Degree Requirements

The requirements set forth in the pages that follow are the minimum graduate school degree requirements that apply to all degree candidates. Students should consult the listings of individual departments and programs for additional, program-specific requirements.

Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Length of Study

Ph.D. students are permitted to register for up to six years and are expected to complete their degree requirements, including submission of their dissertation, within this timeframe. Financial aid awarded by the graduate school must be used within six years of initial registration. In rare circumstances, Ph.D. students may be approved for extended registration (see Extended Registration in the Registration Status, Leaves of Absence, Withdrawal, and Readmission section). Extension of registration does not extend financial aid awarded by the graduate school.

Tuition Requirement 

All Ph.D. candidates are charged four years (eight terms) of full tuition, or proportionately less if all degree requirements, including submission of the dissertation, are completed in fewer than four continuous years of full-time study from the date of matriculation in the Ph.D. program. 

Continuous Registration Fee

Ph.D. students who have completed the tuition requirement described above must continue to register each term through the sixth year, whether in residence, in absentia, or Dissertation Completion Status, or until they submit the dissertation, whichever occurs first. Students who have met the tuition requirement are charged a continuous registration fee (CRF) for each term in which they remain registered. Students who are granted permission to register beyond the sixth year are also charged the CRF. The graduate school will provide a fellowship to cover the cost of the CRF for Ph.D. students on seventh-year extended registration in any term in which they serve as teaching fellows in the TFP or receive an external fellowship that provides the equivalent of a stipend.

Transfer Credit/Course Waivers

The graduate school does not award transfer credit for graduate work completed before matriculation at Yale.

Non-Yale Courses A department may, with the approval of the graduate school, waive a portion of the Ph.D. course requirement (typically up to three courses) in recognition of previous non-Yale graduate-level work completed after receipt of the bachelor’s or bachelor’s-equivalent degree. Such a waiver does not affect the tuition requirement. Courses taken prior to matriculation at Yale will not appear on the student’s graduate school transcript. The Yale courses waived will be recorded in the degree audit system as waived.

Yale Courses With the approval of the department, a Ph.D. student who is currently enrolled may petition to count up to one year of relevant coursework completed in a Yale master’s or professional school program in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. course requirement. Students previously enrolled for nondegree study may petition to waive up to four courses (see Nondegree Study in the Programs of Study section). Petitions must be received by the designated associate dean in the graduate school before the end of the student’s first year of study in the Ph.D. program. The dean may reduce the four-year tuition requirement by either one or two terms, based on the number of courses accepted. The courses accepted will be listed on the student’s degree audit.

Waived courses are not counted in determining a student’s eligibility for either terminal or en route M.A. or M.S. degrees.

Language Requirement

Language requirements are set by individual departments and programs and are explained in the individual department listings. All departmental requirements are subject to initial approval by the Executive Committee of the Graduate School and are monitored by the Degree Committee. A department cannot make exceptions to its own requirements without authorization by the Degree Committee.

Graduate students taking undergraduate language courses are graded according to the Yale College grading scale. Where applicable, language courses may count toward graduate degree requirements in some programs (see program descriptions). Undergraduate language courses do not count toward the Honors requirement.

The required level of proficiency in languages, and the method for demonstrating it, are determined by the individual departments. Students are urged to be prepared to meet language requirements at the beginning of their first year of study.

Course, HP-Average, and Honors Requirements

Course Requirement The course requirements for the Ph.D. degree are set individually by each department or program. Each course offered in the graduate school counts for a single credit or, in rare cases, one-half credit or two credits. Only courses offered by the graduate school, officially numbered on the graduate level (i.e., 5000 or higher), and receiving a qualitative grade of Honors, High Pass, or Pass, can fulfill requirements for the Ph.D. degree, with the exception of certain undergraduate language courses or where specified in advance by the department or program (see Course Enrollment and Course Grades). 

Honors Requirement Although departments may set more stringent requirements, to meet the minimum graduate school grade quality requirement for the Ph.D., students must achieve the grade of Honors in at least two one-credit graduate courses taken in the graduate school by the end of the fourth term of enrollment. These courses must be taken during academic year and must be related to the student’s graduate degree.

HP-Average Requirement Ph.D. students must achieve a High Pass (HP) average in degree-relevant coursework. In order to maintain the minimum average of HP, each full credit of Pass on the student’s transcript must be balanced by one full credit of Honors. Each full credit of Fail must be balanced by two full credits of Honors. If a student retakes a course in which they have received a failing grade, only the newer grade will be considered in calculating this average. The initial grade of Fail, however, will remain on the student’s transcript. A grade awarded at the conclusion of a full-year course in which no grade is awarded at the end of the first term would be counted twice in calculating this average. Courses taken after conferral of the M.Phil. (if applicable) or admission to candidacy are not included in the calculation of the HP average requirement.

A student who has not met the HP-average and Honors requirements at the end of the second year of study will not be permitted to continue in the program. Additionally, students who fail to maintain an HP average in any term of enrollment may be placed on academic probation. A student who is not in good academic standing with regard to coursework or research, as defined by the minimum standards established by the graduate school and the expectations outlined by the student’s department or program, may be dismissed from the graduate school. Such dismissal will be recorded on the student’s transcript. (See Academic Standing, Probation, and Dismissal)

Qualifying Examination

Each Ph.D. student must pass a general examination, separate from course examinations, in a major subject and in such subordinate subjects as may be required by the department or program. Such examinations are described in the individual program listings. Students must assemble a qualifying examination committee in consultation with their program. Students unable to pass a qualifying exam that satisfies the academic requirements of their program will normally be withdrawn from the graduate school at the end of year three, except where noted in individual program descriptions. Students should consult with their director of graduate studies for further information about this requirement.

Dissertation Committee Constitution Requirement

As a condition for registering in the fourth year of study, Ph.D. students must have a dissertation committee, including an adviser who is a member of the graduate school faculty. At least two members of the committee must be members of the graduate school faculty, and all members must be approved by the director of graduate studies. Individual departments may have additional requirements for the committee constitution. Students admitted to combined degree programs should consult with both directors of graduate studies regarding the constitution of a committee satisfying to both programs. Students without an approved committee will be withdrawn from their program.

Prospectus

The dissertation topic, in the form of a prospectus, must be approved by the department or program. Certification of this approval, together with a copy of the prospectus, must be filed with the university registrar. By the time a prospectus is submitted, the program must approve a member of the graduate faculty to serve as the primary adviser for the dissertation. Students who plan to submit the dissertation before the end of the fourth year of study should be sure to reserve time to satisfy this requirement. Submission of an approved prospectus is a requirement for admission to candidacy (see below).

The prospectus should be viewed as a preliminary statement of what the student proposes to do in the dissertation and not as an unalterable commitment. However, substantive deviation from the dissertation project outlined in a prospectus (as determined by the director of graduate studies and designated associate dean) will require that the student draft a new prospectus to be approved by the dissertation committee at least six months prior to the submission of the dissertation.

In consultation with their faculty advisers and directors of graduate studies, students should give serious thought to the scale of proposed dissertation topics. There should be a reasonable expectation that the project can be completed during the stipulated duration of the degree program.

The appropriate form and typical content of a prospectus inevitably vary from field to field. In most cases, however, a prospectus should contain the following information:

  1. The name of the dissertation adviser.
  2. A statement of the topic of the dissertation and an explanation of its importance to the field. What in general might one expect to learn from the dissertation that is not now known, understood, or appreciated?
  3. A concise review of scholarly contributions on the topic to date, specifically: how will the proposed dissertation differ from or expand upon previous work? A basic bibliography should normally be appended to the prospectus.
  4. A statement of where most of the work will be carried out—for example, in a library or archive, in the laboratory of a particular faculty member, or as part of a program of fieldwork at specific sites in the United States or abroad.
  5. If the subject matter permits, a tentative proposal for the internal organization of the dissertation—for example, major sections, subsections, sequence of chapters.
  6. A provisional timetable for completion of the dissertation.

Dissertations are normally submitted in English. If there is a compelling academic reason to submit all or a portion of the dissertation in a language other than English, students must petition to do so at the time of the submission of their prospectus. The petition should be submitted in the form of a letter explaining the academic reasons for using another language in the composition of the dissertation and will be evaluated by the director of graduate studies and the designated associate dean. Petitions for writing and submitting a dissertation in a language other than English will not be accepted after students have advanced to candidacy.

Admission to Candidacy

Admission to candidacy indicates that the department and the graduate school consider the student prepared to do original and independent research. Students will be admitted to candidacy when they have completed all predissertation requirements, including the dissertation prospectus and excluding any required teaching. Training in teaching can occur both before and after a student is admitted to candidacy. Admission to candidacy will normally take place by the end of the third year of study. Any programmatic variations from this pattern that have been approved by the Executive Committee of the Graduate School are described in the individual program listings in this bulletin. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to continue registration if they have not been admitted to candidacy prior to the beginning of the fifth year of the program. 

A student who has not been admitted to candidacy at the expected time will not be permitted to register for the following term and will normally be withdrawn from their program. At the time of advancement to candidacy, eligible students who have not petitioned for or received en route degrees (M.A., M.S., or M.Phil.) for which they may be eligible will automatically be considered for such degrees. If a student advances to candidacy after the deadline to submit a petition for a degree in that term, the student will be considered for a degree in the following term. Students in combined Ph.D. programs must satisfy the candidacy requirements for both programs before they can be admitted to candidacy.

Training in Teaching

The Teaching Fellow Program (TFP) is the principal framework at Yale in which graduate students learn to become effective teachers. Learning to teach and to evaluate student work is fundamental to the education of graduate students. Teaching is required in many departments and is an expectation for all Ph.D. students. Students should consult the individual program listings in this bulletin to confirm whether their department has an academic teaching requirement. Teaching performed outside of a Yale Teaching Fellow appointment, including at other institutions, in Yale Summer Session, etc., will not satisfy any academic teaching requirement stipulated by the program and is subject to the limitation on part-time employment (see Part-time Employment under Other Means of Financing Graduate Education). In order to satisfy a program’s academic teaching requirement, teaching assignments must be approved by the director of graduate studies.

Graduate students teaching for the first time at Yale are required to attend a Teaching at Yale Day (T@YD) orientation. 

The TFP provides opportunities for graduate students, under faculty guidance, to develop teaching skills through active participation in the teaching of Yale undergraduates. Teaching fellows who encounter problems or difficulties related to their teaching appointments are encouraged to meet with the appropriate dean. Only students registered in residence may serve as a teaching fellow (TF) or as a part-time acting instructor (PTAI) in the TFP, and teaching must take place in person. For a more detailed description of these types of appointments, see Teaching Fellow Levels in the Financial Aid section under Financing Graduate School. Students must complete the entire term (or other relevant period) of teaching in order to receive academic credit for teaching and for a teaching appointment in the TFP to appear on the transcript. 

Faculty should clearly communicate to students and teaching fellows their expectations about the evaluation of work, feedback to students, and grading policies. Faculty are expected to prepare course syllabi, assignments, and examinations. Instructors should not ask teaching fellows to give lectures when they are unable to attend class, although they are encouraged to offer occasional opportunities for student lectures when they can attend and advise. Teaching fellows may assist with administrative activities such as reserving and printing course materials, obtaining audiovisual equipment, maintaining course websites, and performing other tasks that support instruction in their assigned course.

To avoid conflicts of interest, teaching fellows should not normally be assigned to evaluate the work of graduate student peers. However, in courses requiring extensive quantitative work, teaching fellows may score quantitative homework and exams submitted by graduate students using nondiscretionary scoring keys approved by the faculty instructor. In these instances, the faculty member should review the teaching fellow’s scoring and must assign the final grade. In courses that are cross-listed with both graduate and undergraduate numbers, the same guidelines hold for the grading of assignments. All other grading of graduate students should be done by the faculty member.

The graduate school requires that all students who teach be in good academic standing. In addition, they must be fluent in English. Graduate students whose native language is not English are required to meet the oral English proficiency standard before they may begin teaching. This includes teaching in language courses. The standard may be met by (1) passing the Center for Language Study oral exam, (2) passing the speaking section of the iBT TOEFL, (3) passing the speaking portion of the IELTS exam, or (4) having received an undergraduate baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution where the principal language of instruction is English and the student was in residence for at least three years. Students who have received a degree from an English-speaking institution, but who have also submitted a test score that is below the necessary standard, will be considered not to have met the oral English proficiency standard and will be required to pass a Center for Language Study oral exam. In some instances, the academic dean or director of graduate studies may require that students with an undergraduate degree from English-speaking institutions also pass an oral English exam to satisfy the language requirement. Ph.D. students who have not met the oral English proficiency standard must enroll in at least one course offered by the Center for Language Study’s English Language Program each term until the proficiency requirement is met.

Dissertation

The dissertation should demonstrate the student’s mastery of relevant resources and methods and should make an original contribution to knowledge in the field. Normally, it is expected that a dissertation will have a single topic, however broadly defined, and that all parts of the dissertation will be interrelated but can constitute essentially discrete units. Beyond this principle, the faculty will apply the prevailing intellectual standards and scholarly practices within their fields in advising students with regard to the suitable scope, length, and structure of the dissertation, including what constitutes an original contribution to that field.

In accord with the traditional scholarly ideal that the candidate for a doctorate must contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their field, all dissertations that have been accepted by the graduate school are published electronically both through ProQuest and through EliScholar, Yale University Library’s online platform for scholarly publishing (https://elischolar.library.yale.edu). As such, classified or restricted research is not acceptable as part of the dissertation. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the Degree Committee.

Dissertations must be written and submitted in English except in some disciplines in which there are strong academic reasons for the submission of a dissertation in a language other than English (see Prospectus, above, for the necessary approval process to submit a dissertation written in a language other than English). A dissertation may not be translated into English by someone other than the student.

If the student has received the required approvals to submit the dissertation in a language other than English, they must submit the title page and abstract in English, but they may also submit a second title page and a second abstract page in the other language. The copyright page must be in English. Dissertations must be submitted to the graduate school by the respective deadlines in the academic calendar to be considered for September, December, or May degrees. No exceptions are made to these deadlines, which have been established to allow sufficient time for departments to receive evaluations from readers and recommend students to the Degree Committee. Once the adviser and committee have approved a dissertation for submission and the director of graduate studies has been notified, the student submits the dissertation along with the degree petition and other forms based on the requirements set forth on the Dissertation Progress Reporting and Submission (DPRS) site (https://dissertation.yale.edu/dprs). The director of graduate studies must approve a complete list of dissertation readers for each dissertation on the Notification of Readers (NOR) link on the DPRS site.

Once submitted in the DPRS system, the dissertation is considered final, with the possible exception of minor revisions only (see below). Dissertations may be withdrawn from submission in DPRS only on the grounds of a substantive academic issue or concern related to the content of the dissertation. 

The graduate school requires that each dissertation be read by at least three people but not more than five, at least two of whom hold faculty appointments in the graduate school. All readers must hold the Ph.D. degree as well as a faculty position or be considered otherwise qualified to evaluate the dissertation. The process for assigning readers is determined by the department, which is responsible for confirming the qualifications, contact information, and availability of all readers before notifying the graduate school of these appointments. All appointments of readers are subject to review by the designated associate dean. The department is responsible for reassigning readers as necessary. This process will not extend the deadline for readers’ reports to be returned to the graduate school. Once all readers’ reports have been submitted, students may view them in the DPRS system. Readers’ reports become part of the student’s permanent academic record.

Award of the Ph.D. will be considered by the Degree Committee only if all readers’ evaluations have been received by the graduate school and are positive, all other degree requirements have been met, and the department has recommended the awarding of the degree. Should a reader indicate that a dissertation contains significant errors in typing, grammar, spelling, reference citations, or other textual matters, the student will be required to revise the dissertation by a date provided by the registrar. A new PDF of the dissertation must then be uploaded to the DPRS system. The graduate school must receive approval from the director of graduate studies indicating that the student has addressed the readers’ concerns before the dissertation can be recommended for a degree. In the event that a dissertation is evaluated by any reader as “Not Acceptable,” the dissertation will be administratively withdrawn from submission. Departmental practice determines whether reevaluation is normally permitted. If reevaluation is permitted, the student must resubmit the dissertation in a subsequent degree cycle and any changes to the readers are subject to the approval of the director of graduate studies and the designated associate dean.

The graduate school does not require departments to evaluate the dissertations of degree candidates who are no longer registered. The decision to review such dissertations rests entirely with the respective department or program.

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy

The Master of Philosophy degree is awarded en route to the Ph.D. in some departments and programs. The minimum general requirements for this degree are that a student shall have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except required teaching, the prospectus, and dissertation. Students will not generally have satisfied the requirements for the Master of Philosophy until after two years of study, except where graduate work at Yale prior to admission in the current program has reduced the student’s graduate course work at Yale. In no case will the degree be awarded for less than one year of residence in the Yale graduate school.

Not all programs offer the M.Phil. degree. Information regarding special requirements for the degree, if any, are stated in the individual program listings.

Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts or Master of Science

Although departments may set more stringent requirements, the minimum general requirements must comply with the credit hour standards set by the US Department of Education and include (1) the completion of a minimum of seven graduate course credits leading to the Ph.D., or the equivalent of such courses, with grades that satisfy graduate school and departmental requirements; (2) completion of one academic year in full-time residence or the equivalent at Yale; (3) recommendation by the department for award of the degree, subject to final review and approval by the Degree Committee. In no case may courses taken prior to matriculation in the graduate school, or in Yale College or other summer programs, be applied toward the requirements for the M.A. or M.S. degree.

En Route Master’s Degrees

Except in the case of programs listed below under Terminal M.A./M.S. Degrees, students are not admitted as candidates for the Master of Arts or Master of Science degree. However, Ph.D. students may be awarded the M.A., M.S., or M.Phil. en route to the Ph.D. degree if offered by their program.

Some departments do not offer the M.A. or M.S. en route to the Ph.D., or award it only to students who are withdrawing from the Ph.D. program. For information about this or any other special requirements in addition to the general requirements stated above, see the individual program listings.

Students enrolled in a Ph.D. program may receive a master’s degree from another program provided that it is in a related field of study and the courses taken are deemed necessary for the completion of the proposed dissertation research. However, Ph.D. students may only earn one en route M.A. or M.S. degree during their doctoral studies. Approval of an alternative en route Master’s degree thus prevents the student from earning an en route M.A. or M.S. degree in their original program of study. 

In order to receive approval for an alternative en route master’s degree, the student must submit a proposal demonstrating that the alternative en route degree is academically necessary for the completion of the dissertation and they must append to the proposal a full list of courses that will satisfy the requirements of the alternative en route degree. Courses taken toward a master’s degree in another program must be part of the student’s course requirement for the Ph.D. The student’s proposal must be approved in writing by the directors of graduate studies in both programs and the designated associate dean prior to enrollment in courses that will fulfill master’s degree requirements in the other program. A student may not advance to candidacy until all requirements have been completed for the alternative en route degree. Students who wish to obtain a master’s degree in a field that is not directly related to the doctoral degree must apply for a personal leave of absence from the Ph.D. program and submit an application for admission to the master’s program. In that case, any financial aid offered to the student for a Ph.D. program may not be transferred to a master’s degree course of study. Under no circumstances may a course be applied to meet the requirements of two different master’s degrees offered by the graduate school.

Students enrolled in combined programs normally receive a single combined en route degree if both programs offer the same en route degree. If only one of the combined programs offers an en route degree, the student will be eligible to earn an en route degree in that program only. If both programs offer different en route degrees (i.e., one program offers an en route M.A. and the other an M.S.), the student may receive only one en route degree and will choose which one in consultation with both departments and the appropriate academic dean. The same policy applies to all ad hoc combined degree programs.

Terminal M.A./M.S. Degrees

The M.A. and M.S. degrees are offered as terminal degrees in the following departments and programs: African Studies, American Studies, Applied Physics, Archaeological Studies, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Computational Biology and Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, East Asian Studies, Electrical and Computer Engineering, English, European and Russian Studies, History, History of Science and Medicine, International and Development Economics (IDE), Mechanical Engineering, Medieval Studies, Music, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Personalized Medicine and Applied Engineering, Public Health, Statistics, and Statistics and Data Science.

The residence and tuition requirements for a terminal M.A./M.S. degree are a minimum of one year of full tuition and course work in residence in one-year programs, or a minimum of two years of full tuition and course work in residence in two-year programs. For information about departments that offer one-year or two-year programs, see the individual program listings. Students who extend their program solely to retake a class or finish a master’s thesis in order to be eligible to graduate and who have met the tuition requirement will be charged the continuous registration fee.

With the approval of the program and the appropriate academic dean, a student may be admitted for part-time study toward a master’s degree. In that case, tuition will be charged on a per-course basis. Students are only eligible to request part-time enrollment if they will not enroll in more than 2.5 course credits in any given term. Part-time study does not change the one- or two-year full-tuition obligation described above. Part-time students must complete all degree requirements within five years of matriculation. Part-time students may not be eligible for Yale Health coverage.

Individual programs establish the specific course and language requirements for these degrees. Although programs may set more stringent requirements, the minimum graduate school requirement for students admitted for M.A./M.S. degrees is an overall grade average of High Pass, including a grade of Honors in at least one one-credit graduate course (for students enrolled in one-year programs), or in at least two one-credit graduate courses (for students enrolled in two-year programs). In order to maintain the minimum average of High Pass, each grade of Pass on the student’s transcript must be balanced by one grade of Honors. Each grade of Fail must be balanced by two grades of Honors. If a student retakes a course in which the student has received a failing grade, only the newer grade will be considered in calculating this average. The initial grade of Fail, however, will remain on the student’s transcript. A grade awarded at the conclusion of a full-year course in which no grade is awarded at the end of the first term would be counted twice in calculating this average.

Each course offered in the graduate school counts for one credit, or in rare cases for one-half credit or two credits. Only courses offered by the graduate school and officially numbered on the graduate level (5000 or above) can fulfill requirements for the master’s degree, with the exception of certain language courses or when specified in advance by the department or program. A student who has not fulfilled the course requirements for the degree at the conclusion of the standard duration of the program can, at the discretion of the department and the designated associate dean, be granted one additional term to fulfill degree requirements. If the student has not taken the requisite number of courses but has fulfilled the tuition requirement, the student will be charged the Continuous Registration Fee. If the student chooses to take additional courses beyond the number required, the student will be charged tuition on a per-course basis.

Students in one of Yale’s professional schools who matriculate in the graduate school to complete a joint master’s degree may, however, with the permission of their director of graduate studies, count courses already completed in their professional school program toward the joint degree. See the individual program listings.

Simultaneous B.A/M.A. and B.S./M.S. Degrees

Students enrolled in Yale College may be eligible to earn the master’s degree jointly with the B.A./B.S. in certain departments. Students must be admitted to the simultaneous degree program by application, due no later than the last day of classes in their fifth term of enrollment in Yale College. Only those programs that include the simultaneous degree option in their individual program listing in this bulletin offer this degree. Specific requirements and application information are included in the individual program pages. Applicants should consult with both their director of undergraduate studies and the director of graduate studies of the program prior to submitting the application. Admission to the simultaneous degree program is at the discretion of the department and the Simultaneous Degree Committee.

Upon admission to the simultaneous degree program, students must successfully complete eight graduate course credits (offered at the 5000-level or above) and earn qualitative grades of Honors, High Pass, or Pass. Students must meet the graduate school’s grade quality requirement in order to be eligible for the master’s degree: (1) at least two grades of Honors are required and (2) all coursework completed toward the master’s degree must meet the High Pass average requirement as defined above. Individual programs may set more stringent requirements for admission to or successful completion of the master’s degree. 

Students who complete this program are not eligible to participate in the graduate school’s exercises during Commencement.

REQuirements for Certificates

The graduate school offers a number of certificate programs through which students enrolled in GSAS degree-granting programs may gain secondary competency in a related field. There are two types of certificates: academic program certificates and certificates in training.

Academic Program Certificates

Academic program certificates allow students enrolled in GSAS degree programs to develop an area of expertise that will complement and enhance their degree program. Certificate requirements vary by program but typically include required courses that demonstrate competency in an area of study, participation in a colloquium, and sometimes research and teaching expectations. Students interested in pursuing a certificate should contact the program director or DGS of the relevant program (see below) and must apply separately to enroll in a certificate program. Only courses offered for credit at the graduate level (5000 or above) can fulfill requirements for a graduate certificate. No credit will be awarded toward the certificate for courses taken prior to matriculation in the graduate school or taken during a summer session, except where noted in individual program descriptions. Current certificates offered are:

  • Archaia (Graduate Certificate in the Study of Ancient and Premodern Cultures and Societies)
  • Brains, Minds, and Machines
  • Environmental Humanities 
  • Ethnicity, Race, and Migration
  • Film and Media Studies
  • Leadership and Research Management for Physician-Scientists
  • MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies (Graduate Certificates of Concentration in Area Studies)
    • African Studies
    • European and Russian Studies
    • Latin American and Iberian Studies
    • Modern Middle East Studies
  • Material Histories of the Human Record
  • Medical Research Scholars Program
  • Physical and Engineering Biology (PEB)
  • Public Humanities
  • Quantum Materials Science and Engineering
  • Translation Studies
  • Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Certificates in Training

Certificates in training provide Ph.D students with professional skills that will dovetail with their research interests. The Center for Language Study and the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning offer the following certificates in training:

  • Public Communication Certificate
  • Certificate of College Teaching Preparation (CCTP)
  • Certificate in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

Requirements for Joint-Degree Programs

Students who are candidates for degrees in any of the joint programs sponsored by the graduate school and Yale’s professional schools must meet the requirements established by each school for the degree they are seeking. Degree requirements in the graduate school include both the graduate school’s general requirements and any special requirements set by the relevant department or program. In all cases the Honors requirement must be fulfilled in non-research courses offered by the graduate school, taken after matriculation in the graduate school.

In addition to the J.D./Ph.D., J.D./M.A., M.D./Ph.D., and Ph.D./M.B.A. programs described below, joint-degree programs with other professional schools have been approved for students in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, European and Russian Studies, and International and Development Economics. These programs are described in the individual department listings.

All joint-degree students are subject to the codes of conduct published in the bulletins of their respective programs. Joint-degree students will receive separate transcripts from each school. Each transcript will list the courses required for the respective school’s portion of the joint degree. Students’ transcripts will reflect the joint-degree status. A joint-degree student who decides not to complete both degrees may petition both schools to receive a single degree if the requirements for the single degree, including the tuition requirement, are met.

J.D./Ph.D. and J.D./M.A. Programs

Admission to the graduate school joint-degree programs with the Law School, described below, requires separate admission to both schools as well as approval by the designated associate dean in each school, and by the director of graduate studies in the student’s graduate school department. Students must apply for admission to a joint program no later than their first year of study in a J.D., Ph.D., or two-year M.A. program, and must matriculate in the joint program no later than the beginning of their second year. Students wishing to pursue a J.D./M.A. in a one-year M.A. program must matriculate in the M.A. program as a joint-degree candidate.

In the J.D./Ph.D. program, the first year of study is spent principally in the Law School. The second and third years are combined according to the interest of the student. As many as six term courses, designated by the student at the beginning of the term and approved by the DGS of both programs, may be counted toward both degrees. During this time all course work and language requirements for the Ph.D. program are normally completed. The J.D. should be completed by the end of the fourth year. During the fifth year the student is expected to complete all remaining predissertation requirements and be admitted to candidacy. The teaching requirement for the Ph.D. will normally be completed by this time. Any exception to this pattern of study must be approved by the designated associate dean.

The tuition requirement is two and one-half years in the Law School and three and one-half years in the graduate school. Financial aid is provided by each school according to its own criteria and is awarded by each school during the terms in which the student pays tuition in that school. Students are not eligible for financial aid from the graduate school during terms in which they are registered at another school.

In the J.D./M.A. program, the J.D. and M.A. degrees are awarded simultaneously at the end of the fourth year of study in one-year M.A. programs and at the end of four and one-half years of study in two-year M.A. programs. The graduate school residence and tuition requirement for J.D./M.A. students in one-year M.A. programs is one year; students in two-year M.A. programs have a one and one-half year tuition requirement in the graduate school. In all cases students pay three years of tuition in the Law School. Students in J.D./M.A. programs, like other students in M.A. programs, are not ordinarily eligible for University Fellowship aid through the graduate school. Students usually enroll in the Law School during the first year of study. The pattern of enrollment in subsequent years depends on whether the M.A. program is a one-year or a two-year program.

M.D.-Ph.D. Program

This program is sponsored jointly by the graduate school and the School of Medicine. Applications for admission to the joint program are reviewed by a committee composed of faculty members and deans from both schools. Normally, admission to the program includes simultaneous admission to both schools. However, students may apply to the joint program normally by October 15 of their second year of study in either the M.D. or Ph.D. program, and they must matriculate in the joint program no later than the beginning of the following year.

Students request affiliation with a particular department or program in the graduate school by the beginning of their third year of study in the joint program, after their course and research interests have been defined. Although students usually pursue their research in one of the biological sciences, those interested in earning the Ph.D. through work in another department may do so under certain circumstances, with the approval of the M.D.-Ph.D. committee and of the relevant department or program. At the time of the student’s affiliation with a non-biological/biomedical science department or program, permission for any adjustment to the teaching requirement must be obtained from the graduate school. Requests for adjustments to the program’s teaching requirement should be submitted by the director of graduate studies and by the director of the M.D.-Ph.D. program, as part of a student’s proposed plan of study, to the associate dean for academic support.

The tuition requirement is three and one-half years in the School of Medicine and two and one-half years in the graduate school. To qualify for the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees, students must satisfy all degree requirements of both schools. Normally, a student admitted to this joint program must satisfy the graduate school Honors requirement and all predissertation requirements within four terms of affiliation with the Ph.D. department. This schedule may be adjusted for students who have been enrolled in either the School of Medicine or the graduate school before admission to the M.D.-Ph.D. program.

Ph.D./M.B.A. Program

The joint-degree program combines the two-year M.B.A. degree from the School of Management (SOM) with the six-year Ph.D. It allows students to complete requirements for both degrees in roughly seven years rather than the eight or more years that would be required if the degrees were pursued separately. Both degrees will be awarded simultaneously once the student has fulfilled the degree requirements of both programs. Joint-degree students receive the full financial aid package from the graduate school offered at admission only during the terms in which they are registered in the graduate school.  Students will pay one and one-half years of tuition for the three terms registered at SOM.

The SOM and the graduate school use independent admissions processes and make independent admissions decisions. Applicants must submit the results of the GMAT and, if required by the prospective Ph.D. program, the results of the GRE. Prospective students who are not currently enrolled in either the graduate school or SOM may apply to both schools simultaneously. Students already enrolled in the graduate school normally apply to SOM after taking one course at SOM and apply to matriculate at SOM any time after they have passed their Ph.D. qualifying examinations at the graduate school but prior to beginning the fifth year of study. This pattern, however, is flexible, and students interested in the joint degree should consult the websites of their departments or programs for further information. Students enrolled at SOM may apply to the graduate school during the first year of study at SOM. Following admission to both programs, each student must complete a form requesting joint-degree status. The form must be signed by the designated associate dean at the graduate school and at SOM and the student’s director of graduate studies.

A student in the graduate school who wishes to pursue the joint degree will normally be required to take one course at SOM before applying there. To enroll in the course, the student will need to obtain the permission of the SOM instructor and state the intention to apply to the joint-degree program. The graduate school will waive one course during the term in which the student takes this preliminary course at SOM. For students in some disciplines, this prerequisite to admission will be waived. The student is expected to complete the qualifying exams and prospectus according to the standard schedule set by the graduate school. The student will normally begin study at SOM after completing the departmental Ph.D. qualifying examinations at the graduate school, but there are exceptions to this pattern described on the departmental websites. Upon admission to SOM, the joint-degree student will register at SOM for the first-year core of courses. Students may not fulfill any graduate school requirements during this time, nor may they serve as teaching fellows in the graduate school in any capacity. The student must register for a third term at SOM and complete four additional courses, normally prior to the beginning of the sixth year of study at the graduate school. Depending on the schedule of individual students, they may or may not complete all four of these remaining courses within a single term at SOM. If they do not, they may complete outstanding courses while registered at the graduate school, but in all circumstances, students are required to pay a third term of tuition to SOM.

A student who has been admitted to the graduate school while completing the first-year core at SOM may begin course work in the graduate school the following year. Once a joint-degree student has matriculated at the graduate school, it is expected that the student remain registered continuously until completing the qualifying exams. During this time, the student may undertake limited course work at SOM, but may not register there for the third and final term until the student has passed qualifying exams at the graduate school. Prospective students who apply simultaneously may start the joint degree at either school and follow the schedules outlined above.

Responsible and Ethical Conduct in Research

Responsible and Ethical Conduct in Research (RECR/RCR) training is intended to establish a basis of understanding among graduate students concerning their rights and obligations as scholars and researchers, as noted below.

Master’s and Ph.D. Students

At the start of their first year of study, all master’s and Ph.D. students are required to attend sessions on professional ethics, including academic integrity, prevention of sexual misconduct, and discrimination and harassment reporting. Students must also complete an approved online RECR training module in professional ethics before they can register for the second term of their first year.

Additional requirements: (1) Students in the natural sciences must complete a department-based RECR course by the end of their first year of study and may additionally be required to complete a refresher RECR course by the end of their fourth year of study (see individual program listings). Master’s students in the natural sciences will not be charged tuition for this course; (2) Students in the humanities and social sciences who receive funding from a U.S. government grant or fellowship are required to complete an online RECR course offered by CITI within one month of the start of the funding.

Students in the Division of Special Registration (DSR)

All DSR students in the natural sciences, and DSR students in the humanities and social sciences who receive funding from a U.S. government grant or fellowship, are required to complete an online RECR course. This requirement must be fulfilled within one month of receiving a Yale NetID and even if RECR training was completed at another university.

Additional requirements: (1) All DSR students registered in the fall term must complete an approved online RECR training module before they can register for the spring term; (2) DSR students in the natural sciences who intend to study at Yale for one year or more are required to complete, at no charge, the department-based RECR course taken by degree-seeking students.

Petitioning for Degrees

Graduate school degrees are awarded three times each year: at Commencement in May, in September after the conclusion of the summer term, and at the end of the fall term in December. Degrees are not granted automatically. Students must file a petition for each degree by the appropriate date. (See Schedule of Academic Dates and Deadlines.) Petitions that have received favorable recommendations from the student’s department are reviewed by the Degree Committee. When the Degree Committee has given its approval, the petition is forwarded to the faculty of the graduate school and then to the Yale Corporation for approval.

Students enrolled in Ph.D. programs should not petition for en route degrees (e.g., M.A./M.S. and M.Phil.) until after the term in which requirements for the degree are completed (e.g., students completing degree requirements during the spring term should petition for award of the degree the following fall). Students who have not petitioned for or received en route degrees (e.g., M.A., M.S., M.Phil.) will automatically be considered for such degrees in the term following advancement to candidacy. Students in terminal M.A./M.S. programs may petition for their degrees in the term in which they expect to complete their degree requirements.