Doctoral Program Degree, Timeline & Forms
Updated: June 22, 2026
Year 1 Fall
- Register for 9 credits of coursework:
- POS 7707 Advanced Qualitative Methods of Political Research (3)
- POS 7745 Advanced Quantitative Methods of Political Research (3)
- Elective (3)
- Consult with the Graduate Program Director, who serves as your advisor, regarding the formation of your Dissertation Committee and completion of your preliminary plan of study. Your preliminary plan of study is due to the program assistant no later than November 30th.
- Prepare to take the Written Candidacy Methods Exams. Exams are normally scheduled to take place in January over the course of two days. Exams are taken in person in a designated lab space.
- Attend responsible conduct of research workshops held by the College of Graduate Studies. You must complete two online, synchronous ethics/RCR workshops on Personal & Professional Integrity and Ethics & Research Integrity. (see requirements) in order to enter into candidacy and dissertation hours. Experience finds it is better to do so earlier rather than later.
- Register for Year 1 Spring classes by October 30th.
Year 1 Spring
- Register for 10 credits of coursework by October 30th:
- INR 7139 Issues in Domestic Security (3)
- INR 7337 Issues in International Security (3)
- Elective (3)
- Whichever is offered:
POS 7930 Professional Development: Academic Careers in Security Studies (1) or
POS 7267 Professional Development: The Practice of Security Studies (1)
- Take the Written Candidacy Methods Exams. Exams are normally scheduled to take place in January over the course of two days. Exams are taken in person in a designated lab space.
- Students who took POS 6746 Quantitative Methods instead of POS 7745 Advanced Quantitative Methods during their first semester of the program will take only the qualitative part of the exam at this time. They will take the quantitative part of the exam at Year 2 spring, after taking POS 7745 Advanced Quantitative Methods in Year 2 fall.
- Obtain agreement from three faculty members of the School to serve on your Preliminary Advisory Committee (PAC), one as chair. All must be approved members of the Graduate Faculty (see http://www.graduatecatalog.ucf.edu/). The committee must be approved by the Graduate Director before the meeting is scheduled. This is completed by submitting the Preliminary Advisory Committee Formation form by March 15th
- Register for Year 1 Summer classes by March 30th.
- Conduct your Preliminary Advisory Committee Meeting by April 1st
- After the successful completion of the PAC meeting, submit the completed PAC Meeting Completion Form to the program assistant.
- Upon successful completion of the PAC exam, your committee chair serves as your principal adviser.
- Students will not be permitted to take the Core Literature Exam until they have conducted their meeting and finalized a preliminary dissertation advisory committee.
- Complete assessment survey and submit updated plan of study and CV/resume to your faculty advisor and Program Director by April 15th.
Year 1 Summer
- Register for 6 elective credits of coursework by March 30th:
- Electives (6)
- Use the Restricted Registration Agreement form to register for Directed Research or Independent Study if part of your approved program of study.
- Register for Year 2 Fall classes by June 30th.
- Students who are interested in independently teaching a course while at UCF are encouraged to complete the Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty Today program. This free course is offered every semester and open to all UCF Graduate and postdocs students. If successfully completed prior to your appointment as a Graduate Teaching Associate (instructor of record), this course can replace the required GTA Associate Training.
- Note: All committee and advising meetings that need to take place during summer semesters MUST be organized and scheduled by the student prior to the last day of classes of the preceding spring term. Note that some faculty are not under contract during summer semesters and are not obliged to participate in exams, meetings, proposals, defenses, directed independent studies, directed research, internships, doctoral research, or doctoral dissertation. This should be taken into consideration when planning for the summer semesters. It is the student’s responsibility to be proactive and have these conversations early to avoid disruptions to degree progress.
Year 2 Fall
- Register for 9 credits of coursework by June 30th:
- INR 7332 Scientific Study of Security (3)
- Electives (6).
- Note that any Core course with a grade of B- or less will have to be repeated in the second year of the program.
- Prepare to take the Core Literature Exam. Exams are normally scheduled to take place in January over the course of two days. Exams are taken in person in a designated lab space.
- Register for Year 2 Spring classes by October 30th.
Year 2 Spring
- Register for 10 credits of coursework by October 30th:
- Electives (9)
- Whichever is offered:
POS 7930 Professional Development: Academic Careers in Security Studies (1) or
POS 7267 Professional Development: The Practice of Security Studies (1)
- Take the Core Literature Exam. Exams are normally scheduled to take place in January over the course of two days. Exams are taken in person in a designated lab space.
- Complete assessment survey and submit updated plan of study and CV/resume to your faculty advisor and Program Director by April 15th.
- Prepare to enter Candidacy. If you have successfully completed all coursework, candidacy exams, and UCF Ethics training workshops, you can be formally admitted to candidacy starting in Year 2 Summer.
- By the deadline of March 15th, the student selects an external committee member and sends the updated CV of the individual to the Program Assistant. Once the external member is nominated and approved by the College of Graduate Studies, the student initiates the Doctoral Advisory Committee form. This must be completed and approved by the posted deadline for the semester (see UCF calendar).
- Enroll in summer coursework by March 30th. Students must enroll in either 6 hours of POS7919 Doctoral Research OR 3 hours of POS7980 Doctoral Dissertation (if successfully met candidacy deadlines for Summer Year 2) during their second summer.
- Those who have entered candidacy should schedule a summer Dissertation Proposal Defense before the last day of classes for Spring Year 2. If your committee is unavailable to participate in a defense during the summer semester, a Fall Year 3 proposal defense is acceptable.
- Note: All exams, meetings, proposals, and defenses that need to take place during summer semesters MUST be organized and scheduled by the student prior to the last day of classes of the preceding spring term. Note that some faculty are not under contract during summer semesters and are not obliged to participate in exams, meetings, proposals, defenses, directed independent studies, directed research, internships, doctoral research, or doctoral dissertation. This should be taken into consideration when planning for the summer semesters. It is the student’s responsibility to be proactive and have these conversations early to avoid disruptions to degree progress.
Year 2 Summer
- Students who have entered candidacy should enroll in 3 credit hours of POS7980 Doctoral Dissertation using a restricted registration form by March 30th. Enrolling in 6 credit hours may be suggested depending on students’ intended graduation term.
- Students who have not met candidacy requirements but are required to maintain full-time enrollment for funding, scholarship etc. will enroll in 6 credits of POS 7919 Doctoral Research using a restricted registration form by March 30th.
- In consultation with chairs and committee members, students who have reached candidacy should prepare a dissertation proposal.
- An approved proposal defense announcement must be submitted to program assistant at least 3 before the defense date. A Dissertation Proposal Approval form must then be submitted to the program assistant after completion of the defense.
- Those who did not enter Candidacy by Year 2 Summer should enter candidacy by Year 3 Fall.
- By the deadline of June 15 the student selects an external member and sends the updated CV of the individual to the Program Assistant. Once the external member is nominated and approved by the College of Graduate Studies, the student initiates the Doctoral Advisory Committee form. This must be completed and approved by the posted deadline for the semester (see UCF calendar).
- WARNING: Failure to make candidacy by Year 3 Fall means you are not making satisfactory academic progress and you will have to register for dissertation credit hours beyond the spring of Year 3. This could have financial implications depending on your funding status. While the School typically offers students financial support for at least three years, continuing support during that period is conditional on satisfactory performance and progress, as determined by the graduate program.
- Enroll in Year 3 Fall coursework by June 30th.
Year 3 Fall
- Candidates register for up to 9 hours of POS7980 Doctoral Dissertation by June 30th using a restricted registration form. To be considered full-time for fellowship, employment and tuition waiver purposes, candidates must be enrolled into at least 3 hours of POS 7980. Enrolling in as many as 9 credit hours may be suggested depending on students’ intended graduation term.
- Students who are not yet candidates but have otherwise completed their coursework and wish to be considered full-time for fellowship, employment, and tuition waiver purposes must register for 9 hours of POS 7919 Doctoral Research by June 30th using a restricted registration form.
- Students must defend their dissertation proposals no later than the first semester they enroll in dissertation hours (or fall semester if they reached candidacy in summer). Those completing a Fall Proposal Defense should consult with their committee and set a proposal defense date by the end of the first week of the semester. An approved proposal defense announcement must be submitted to program assistant at least 3 before the defense date. A Dissertation Proposal Approval form must then be submitted to the program assistant after completion of the defense.
Year 3 Spring & Summer
- Candidates can register for up to 9 hours of POS 7980 Doctoral Dissertation. To be considered full-time for fellowship, employment and tuition waiver purposes, candidates must be enrolled into at least 3 hours of POS 7980. Students must complete a total of 18 credit hours of POS 7980 in order to meet degree requirements.
- Registration is completed using a restricted registration form and must be initiated by the communicated deadlines for the relevant semesters.
- Defend your dissertation. See the Thesis & Dissertation website for relevant deadlines and procedures.
- Complete assessment survey and submit updated plan of study and CV/resume to your faculty advisor and Program Director by April 15th.
Year 4+
- If all 62 required credits are complete, students must register for at least 1 credit hour of POS 7980 Doctoral Dissertation every semester, fall, spring, and summer, until they successfully defend their dissertation. The number of credit hours is determined by your dissertation advisor, who may request more than one hour depending on the amount of thesis supervision planned for the semester.
- Registration is completed using a restricted registration form and must be initiated by the communicated deadlines for the relevant semesters.
- Defend your dissertation. See the Thesis & Dissertation website for relevant deadlines and procedures.
- Complete assessment survey and submit updated plan of study and CV/resume to your faculty advisor and Program Director by April 15th.
Timeline for Students Who Entered the Program 2018 – 2024