Deadlines
Financial aid restrictions make the following deadlines especially important. (1) The third year review paper (the cognitive area’s equivalent of a PhD qualifying exam) must be completed and approved by the beginning of the fourth year at the latest. (2) The dissertation proposal must be defended by the beginning of the fifth year. Missing these deadlines may result in loss of financial support or dismissal from the program. (3) No student will receive university or department financial aid beyond the fifth year of graduate study at Northwestern (fourth year for those entering with an MA. Students in their sixth year may, of course, be supported by research grants or external fellowships. We expect students to complete their graduate training within five years.
