Each doctoral student must complete all requirements for the Ph.D. by an established deadline. Graduate Faculty legislation states that all requirements for the doctoral degree must be met within nine years of initial registration in a doctoral program.

Post Ninth Year Continuous Registration
Beginning in Fall 2008, doctoral students after nine years from first term of enrollment - and master’s students after five years from first term of enrollment - are required to maintain their affiliation with Northwestern by registering for TGS 513, Advanced Continuous Registration.  Students must maintain this registration until completion of all degree requirements. 

Students are required to register for fall, winter, and spring quarters; the summer quarter is excluded.  Any lapse in registration must be paid in full, including appropriate retroactive registration fees, or no degree will be awarded nor will a transcript be released. 

Students in this advanced continuous registration status are not eligible to receive federal loans or to qualify for the University health insurance subsidy, nor will they be eligible for fellowships, traineeships, teaching or research assistantships, and scholarships.  This status is considered less than half-time and therefore does not provide students with the ability to defer loans or extend visas. 

Tuition for TGS 513 is currently $1000 per quarter. 

In cases of extreme hardship, special dispensation might be granted.  Please contact your Student Services Representative for more information.