OFFICE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Graduate Academic
Policies and Procedures:
Doctor of Philosophy

SECTIONS

Credits for Degree

Obtaining a Master’s Degree while Pursuing the PhD
Qualifying Examination
Dissertation and Pre-Doctoral Research Credits
Dissertation Advisor, Dissertation Committee and Research Proposal
Doctoral Dissertation Format and Submission
Progress towards Degree
Residency
Doctoral Candidacy
Intellectual Property and Copyright Ownership

Credits for Degree

The number of credits required for completion of doctor of philosophy

degrees varies with the program and the level of entry into the program.
Students holding a prior master's degree generally require a minimum of 60
graduate credits beyond the master's degree (which is assumed to have
included at least 30 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree).

Students entering the doctoral program with a bachelor's degree and who do
not wish to complete a master's degree while pursuing the doctoral degree
will be required to complete a minimum of 84 graduate credits beyond the
bachelor's degree for programs offered by the Newark College of Engineering
and 78 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree for programs offered
by the College of Science and Liberal Arts.

Doctoral program credit requirements for joint programs, for which the
names of multiple universities appear on the diploma, are to follow the
requirements of the program as approved by the universities, generally a
minimum of 72 credits beyond the bachelor's degree. While not a joint
program, the chemistry doctoral degree follows the credit requirements of
the Environmental Science doctoral degree, which is a joint degree in the
same department. Students who enter an NJIT doctoral program with two or
more master's degrees already completed or a large number of appropriate
prior graduate credits may be considered for a reduction in the credits
required at NJIT. The evaluation of the requirements will be made by the
program advisor in consultation with the Dean of Graduate Studies. The
minimum credit requirement at NJIT for the doctoral degree at NJIT is 36
dissertation research credits, regardless of any other requirement waiver.

In addition to overall credit requirements, each program includes the

following minimal requirements:

• For both entry levels; baccalaureate or master's start-point, at least 12

credits of course work at the 700 level; no more than two independent
study courses may be used to satisfy this requirement. Master's
project or thesis cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.
• For those entering the program with master's degrees, 24 credits of
course work beyond the master's degree of which at least 12 credits
must be at the 700 level and none at the 500 level or lower. A reduced
number of course credits may be allowed for some (generally) joint
programs.
• 36 credits minimum of doctoral dissertation research for programs not
offered jointly with other universities.
• 30 credits minimum of doctoral dissertation research for the programs
offered by the College of Computing Sciences.
• Dissertation research credits in accordance with the program approval
documents for programs offered jointly with other universities
• Seminar attendance each semester or as required by the program.
Nominal credit values, if any, for registration in seminar do not count
toward fulfillment of overall credit requirements.

Obtaining a Master’s Degree while Pursuing the PhD

Students who wish to complete a master's degree while pursuing a doctorate

in the same field must be approved for this by the doctoral department, the
Dean of Graduate Studies, and the Director of Graduate Admissions, and
satisfy all requirements for the master's degree, including any thesis or
project requirement. In general, such permission is given only after passage
of the research proposal exam or if the student is near completion of the
doctorate. Students in doctoral programs initially, who terminate their
studies at the master's level, will lose further eligibility for support.
Qualifying Examination

Students must pass a qualifying examination within two years of being

admitted into doctoral programs. Exceptional students, having only the
bachelor's degree when admitted into the doctoral program, must take the
qualifying examination within one and one-half years of admission and must
pass it within two years. Students are only permitted to take the examination
twice. The passage of qualifying examinations is reported to the Office of
Graduate Studies. Each department determines its own policies with regard
to format, confidentiality, grading, and review of examinations by faculty and
students. Students are, at their request, permitted to view their examination
papers in the presence of a designated faculty member and to see correct
examination answers.

Dissertation and Pre-Doctoral Research Credits

Students may register for doctoral dissertation credits (course number 790)
only after passage of the qualifying examination. They may register for a
maximum of 6 credits of pre-doctoral research (course number 792) prior to
passage of the qualifying exam. These credits may count toward the required
number of dissertation credits for the degree. Dissertation and pre-doctoral
dissertation credits are graded as S or U except that P is assigned to the last
registration for doctoral dissertation upon completion of the degree.

Dissertation Advisor, Dissertation Committee and Research Proposal

Doctoral students are required to have a dissertation advisor selected, a

dissertation committee formed, and research proposal approved within one
year of passage of the qualifying examination.

Department chairpersons or doctoral program directors are responsible for

approving formation of dissertation committees. The committee consists of a
minimum of five members, one of whom is external to the program or to
NJIT. The majority of the committee members are tenured or tenure-track
faculty from the student's program or department having research
experience or developing research interests related to the dissertation
research. The dissertation committee chairperson typically is the doctoral
candidate's dissertation advisor, but other faculty may be selected, provided
they are from the student's program or department. The dissertation
committee chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the
program. Two committee members, including an external member, may
serve as co-advisors. The advisor or at least one of the co-advisors must be a
tenured or tenure-track faculty member from the program.
The other members of the dissertation committee, except for an external
member from outside the university, must have faculty rank at the level of
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Distinguished Professor,
or Research Professor. Former students of any committee member, who are
less than four years beyond doctoral completion, are specifically excluded
from membership. Post-doctoral Associates, Instructors, Special Lecturers,
Research and Teaching Assistants, or any other student category, are
specifically excluded from membership. The external members should either
have appropriate faculty rank elsewhere or have sufficient research expertise
to warrant inclusion on the dissertation committee.

Part-time doctoral students pursuing the doctorate with industry

collaboration should have at least one dissertation committee member from
the participating industrial partner whose research credentials would
otherwise be appropriate for a member of the university faculty. Committees
for joint doctoral programs with other universities shall either follow these
policies or the specific policies for the joint program consistent with the
program approval and related documents.

Each doctoral program has specific requirements for preparing, presenting

and accepting proposals. Research is expected to investigate or develop a
unique contribution to science and technology. Research may be
experimental, analytical, applied, or theoretical, provided it satisfies this
criteria and is approved by the dissertation committee. It should be of a
quality to warrant scholarly presentation or paper submission to reputable
journals in accordance with program practice.

Doctoral Dissertation Format and Submission

Doctoral dissertations submitted for graduate degrees must follow a

prescribed university format. The approved format is based on the
Estrin/Roche manual: Guidelines for Scientific and Professional Theses. The
manual is on reserve in the NJIT Library. The Office of Graduate Studies
provides seminars, guidance documents, and continuing assistance for
students. The office or its web site should be consulted for more information.

Office of Graduate Studies policies on number of copies, deadlines, fee

payments, information documents, and grade submission for acceptance of
the doctoral dissertation are to be followed. The Office of Graduate Studies
provides guidance and assistance to students working on the final details of
the doctoral dissertation. Students should contact the office for appointments
early in the final semester. The review of format should proceed well in
advance of final document approval and dissertation defense.
Progress towards Degree

Students may not register for doctoral dissertation credits until they arrange
for a department- or program-approved faculty advisor to supervise the
work. Continued registration for additional doctoral dissertation credits will be
allowed as long as the advisor grades the work to show that there is
satisfactory progress. Credits for which a U (unsatisfactory) grade is given
are not counted as degree credits toward completion of the doctoral
dissertation. Doctoral dissertation registration may be 3 credits during a
summer session.

Doctoral dissertation registration must be at least 6 credits during a semester

until the total dissertation credit requirement is reached, at which time 3
credit registrations are permitted unless exceptions are granted by the Dean
of Graduate Studies for earlier registrations in 3 credits. Students must
register for doctoral dissertation work within the deadlines established by the
registrar. Maximum credit registration each semester is 12 credits for the
doctoral dissertation. Additional credit registrations, beyond 12, for doctoral
dissertations, will require approval of the dean of graduate studies.

Once a student has begun a doctoral dissertation, the student must register
for these courses each semester until the doctoral dissertation is completed.
Unapproved interruptions in doctoral dissertation may be subject to billing for
omitted credits.

Students must be registered in doctoral dissertation in any semester or

summer session in which completion is expected. The advisor for doctoral
dissertation assigns a final grade when the Office of Graduate Studies
confirms it has received all documents in final and approved form and all
related bills have been paid.

Approval by the graduate program advisor and the Office of Graduate Studies
must be obtained if the student wishes to interrupt the doctoral dissertation
for a semester or more. Students may neither maintain registration, nor fail
to register without notifying and getting approval from the graduate program
advisor and the Office of Graduate Studies. The university complies with all
state and federal laws related to military service.

No more than six years of registration for doctoral dissertation is permitted.

Failure to complete a doctoral dissertation in this period will result in a final
grade of F, and dismissal from the program.
Students who require additional time to complete a doctoral dissertation
should appeal for an extension, in writing, to the graduate program advisor,
the academic department, and the Office of Graduate Studies.

Residency

Doctoral candidates must spend at least one academic year in full-time

residence. This requirement is sometimes waived with the approval of the
dissertation committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Such waivers are
granted when a candidate's dissertation research requires use of research
facilities at an approved off-campus site. A typical example for a residency
requirement waiver would apply in the case of part-time students in the
collaborative doctorate option.

Doctoral Candidacy

Doctoral candidates are doctoral students who have completed all other
requirements for the degree except for completion of the dissertation and the
defense. This includes, as a minimum, passage of the doctoral qualifying
examination, approval of the research proposal and completion of all course
work. Status as a doctoral candidate does not imply candidacy for the
degree. A degree candidate will be both near degree completion and have
made a formal degree application for a particular graduation date.

Intellectual Property and Copyright Ownership

NJIT believes its role as an educational institution is best served by disclosing

to the public all academic research and Doctoral Dissertations developed by
students during the course of their studies or employment at the university.

Doctoral Dissertations created by students shall be governed by the following

provisions as outlined in NJIT's copyright policy under "Ownership and
Disposition of Copyrightable Materials":

A. Copyright ownership of Doctoral Dissertations generated by research that

is performed in whole or in part by the student with financial support in the
form of wages, salaries, stipend, or grant from funds administered by the
University shall be determined in accordance with the terms of the support
agreement, or in the absence of such terms, shall become the property of
the University.

B. Copyright ownership of Doctoral Dissertations generated by research

performed in whole or in part utilizing equipment or facilities provided to the
University under conditions that impose copyright restriction shall be
determined in accordance with such restrictions.

C. Copyright in Doctoral Dissertations not within the provisions of Categories

A and B of this policy shall be the property of the author. However, the
student must, as a condition of a degree award, grant royalty-free
permission to the University to reproduce and publicly distribute copies of the
doctoral dissertation.

Requests for permission to publish Category A and B should be addressed to

the Office of Intellectual Property.

In accordance with university policy, NJIT retains all right, title and interest
to any and all intellectual property (i.e., inventions, discoveries, creative
works, trade secrets and know-how) developed by NJIT students during the
course of their studies or employment at the university or while using
university facilities.

To protect against premature disclosure of an invention and/or publication of

anything that may be of a proprietary nature, students must immediately
report their intent to do so to the Office of Technology Development.
Students must neither publish nor discuss proprietary information with
anyone other than the Office of Technology Development or members of the
University's Intellectual Property Committee. When a doctoral dissertation
covers material that is potentially proprietary, both the student and the
advisor must report the existence of such material to the Office of Graduate
Studies and the Office of Technology Development; so that the University
may expedite its review of such material and determine whether or not it is
proprietary and should be protected under the University's guidelines for
protecting its Intellectual Property. If necessary, the Office of Graduate
Studies and the Office of Technology Development will take steps to
sequester patentable material in archival documents such as Doctoral
Dissertations. If the University applies for a patent, the student will sign an
appropriate assignment agreement. All income derived from such intellectual
property will be shared between NJIT and the student in accordance with the
University's published policy.

(see http://www.njit.edu/research/officetech/inventors/inventors.php)

For further information, call the Office of Intellectual Property, (973) 596-
5825.