscape architecture. (Fall)

Admission
Admission is a two-tier process.  Students must be admitted into both the Ph.D. program as well as the Graduate College.  The Ph.D. program admits new students only once per year in the fall semester. Students must meet "regular" admission requirements. The program does not offer other kinds of admission (e.g. "regular with deficiencies," "regular with academic support," or "provisional") nor does it allow for deferrals. 

Transfer Credit
Students may transfer a blanket of 30 credit hours in from their previously awarded masters degree.  Transfer credit taken prior to admission in a graduate degree program and not counted towards an awarded degree is non-degree credit; up to 12 credit hours may be applied towards the doctoral degree. Additional information regarding transfer credit can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Academic Integrity
As students in the PhD program in Environmental Design and Planning, it is expected that you set an outstanding example of academic integrity for the undergraduate and graduate students in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. As you will be enrolled in graduate-level courses, you can set this level of academic integrity by being in class early, assuming a leadership role in the classroom, being actively engaged in classroom discussion, exercising scholarly discipline, turn in all assignments on or before deadlines, and setting and achieving high personal goals. Graduate College guidelines about academic integrity can be found in the Graduate Catalog under Graduate Policies and Procedures section.

Preliminary Candidate Evaluation (1st year students only)
Before the end of the first academic semester of course work, the student's mentor and the Director conduct a preliminary evaluation of the student. The evaluation is based on the student's program check sheet, a progress evaluation by the mentor, and an informal meeting with the Director. It is directed at one of the following three areas of concentration:

1. Design
   
2. History, Theory, and Criticism
   
3. Healthcare and Healing Environments

Performance on the preliminary candidate evaluation serves as a guide to the student's program committee as the committee members counsel the student and formulate a Plan of Study.

Annual Student Evaluation (all students)
Current students in the program receive an evaluation annually, usually in April, which is approved by the mentor and the Director. Students submit to their mentor an updated summation of the academic year on the status check sheet form. The summation must include proposed research, including progress toward dissertation, a list of goals accomplished during the past academic year, and projected goals for the upcoming academic year. Students may append other pertinent information of importance, including on and off campus seminars attended, presentations made, publications (submitted and printed), and grants received. After reviewing these materials, the mentor completes an evaluation that is sent to the Director.

Students must meet the minimum requirements set by the Graduate College, but program standards may exceed these requirements. For example, students are expected to:

• have all grades in graduate courses 3.0 GPA or greater
• have made sufficient progress in their research projects
• have attended or presented papers at seminars/meetings
• have accomplished their goals from the previous year
• set realistic goals for the upcoming academic year

Students who receive poor evaluations from their mentor or who are below standards set by the Graduate College or PhD program are given "probationary" status. Those with "probationary" status or those with "specific requirements" (i.e., less severe than "probationary" ) status are required to work with their mentors to produce a timetable, with specific strategies to overcome the deficiencies noted in the evaluation from the Director and/or mentor. The timetable must be submitted for the approval of the Director within four weeks from the receipt of the evaluation. Failure to produce a timetable by the required time or failure to overcome the deficiencies noted in the evaluation by a time set by the Director will result in a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate College that the student be dismissed from the program for not meeting satisfactory academic progress.

Comprehensive Examinations
Upon completion of course work in the PhD program of study, and before admission to candidacy and the start of dissertation research, the student must take a written examination on his or her knowledge of the chosen area of concentration and interdisciplinary knowledge, including the ability to communicate across disciplines. An oral examination follows the written examination. The comprehensive exams must be taken no later than the end of the fifth semester in the program. Failure in the comprehensive examination is considered final unless the supervisory committee and the director of the academic unit recommend, and the Dean of the Graduate College approves, a reexamination. A reexamination may be administered no sooner than three months and no later than one year from the date of the original examination. Only one reexamination is permitted.

Admission to Candidacy
Prior to admission to candidacy, the student must have an approved Plan of Study on file, pass the comprehensive examination and successfully defend the dissertation prospectus that outlines the proposed dissertation research. After the student has passed the comprehensive exam and defended the proposal, the student's committee will forward the candidacy recommendation to the Director via the Graduate Coordinator for approval. Once the Director approves the recommendation for candidacy, they will forward their approval to the Graduate College. The Graduation Office will notify the student in writing of their admission to candidacy and provide details about any remaining requirements and their graduation date.

Dissertation Requirements
Following the semester in which they are admitted to candidacy, students must enroll for a minimum of six hours of 792 Research and 12 hours of 799 dissertation credit (18 combined). This allows for enrollment in a maximum of six hours of 792 Research prior to being admitted to candidacy.

After completion of dissertation research, each candidate will submit the final copy of the dissertation for review by the committee. Upon approval by the committee, and at least fifteen working days prior to the defense, the student submits forms to schedule the defense with the Institute.  At least ten working days prior to the defense, the final draft approved by the chair is submitted to the Graduate College for format review and scheduling of the defense. The dissertation must consist of a fully documented written analysis of a problem that is original in nature and extends the knowledge and/or theoretical framework of the field. The research must demonstrate the student's creativity and competence in independent research.

The dissertation must adhere to a specific format as specified by the Graduate College.  A copy of the Format Manual is available in the Graduate College. Because it outlines all relevant procedures, a careful review of this document well in advance of the preparation of the final copy of the dissertation is strongly recommended. Additional information can be found on the Graduate College website.

Final Examinations
A final oral public examination in defense of the dissertation is required. A candidate must pass the final examination within five years after completing the comprehensive examination.

Continuous Enrollment
It is required that a student in the PhD program will remain enrolled continuously until all requirements for graduation are fulfilled. If a student does not enroll during a given semester, they must request a leave of absence from the program for no more than two consecutive semesters. A leave must be requested prior to the beginning of the request off semester and must be approved by the Graduate College. A student who interrupts a program without obtaining leave status will be removed from the program and must reapply for admission in the next admission period.  Admission is not guaranteed.

Changing Mentors or Committee Members
If a student wishes to change mentors, co-mentors, or members of their supervisory or dissertation committees, s/he should first contact the Director of the PhD Program and do so before approaching faculty members about changes. The mentor and Director must approve changes in the supervisory or dissertation committees.  If a Plan of Study is already filed with the Graduate College, it is the student's responsibility to make changes in order to incorporate the revisions to the committee.

Concurrent Degree Programs
Students wishing to seek a concurrent degree, while pursuing their PhD in Environmental Design and Planning, must request authorization from their dissertation committee, the chair of the other degree program, and the Director of the PhD program. The request must be submitted prior to being accepted into the concurrent degree. The final approval decision is made by the Graduate College.