Explanation of New Minimum of 60 Credits for Doctoral Programs
Dear Graduate Coordinators and Program Directors:
Faculty Senate approved two Graduate School proposals that together affect how doctoral credit requirements are established and communicated to students.
First, on October 5, 2023, Faculty Senate approved a policy allowing graduate programs to set and revise their own curricula through their graduate student handbooks, provided they meet or exceed the minimum requirements in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures. In other words, the handbook is where programs define their curriculum, as long as it remains consistent with university minimums.
Second, on February 26, 2026, Faculty Senate approved amendments to the Graduate School Policies and Procedures sections 8.3.1.2 and 8.3.1.3. Those amendments reduce the university minimum total credits for the Ph.D. and Ed.D. from 72 to 60. The new minimums for these degrees are 15 credits of graded (A-F) 500-level coursework, 20 credits of 800-level research credits, and an overall total of 60 credits. These are university minimums; graduate programs may continue to require more than these minimums. These new minimum requirements are effective beginning in fall 2026.
Programs need to ensure their handbook clearly articulates the requirements for their degrees. A program may continue to require 72 credits or more, reduce their minimums to the new university minimums described above, or somewhere in between. Graduate programs do not need to take special action to continue with their current requirements. If a program chooses to reduce its required credits while maintaining the required minimums, that change should be reflected in the program’s handbook and applied consistently across the program.
The updated requirements listed in the program’s handbook for 2026-27 will automatically apply to all students admitted for fall 2026 and later. Additionally, beginning in fall 2026, continuing students may be moved to these lower credit minimums. Students who already have an approved Program of Study will need a Program Change form, and the Graduate School will also require a blanket memo from the graduate program to document this change for continuing students. Doctoral students graduating in spring or summer 2026 will remain under the current 72-credit minimum.
The key point is that the university minimum for doctoral programs is now 60 credits, but it is not a universal program requirement. Each program remains responsible for determining its own curriculum, whether it is at or above the minimums, and for clearly stating its requirements in the program handbook.