Policies and Procedures
Download the Wharton School Doctoral Programs: Policies and Procedures (PDF) for a more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.
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Degree Requirements
Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 4 to 5 years of full-time study. During your first 2 to 3 years in the program, you prepare for admission to candidacy for your doctoral research, which culminates in writing and defending your doctoral dissertation. Your dissertation takes another 2 years.
Admission to Candidacy
You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. A preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written, is required by all programs of study for admission to candidacy. Programs may have additional requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.
The Doctoral Dissertation
Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.
You begin by conducting dissertation research under the guidance of your dissertation adviser and other interested faculty. Then you prepare a proposal indicating the nature of your planned dissertation research. When you have developed a written dissertation proposal that your advisor judges ready for defense, you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.
Following approval of your dissertation proposal, you write your dissertation. When it is judged complete by your advisor, you defend your dissertation orally before your dissertation committee. Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field.
While writing your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty, and they help you formulate and pursue your dissertation topic as early as possible in your program. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation adviser and dissertation committee.
