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The PhD Journey - Stages of a Doctoral Degree

The PhD Journey

Written by Mark Bennett

A PhD typically involves between three and four years of full-time study, culminating in a thesis which makes an original contribution to your field.

The process of getting a PhD is made up of quite a few components and milestones, from the literature review and writing up your dissertation right through to the viva examination at the end.

This section is a guide on how to do a PhD, providing in-depth advice and information on some of the main challenges and opportunities you’ll meet along the way!.

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7 stages of the PhD journey

A PhD has a few landmark milestones along the way. The three to four year you'll spend doing a PhD can be divided into these seven stages.

Preparing a research proposal
Carrying out a literature review
Conducting research and collecting results
Completing the MPhil to PhD upgrade
Participating in PhD teaching, conferences and publications
Writing your thesis
Defending your PhD results at a viva voce

We've expanded on what you can expect from each stage below.

1. Preparing a research proposal

Strictly speaking, your research proposal isn’t part of your PhD. Instead it’s normally part of the PhD application process.

The research proposal sets out the aims and objectives for your PhD: the original topic you plan to study and / or the questions you’ll set out to answer.

It also explains why your work is worthwhile and why it fits with the expertise and objectives of your university.

Finally, a PhD proposal explains how you plan to go about completing your doctorate. This involves identifying the existing scholarship your work will be in dialogue with and the methods you plan to use in your research.

All of this means that, even though the proposal precedes the PhD itself, it plays a vital role in shaping your project and signposting the work you’ll be doing over the next three or more years.

2. Carrying out a literature review

The literature review is normally the first thing you’ll tackle after beginning your PhD and having an initial meeting with your supervisor.

It’s a thorough survey of work in your field (the current scholarly ‘literature’) that relates to your project or to related topics.

Your supervisor will offer some advice and direction, after which you’ll identify, examine and evaluate existing data and scholarship.

In most cases the literature review will actually form part of your final PhD dissertation – usually setting up the context for the project, before you begin to explain and demonstrate your own thesis.

Sometimes a literature review can also be evaluated as part of your MPhil upgrade .

Research vs scholarship

Research and scholarship are both important parts of a PhD. But they aren't the same thing - and it's helpful to know the difference. Research is the original work you produce with your thesis. Scholarship is the expert understanding of your subject area that enables you to conduct valuable research.

3. Conducting research and collecting results

Once you’ve carried out your literature review, you’ll move from scholarship to research .

This doesn’t mean you’ll never read another academic article or consult someone else’s data again. Far from it. You’ll stay up to date with any new developments in your field and incorporate these into your literature review as necessary.

But, from here on in, your primary focus in your PhD process is going to be investigating your own research question. This means carrying out organised research and producing results upon which to base your conclusions.

Types of PhD research

The research process and the type of results you collect will depend upon your subject area:

In Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects you’ll focus on designing experiments, before recording and analysing their outcomes. This often means assembling and managing complex numerical datasets – sometimes in collaboration with the rest of your laboratory or workshop.
In Social Science subjects you’ll be more focussed on designing surveys or conducting case studies. These will produce quantitative or qualitative data, depending on the nature of your work.
In Arts and Humanities subjects you’ll often have less raw data, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be working with ‘hard’ factual information. You’ll analyse texts, sources and other materials according to an accepted methodology and reflect upon the significance of your findings.

Whatever subject you’re in, this research work will account for the greater part of your PhD results. You’ll have regular meetings with your supervisor, but the day-to-day management of your project and its progress will be your own responsibility.

In some fields it’s common to begin writing up your findings as you collect them, developing your thesis and completing the accompanying dissertation chapter-by-chapter. In other cases you’ll wait until you have a full dataset before reviewing and recording your conclusions.

4. Completing an MPhil to PhD upgrade

At UK universities it’s common to register new PhD students for an MPhil before ‘ upgrading ’ them to ‘full’ doctoral candidates. This usually takes place after one year of full-time study (or its part-time equivalent).

Forcing you to register for a ‘lesser’ degree may seem strange, but it’s actually an important part of the training and development a PhD offers:

As an MPhil student you’re able to comprehend your field and produce new research.
As a PhD student you’re able to go that crucial step further and produce the significant original contribution to knowledge that defines a doctorate.

The MPhil upgrade is when you take the step from the former to the latter.

The MPhil upgrade exam

Upgrading from MPhil to PhD registration usually involves a form of oral exam – similar to the viva voce that concludes a PhD. But, unlike a full viva, the MPhil upgrade is less formal and only covers part of your thesis.

In most cases you’ll submit a small amount of the material you’ve produced so far. This could be a draft of your first chapter (or part of it) and / or your literature review. You could also be asked to reflect on your progress in general.

You’ll then sit down with your supervisor and someone else from your department (familiar with your field, but unrelated to your project). They’ll offer feedback on the quality of your work and ask questions about your findings.

The aim of the process won’t be to examine your drafts so much as to confirm that your project has the potential to justify a PhD – and that you’re on track to complete it on time.

‘Failing’ a PhD upgrade is actually quite rare. Your university may ask you to repeat the procedure if they are concerned that you haven’t made sufficient progress or established a viable plan for the rest of your project.

What is an MPhil?

The MPhil (Master of Philosophy) is also a research degree, but its scope is more limited than a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). And no, just like a PhD, an MPhil isn’t necessarily a Philosophy qualification. Our guide covers all you need to know about the difference between a MPhil and PhD .

5. PhD teaching, conferences and publications

During the PhD process, you’ll have lots of opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities, such as teaching, academic conferences and publications.

Although it isn’t usually compulsory to participate in these, they can be an incredibly rewarding experience and will look great on your CV.

Teaching during a PhD normally involves hosting undergraduate seminars or supervising students in the lab, as well as marking work and providing feedback.

Academic conferences are an excellent way to network with like-minded colleagues and find out the latest developments in your field. You might even be able to present your own work to your peers at one of these events.

Publishing during a PhD will help you increase your academic profile, as well as give you experience of the peer review process. It’s not normally a requisite of your PhD, but publications will certainly help if you plan on applying for postdoc positions.

6. Writing your thesis

As the culmination of three or more years of hard work, the thesis (or dissertation) is the most important part of the procedure to get your PhD, presenting you with the opportunity to make an original scholarly contribution to your discipline.

Our guide to writing your thesis covers everything you need to know about this lengthy research project, from structure and word count to writing up and submission.

We’ve also written a guide to the PhD dissertation abstract , which is an important part of any thesis.

7. Defending your PhD results at a viva voce

Unlike other degrees, a PhD isn’t normally marked as a piece of written work. Instead your dissertation will be submitted for an oral examination known as a viva voce (Latin for ‘living voice’).

This is a formal procedure, during which you ‘defend’ your thesis in front of appointed examiners, each of whom will have read your dissertation thoroughly in advance.

Examiners at a viva voce

A PhD is normally examined by two academic experts:

One will be an internal examiner, usually appointed from elsewhere in your faculty and department. They won’t be directly associated with your project, but will have sufficient expertise to assess your findings.
The other will be an external examiner. They will be a recognised expert in the area you are researching, with a record of relevant research and publication. Most universities in the UK allow you to invite an external examiner of your choice, provided there is no existing conflict of interest.

Your supervisor will help you prepare for the viva and will offer advice on choosing an external examiner. However, they will not normally be present during the examination.

The PhD timeline

PhD timeline
	Meet with your and discuss your proposed project. Here you will clarify any changes that are needed and agree a schedule of meetings and a plan of work for the following months.
	Clarify the direction of your research, methods and the necessity of any research trips. You will also discuss your training and development needs and begin working towards a .
	Hand in of an advanced , thesis plan and timetable for completion. This will then be discussed in the with two internal examiners.
	Biannual review with your supervisor(s) to discuss your progress to date and feasibility of completing on time.
	You will have made considerable progress on your research by the end of the second year. You may have begun drafting your and engaging in professional activities such as , , and skills training. All of your progress will be discussed in another annual review.
	Most of the third year will be spent writing up and redrafting your . You may also engage in professional activities such as , and .
	Application for examination and nominate your examiners.
	and assisting work such as a skills development log.
	Usually the will take place within 10 weeks of the examiners receiving your thesis.
	Most PhD students pass with corrections and are given a period to edit the thesis. The length of time given will depend on whether you pass with major or minor corrections.
	Receipt of award and graduation!

Ready to take the next step?

There's lots more information about how to get a PhD in our advice section . Or, if you're ready to start looking at different projects, why not check out one of the thousands of current PhD opportunities in our database?

Not sure how PhD study will differ from a Masters? In this guide, we take a look at how the two qualifications compare, including applications, course structure, assessment and more.

Every student will need to write an abstract for their PhD dissertation. Here's everything you need to know about what an academic abstract is and how to write one.

What can you expect from a PhD? What's life actually like as a postgraduate student? Read our guides to the doctoral research experience.

The viva voce is the final oral exam at the end of a PhD degree. Our guide explains the usual viva format, covers common questions and explains how to prepare.

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Guidelines to draw a timeline of your PhD

2018 Nov 20 | Resource , Soft Skills | 0

In a previous article I talked about how project management can help reduce PhD students’ anxieties . Most of my PhD I felt very much confused. Sometimes I could not even say whether I was still in the beginning, somewhere in the middle or close to the end of it. Therefore, I suggested that supervisors and students should try to define a tangible objective early on in the doctoral process, and that they should have regular check-point meetings to adjusts plans in order to keep the student’s project on track. I also mentioned that it is highly important to clarify what the supervisors and students long-term expectations are .

In another article I talked about Gantt charts , a great project management tool to draw and visualize a project outline.

Do you see where we’re going here? Let’s draw a timeline of your PhD in the shape of a Gantt chart! I know, it’s in the title ;)

In this other article about Gantt charts, I explained that there are some drawbacks to keep in mind. Indeed, upfront planning techniques like Gantt charts tend to lack flexibility and when things don’t work as planned it can actually increase the feeling of failure, which is exactly what we want to avoid here.

So, does it even make sense to draw a timeline early on in the doctoral process? I believe it does! We can keep the drawbacks of Gantt charts in mind and draw such a timeline if we define guidelines of how to use it .

Example & download
Why draw a timeline?
Guidelines for how to make & use the timeline throughout your PhD

1. Example & download:

I draw below an example for the institute where I did my PhD: the Institute of Biology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Therefore, it is designed for a 4-year PhD program with annual committee meetings and for students who spend a lot of time performing lab experiments . However, it can be easily adapted to any field or any doctoral program.

You can download for free the Excel file I used to make this timeline by clicking here .

Because I want this to be a general example but also because it is such a long time scale, I kept the level of detail to the minimum to make it flexible and to avoid over-planning . The time for each task here is a very rough estimate, it is meant to be adapted to what you think is best for you or to what is expected in your doctoral program. Importantly, the uncertainty level is increasing with time . You don’t have to start writing a paper on the 11th month of your third year, maybe you’ll start much earlier or much later and it will be perfectly fine. This is just a broad overview to help visualize what the main steps are, but their exact length or when they should start will get clarified once you are closer to it.

2. Why draw a timeline?

To draw such a timeline and for it to be realistic and useful, you are going to ask very concrete questions, to yourself and to your supervisor , like what are the important steps, what are the milestones (technical milestones for developing a protocol, committee meetings, exams…), what are the risks, do you have only one project or do you have more, maybe one large risky project and one smaller safer project, and all other questions which are relevant to you.

Project management is effective if concrete questions are openly discussed. If your supervisor doesn’t bring up these questions with you, it might feel quite scary for you to ask for it. To help you find the courage to so, I believe that having such a timeline will provide you a highly visual and attractive medium to foster these discussions.

When I learned about Gantt charts at the beginning of my second year of PhD studies, I draw myself such a timeline, but I didn’t dare to discuss it with my supervisor. With no surprise things really didn’t work out the way I planned it. Supervisors by default have more experience than a junior PhD student so they should know better what is realistic, what is expected and how much upfront planning can be done depending on the project.

3. Guidelines for how to make & use the timeline throughout your PhD:

I suggest that you draw a first version within the first two months of your PhD . But it’s never too late to start =)
Take my example and adjust it , maybe you already have a clearly defined project, maybe not, maybe you don’t need to design a new method, maybe you’ve been included in someone else project with a clear short-term objective, maybe you think you should start drafting a paper earlier, go and adjust it to what feels right to you.
Make sure to keep in mind that this chart is going to change many times until you graduate, stay flexible. This first timeline should only be an overview of the main steps which you expect in your PhD. It is here to give a direction, and if used regularly it can give a feeling of moving forward.
Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss this initial timeline ( still within the first two months ), ask the maximum of questions, clarify the maximum of points and make sure you both agree.
Then whenever needed, go back to it and adjust it, maybe there is a great collaboration opportunity and for a few months you’ll be asked to put your main project aside and work fully on this collaboration, maybe your new protocol is working great and you’re already getting publishable data, maybe the protocol is not working well and you need to change strategy, how does it affect your timeline?
Whenever a big change happens or whenever you feel too lost, schedule an extra meeting with your supervisor to specifically discuss the timeline and the long-term objectives. Hopefully it should give you a feeling of being on a track, even if it’s not the first one you pictured.
I would suggest having such a discussion at least every 6 months .

This timeline is now a tool which is going to grow with you throughout your PhD. At first it is a rough overview of the main steps, if you keep it update with what you really do, at the end it will be a true overview of everything you’ve accomplished. Therefore, on top of guiding you through it, it will become a great tool to look back at your PhD experience once you’re finished.

Thanks for reading and I hope these ideas can help you :)

Make sure to read my previous article about Gantt charts where I explained that it can be used both for long-time scale like here, or on shorter time scale (like 2 months) with a higher level of detail.

Looking for more reading about project management for research? Have a look at the resource I made Project Management resource for PhD students and supervisors !

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Planning the timeline and progress of your doctoral dissertation (or Masters/undergraduate thesis)

One of my PhD students lamented this week with me that she had a lot to juggle (taking children to and from schools and to and from activities, etc.) and that she needed a strategy to make her research move forward. I had been planning to write this blog post for a while, since this is the one question I get asked the most by doctoral students (“ how do I plan my unstructured time over the summer ” being the other one).

Do you have one like this but for dissertations? From how to pick your topic to how to plan your chapters or something similar? 🙂 — Mariana Miguélez (@Scherezadda) March 27, 2018

I had to rush to get this blog post done because my student is 2 years away from the deadline her university has imposed for her thesis defence, which is why I sat down with her last night to show her how I do things. I have two other PhD students at exactly the same stage (2 years to defense) so I figured I might as well finish this blog post.

While I’ve suggested that people read one (or more) of the books that I’ve digested myself (check my Writing a Doctoral Dissertation page), one of the main things I teach my students is how to apply backcasting techniques to develop a project plan . I was trained as a project manager, and I worked in that capacity for a number of years, so I understand exactly the kind of work that needs to be done to develop good project plans.

There are a few resources for students, which I mentioned on Twitter earlier today (October 5th, 2018), many of which are listed in the thread that will appear if you click anywhere on the tweet shown below. Thanks to everyone who responded to my query, though I think many of them were professors describing their own process, which is not the same as having a doctoral dissertation (ONE GOAL) to finish in X number of years. My students are doing theirs in the 3 papers’ model, which is a bit closer to the day-to-day life of a professor, but still, the trajectory is quite different. Anyhow, here are some recommendations (click on the tweet to expand the entire thread).

Everyone: one of my PhD students today asked me how to plan her day/week/month/time table. Can you tweet me your process before I tweet/thread mine? Thanks! (I'm off to dinner because I've already written 460 words). — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 3, 2018

The core planning strategy I would thus recommend doctoral, masters and undergraduate students is to engage in a combination of Gantt Chart Design and project backcasting techniques .

The Gantt chart is a technique I learned in graduate school when I took project management courses. This is a hypothetical Gantt chart for my doctoral student, covering about 15 months.

What I suggested to her was to use backcasting techniques to plan backwards from her goal (PhD thesis defense) to intermediate goals. This post explains how I backcast a project https://t.co/wAmyejeoa0 since her dissertation is a 3-papers one, I suggested she uses that model. — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

For Gantt Chart templates, you can see Dr. Emma Sheppard’s here.

Project planning for research students https://t.co/ku7shfB5uL excellent template by @DrESheppard which may be of interest to students from undergrad, Masters and PhD levels. pic.twitter.com/ujQVlYocH7 — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) September 3, 2018

Here is another resource that you can use to create Gantt Charts.

To do Gantt charts you can use Excel or Microsoft Project (which is how I learned to do them), or Visio (which has been bought by the evil company and is now Microsoft Visio). I liked this detailed approach that uses connectors between milestones and tasks https://t.co/xVjNmM1q7c — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner have lots of resources on their site, and have published books on this as well.

I just realised @ithinkwell and @ithinkwellHugh have excellent FREE templates on their website https://t.co/Q859jNiM6Q for PhD students to plan their trajectories, etc. #PhDChat (thanks, Maria and Hugh!) — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

Dr. Patrick Dunleavy’s book “ Authoring a PhD ” is incredible and really does help students who are planning their PhD process. I recommend it to my own doctoral students.

And of course I would be remiss if I forgot to recommend Dr. Ellie Mackin Roberts (my coauthor for a forthcoming book on research planning) and her website. Ellie has A TON of downloadable printables for you to plan your own research. She is fantastic.

Both for doctoral students AND for post-PhD folks, my coauthor Dr. @EllieMackin has an entire website for research planning https://t.co/unXMqmaf2Z she offers FREE downloadable printable templates that you can use to plan your own research. — Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) October 5, 2018

In the end, the process I recommended to my students and that I do myself is – set a target defense date and then work backwards and plan tasks, activities, and intermediate goals. For example, I have asked my students to plan submission dates for their 3 papers (to be sent to journals) and then schedule fieldwork and data analysis accordingly. This process has worked well, and I hope my description of the process will help my students and others!

In a subsequent blog post I’ll describe how to go from long-term goals (submit paper X by Y date) to daily tasks. That blog post will definitely apply to doctoral students and post-PhD folks.

If you liked this blog post, you may also be interested in my Resources for Graduate Students page, and on my reading notes of books I’ve read on how to do a doctoral degree.

You can share this blog post on the following social networks by clicking on their icon.

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By Raul Pacheco-Vega – October 6, 2018

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How to Prepare a PhD Research Plan/Schedule?

PhD research plan is a structured schedule for completing different objectives and milestones during a given timeframe. Scholars are usually unaware of it. Let us find out how to prepare it.

Between March 2021 to 2022, I read almost 15 different research proposals from students (for their projects) and only a single one, I found, with a comprehensive research plan for 3 years. Which is still not, kind of practical, probably copied from other students.

Such entities are not known to over 90% of students, if some know that because their university asked for but unfortunately, this basic procedure lacks penetration among students. I don’t know the exact reason, but students lack a basic understanding of the research process.

Meaning, that they don’t know or perhaps don’t complete their course work needly. PhD research requires many documents, SOPs and write-ups, before even starting it. For example, a rough research plan, research proposal, initial interview, competence screening, grant proposal and so on.

However, the requirement varies among universities and thus knowledge regarding basic procedures often also varies among students. So I’m not blaming students but certainly, it is the fault of the university side, as well.

When you come up with a research proposal with a research schedule or entire plant, certainly it will create a positive image and good reputation. So it is important. But how to prepare it?

Hey, there I’m Dr Tushar, a PhD tutor and coach. In this article, we will understand how we can prepare a structured plan for the PhD research and how to execute it.

So let’s get started.

How to prepare a PhD research plan/schedule?

A PhD research plan or schedule can be prepared using the GANTT chart which includes a month, semester or year-wise planning of the entire PhD research work.

First, enlist goals and objectives.

It’s not about your research objective enlisted in your proposal. I’m talking about the objectives of your PhD. Take a look at some of the objectives.

Course work	Dry lab work
Proposing PhD title	Data collection
PhD synopsis	Data analysis- statistical, computational and other
Ethical approval	Thesis writing
Trial and research work approval	Thesis drafting
Review literature	Poster Preparation
Questionnaire design	Presentations
Fieldwork	Drafting a research paper
Conducting the survey	Drafting a thesis
Designing the experiment	Thesis completion
Wet lab work	Viva

Note that these are all the objectives that should be completed during the PhD, but not limited to a specific subject. Note you have to show how you can complete or achieve each objective during the entire tenure of your work.

And that is what the plan/schedule is all about. Next, explain the time duration. The time required to complete each goal, roughly. For example, a semester or a year to complete the course work or 4 to 8 months for completion of ethical approval.

Now two things must be known to you, at this point in time.

First, enlist the time required to complete each objective, as aforementioned.
Second, what goals would you complete during each semester?

For instance, course work takes a semester to complete, but during the period a scholar can also craft their PhD research title, research proposal, ethical approval and grant proposals.

Now it is also crucial to know that there is no time bound to complete goals, but it should be completed as you explained. Let’s say you can plant it for 3 years, 4 or even 5 years depending on the weightage of your work.

In summary, the answer to the question of how to prepare a research plan is,

Enlist your goals or objectives.
Decide the time required to complete each goal.
Prepare a GANTT chart.

Now you have prepared zero-date planning for your research but how to present it? The answer is a GANTT chart.

GANTT chart for PhD research plan:

GANTT chart is a task manager and graphical presentation of how and how many tasks are completed or should be completed against a given time duration. Take a look at the image below.

How can you prepare one?

Open MS Excel (on Windows) or numbers (on Mac).

Enlist goals or objectives in a column.

Enlist years (duration of PhD) in a row and bifurcate them into individual semesters. You can also prepare a month-wise plan, that’s totally up to you. In my opinion, semester-wise planning is good because research is a lengthy and time-consuming process. So monthly planning would not work.

To make a chart more attractive and readable use colors, as I used. Now mark a ‘cell’ against a column and row showing the objective which you are going to complete in a semester. Take a look.

After the end of this, your GANTT chart would look like this.

You can prepare a month-wise planning, individual semester-wise planning and goal-wise planning etc. I will explain these things in upcoming articles on 5 different types of GANTT charts for PhD.

Custom writing services:

If you find difficulties in preparing a research plan, synopsis, proposal or GANTT chart. We can work on behalf of you. Our costume services are,

Synopsis writing
Project writing
Research proposal writing
Research planning and GANTT chart preparation.

You can contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to get more information.

Wrapping up:

Planning and executing a research schedule are two different things. Oftentimes, students just prepare as per the requirements and then do work as per their convenience. Then they are stuck in one place and just work around the time.

Plan things. Make your own GANTT chart, put it on your work table or stick it on a wall so that you can see it daily. Try to achieve each goal in time. Trust me things will work and you will complete your PhD before anyone else.

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

About The Author

Dr Tushar Chauhan

Why is it called a Doctor of Philosophy?

Preparing for a PhD Viva

How to Manage Your PhD Timeline for Smoother Research Completion

It’s finally happening! The university has sent you an acceptance letter for the PhD program you had applied to. Getting into a doctoral program is not an easy task, and the speculations around it of being one of the toughest courses can’t be denied either. However, despite it being a daunting journey, one can smoothly sail through by managing the PhD timeline smartly. So sit back and read this article to plan your Ph.D. research timeline in an effective and hassle-free manner.

Table of Contents

Why Should You Draw a Ph.D. Timeline?

A PhD journey is laid with several milestones that come as you proceed. Thus, drawing a timeline preemptively helps researchers stay away from the last-minute terror of submissions, presentations, committee meetings, viva, etc. Furthermore, creating a timeline and adhering to it makes you a better learner and instills discipline in you.

How to Begin with the PhD Timeline Planning?

While creating a well-structured timeline, you must ask these questions to yourself and to your supervisor:

What are the important steps of a PhD program?
How many projects do you have to work on?
What are the technical milestones for developing a protocol?
What are the risks associated?

What to Do Before Creating Your PhD Timeline?

Obtaining a doctoral degree is a process of completing of required credits, passing the qualification test for submitting a doctoral thesis, writing and submitting a thesis, and final viva voce.

Follow these steps as you create your PhD Timeline :

Attend the program orientation to understand specific graduation requirements
Make a list of technical events such as conferences, committee meetings, PhD viva voce , presentations, qualification examination, etc.
Manage your PhD timeline term-wise or month-wise
Make a list of events on priority-basis

Step-wise Guide to Create Your PhD Timeline

Let’s take a detailed look at the steps required for a PhD. It is important to know what each step entails and what the deadline is for each of it. Generally, all universities have strict graduation requirements. A doctoral student is expected to complete a minimum number of credits to qualify as a PhD candidate. However, in some cases, a master’s degree is required for the doctoral program, and if you have obtained a master’s degree, you may be awarded a doctoral degree only through a research course without taking additional credits.

Here are 8 major milestones of a PhD program:

Milestone 1: Through consultation with your advisor, check whether there are any special graduation requirements other than the university and department that you may have to complete as part of your program.

Milestone 2: The supervisory committee must be formed within one year of the doctoral program and must have at least one meeting to plan the successful conclusion of a research project. In addition to the advisor, at least two other university professors are required to be members of this committee. Doctoral students must receive advice on how the doctoral program is progressing through regular meetings of the committee.

Milestone 3: In the second year of the doctoral program, you must pass a comprehensive exam which is known as the PhD qualifying examination . It is an oral presentation and oral exam of approximately 2 hours in front of 6-7 professors, essentially including one non-university professor, members of the Supervisory/Supervisory Board, and two other professors from your university and your advisors. Upon passing this exam, the PhD student’s status changes to PhD candidate. This makes him/her eligible to receive the doctoral degree.

Milestone 4: After that, by presenting the thesis and participating in conferences, the doctoral student must conduct his doctoral research in-depth and be recognized for it.

Milestone 5: When the curriculum requirements are met, the deadline for completing the doctoral thesis is determined through consultation with the advisor, and this is approved by the guidance committee.

Milestone 6: As a prerequisite before appearing for PhD viva, discuss the completed thesis with your advisor and select PhD external examiners related to the research field.

Milestone 7: Once the external expert/s reviews and approves the value, logic, and results of the doctoral thesis, the doctoral office allows the PhD candidate to take the thesis defense as the next course. In this defense, PhD candidates must pass a 2.5-3-hour oral examination based on their thesis in front of the doctoral examination panel.

Milestone 8: After receiving approval from the attending professors on the doctoral examination panel, submitting the final thesis, and applying for the doctoral degree, you will finally graduate with your PhD degree.

To download the PhD Timeline Template, click here !

Key takeaways.

Don’t get discouraged when someone shares their anecdotes of surviving a cumbersome PhD journey. Everyone applying for a doctoral program meets obstacles along the way; however, setting a proper timeline and following it diligently will only make your journey smoother than the rest. Do your best in accordance with your conscience, your mission as a learning scholar, and the regulations of your university. Wishing you a successful academic life with this PhD timeline . Let us know how you plan to soar through your PhD in the comments section below.

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How to Create a Dissertation Timeline (With Examples + Tempate)

When it’s time to start thinking about writing your dissertation, it is vital to put together a dissertation timeline. This will help you map out the months you will be spending on your dissertation, and ensure that you’re staying on track. A specific and detailed dissertation timeline will serve as an outline to guide you, step by step, through what can be a long and challenging process.

While we often refer to a dissertation in a way that makes it sound like a monolith, in reality, a dissertation consists of many moving parts. A dissertation timeline includes a series of milestones that leads up to the dissertation defense , revisions, and final submission of your dissertation. Constructing an outline of every step in the dissertation process , including rough estimates of how long each will take, will give you a realistic picture of where you are in the process at any given time.

Before embarking on your dissertation, it is a good idea to meet with your dissertation advisor and sketch out a dissertation timeline that is realistic for the size and scope of your project and includes deadlines. This will provide you with much-needed structure and a sense of what will happen next. To get an idea of what a completed dissertation looks like and the components your program requires, ask to see samples from recent graduates in your department.

These are a few frequently asked questions about crafting a dissertation timeline:

What does a dissertation timeline look like?
What goes in a dissertation timeline?
How structured should a dissertation timeline be?
What do you do with a dissertation timeline?

blonde woman writing dissertation prospectus in a cafe

What Does a Dissertation Timeline Look Like?

One way to think about a dissertation timeline is as a kind of outline. While the outlining process is unique to each writer, there are commonalities shared by all of them. Likewise, when writing a dissertation timeline, you’ll want to include all of the basic elements of your dissertation as well as the amount of time you think you’ll need to execute them.

The best dissertation timeline format is the one that works for you. Though I’ve reformed somewhat over the years, for a long time I wasn’t a fan of intensely detailed outlines. Many people don’t like outlines. And that’s okay! However, writing a dissertation is not the time to be flying by the seat of your pants. To get started, a simple, linear timeline that projects the amount of time you think you’ll need to write your dissertation will suffice.

Example Dissertation Timeline

Below, you’ll find an example of a dissertation timeline, which you can view as an image in your browser or download as a spreadsheet. Feel free to use the spreadsheet as a template as you build your own dissertation timeline.

example of a dissertation timeline spreadsheet

Or download the spreadsheet below:

Inclusion in a Dissertation Timeline

When constructing your dissertation timeline, include every element of the dissertation from the abstract to the conclusion. Keep in mind that you may not be writing your chapters in chronological order. For instance, after completing their first round of research and writing their research question, most graduate students will tackle their literature review next, even though it comes after the abstract and introduction in the final document.

Depending on the field being studied, most dissertations will also include sections for methodology, results, and discussion. Many programs also require a detailed conclusion that alludes to future research possibilities. Every dissertation also has an extensive list of references (pro tip: write this as you’re writing your dissertation), as well as appendices for charts, graphs, and other ephemera. And don’t forget your acknowledgments!

Dissertation Timeline Structure

The structure of your dissertation timeline will take shape once you’re engaged in the research process. While a road map may seem like an apt metaphor for a dissertation, once you get started you may notice a lot of starts and stops and circling back. After you’ve begun researching, you may realize that you need to allot more time for digging through the databases, or you may discover that you need to reformulate your research question entirely.

custom made calendar in a notebook with different color notes

I’ve seen many of my own graduate students use calendars to great effect, giving themselves hard and fast deadlines to meet. Many students also build out their dissertation timelines as they progress, attaching working drafts of their abstract, introduction, and literature review to their timeline within a giant spreadsheet that links to multiple documents and sources. All of these methods are valid. Devise one that works for you.

Using a Dissertation Timeline

So once you have a thoughtful, soundly-constructed dissertation timeline, what do you do with it? First, and most importantly, try your best to adhere to it. Check in with your dissertation timeline regularly, and use it to keep yourself on track. Also, make adjustments to it as needed. If you find yourself breezing through your preliminary research but needing a bit more time for your literature review, consult your timeline and adjust accordingly.

While meeting your deadlines is important, also construct your dissertation timeline with an understanding that many graduate students face delays once they start working on their dissertation. These can include hold-ups at the department or university level in the form of late IRB approval or limited lab space or grant funding that gets cut. Anything can happen, but having a dissertation timeline will help you get back on track as soon as the storm passes.

In my own experience, I also found my dissertation timeline to be a great document to share and discuss with my dissertation chair and committee. Once I finished my comprehensive exams, I met with members of my dissertation committee and got feedback on my rough dissertation timeline to make sure my goals for submitting my dissertation and graduating were realistic. This also ensured that we were all on the same page.

When writing a dissertation, timing is everything. Creating a dissertation timeline gives you definitive time limits for research and writing, and it also influences several other major decisions that you’ll need to make. These include preparation to go on the job market, which often coincides with writing your dissertation. There is no doubt that this will be a hectic time in your graduate school career, but having a well-organized dissertation timeline is a good way to keep everything in perspective.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D.

Courtney Watson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Radford University Carilion, in Roanoke, Virginia. Her areas of expertise include undergraduate and graduate curriculum development for writing courses in the health sciences and American literature with a focus on literary travel, tourism, and heritage economies. Her writing and academic scholarship has been widely published in places that include Studies in American Culture , Dialogue , and The Virginia Quarterly Review . Her research on the integration of humanities into STEM education will be published by Routledge in an upcoming collection. Dr. Watson has also been nominated by the State Council for Higher Education of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Rising Star Award, and she is a past winner of the National Society of Arts & Letters Regional Short Story Prize, as well as institutional awards for scholarly research and excellence in teaching. Throughout her career in higher education, Dr. Watson has served in faculty governance and administration as a frequent committee chair and program chair. As a higher education consultant, she has served as a subject matter expert, an evaluator, and a contributor to white papers exploring program development, enrollment research, and educational mergers and acquisitions.

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My PhD journey in a Gantt chart incl. Open Science practices

Plan and monitor your PhD with a Gantt chart and include all of your activities in implementing Open Science practices to ensure efficiency and societal impact of your research work and efforts.

This Gantt chart provides you with an example and template plan for your Ph.D. from thesis proposal writing to the thesis defense.

Live spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mcOWgD1GQq294E8rBM_WQHz38ipUxFoa4unbaigONkw/

Start with planning your Holidays and annual leave - as this gets usually neglected and difficult to catch up on as your thesis progresses. The row for unforeseen absences from work will be empty to start with, but you will likely fill some cells as you progress, and Life happens. Having this section in the chart allows you to adjust your timeline accordingly. In your weekly calendar, also highlight public holidays of the country you work and live in and perhaps also your home country’s holidays, in case you want to plan for leave during that time to visit family and friends.

The ‘ Thesis ’ components range from proposal writing, preregistration, data management, thesis writing, and finally to defense. For a more detailed breakdown, add the explicit projects and experiments/studies with their respective workflow steps. In doing so, you will have a more realistic image of the time you have available to juggle two or more experiments and projects at a time during your thesis.

In the ‘ Events ’ section, you can list and map conferences you would like to attend, research and field visits, bar camps, retreats, and other work-related happenings.

Under ‘ Publications ’ goes everything you can make available to the public and/or other researchers under open publishing practices - Open Access, openly licensed, and as restricted as necessary or feasible. Manuscripts can be published both as so-called ‘preprint articles’ and if need be submitted to a journal. Choose the journal based on the scope of your work matching the journal’s scope of research fields and topics and if it has reasonably priced publishing fees (aka APC = article processing charges) if any. Preregistrations, research manuscripts (preprints), datasets, posters, presentations, images a.o. can all be published on field-/region-specific or generalist cross-disciplinary open repositories. Methods and protocols can equally be shared in public repositories or at https://www.protocols.io/ .

Finally, also add any coursework you participate in within the scope of your Ph.D.

In case of any questions about your available courses, contact us at https://calendly.com/access2perspectives/free-exploratory-session

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How Do You Get a PhD? A Guide to the PhD Timeline

Man sits at a library table researching several books.

Everyone who considers a doctoral degree knows a PhD is a big commitment.

Not only will it require all your mental energy, focus, and persistence, but it will also require a significant investment of your time. Your particular area of research, your institution’s policies and procedures, and the standard expectations within your field affect how long it takes to earn a PhD. The average PhD length is five or six years, while some students may take eight or nine years.

Regardless of how long a PhD program takes, there are some common stages of a PhD that all doctoral students share. These significant and essential milestones shape the timeline for earning your doctorate . Read on as we take you through each step and explore the typical steps to a doctorate degree.

Are you just starting to apply to graduate school? Check out our Guide to Graduate Admissions to get all your questions answered!

How Long Do PhD Programs Take?

The number of credit hours that you need to complete your doctoral coursework might depend on several factors: do you already have a master’s degree? Will you earn one en route to the doctorate? Or do you even need one?

Different disciplines and research interests have their own PhD process, but even within your field of study, institutions may have diverse pathways for obtaining that terminal degree. For most, coursework will take anywhere from two to three years to complete.

During this time, students can serve as graduate research or teaching assistants or could even lead their own courses as instructors. In many degree programs, students develop their potential dissertation topics through their coursework and define their research plans in the next few years.

Steps to Getting a PhD: PhD Qualifying Exam and Comprehensive Exam

Many programs set up academic checkpoints to help keep students on track during their PhD journeys. The timing varies by program, but one of the most common – and possibly most stressful – forms of benchmarking is the PhD comprehensive exam or qualifying exam. Often administered around the end of the student’s coursework, these exams are your chance to demonstrate what you learned in your classes.

A faculty committee from your department oversees testing. Usually comprised of at least three members, your professors ask questions or assign writing prompts based on your experience in the program thus far. The format is generally a combination of written and oral exams designed to test your expertise in your discipline’s methodologies and significant content areas.

To better prepare yourself, research the number and kind of qualifying benchmarks the program will require in the university catalog before you begin your program. This will allow you and your advisor to effectively plan out the first few years of your degree and give you an idea of how you’ll be evaluated throughout your program.

Doctoral Dissertation Prospectus and Defense

You may be required to complete and defend a dissertation prospectus before officially becoming a PhD candidate. A prospectus is a document outlining your dissertation plan, which includes an explanation of your research topic, a potential outline of your dissertation, the methodologies you intend to employ, the significance of your research question, and a bibliography including sources that form the foundation of your research.

Your prospectus allows your dissertation advisor to understand the scope of your project. It should be thorough enough that they can provide useful feedback to help shape your research plan. After some revisions, an approved prospectus is the green light to move into the next stage of your PhD.

Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy

If you have heard the term ABD – “All But Dissertation” – then that means you are in the home stretch of your doctoral program!

Well, sort of…only your dissertation remains!

Doctoral Dissertation Research and Writing

While you’ve made it through the coursework and qualifying exams, the dissertation is the culminating component of the doctoral degree. At this point, your approved research plan is ready to be set into motion. Depending on your discipline, this could be the stage where you travel extensively to conduct fieldwork, explore archives, or visit labs to collaborate on projects that relate to your dissertation work. For many students, the research phase can take a couple of years, but some may be able to complete it in one.

Writing your dissertation can be one of the most challenging parts of the whole PhD process. Not only are you condensing years of research into a single cohesive document, but you are also formulating graphs, charts, and other textual references to help clarify your argument. Often, formatting can be a major challenge for many students.

In this stage, it’s most helpful to seek out resources to help you with the writing process. Many universities have dissertation writing workshops where you can learn best practices, as well as support groups where students meet regularly and help keep each other accountable. Most universities also offer competitive dissertation completion grants, supporting students with additional funding so they focus more of their time and effort on completing this undertaking.

Dissertation Defense

Everyone gets nervous about this major rite of passage. It can be difficult to take criticism over something you have poured your heart and soul into for years. Remember, though, that a good advisor will not let you defend if you’re not ready, and you literally wrote the book on your topic!

The dissertation defense is not intended to tear your work apart but rather is your opportunity to prove your expertise to your dissertation committee. Many defenses are open to observers, so you should attend a few in advance of your own, especially within your department, to get a sense of what it’s like.

First, you’ll present the main points of your thesis. Then the committee will ask questions so they can clearly understand your arguments. Finally, they’ll send you out of the room while they deliberate and decide if you pass or not. If all goes well, you’ll be addressed as “Doctor” the next time you walk into the room!

Get Started on Your PhD Journey Today

No matter what your particular timeline looks like as you work toward your doctorate, know that the faculty and other students within your program are frequently a huge source of support — which means you won't do this alone! Additionally, every school has resources to assist PhD students, from libraries to writing centers to dedicated student support services.

If you are excited about beginning your PhD journey, we invite you to request more information or reach out to one of our admissions professionals today. Best of luck as you begin this transformational experience!

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Creating awesome Gantt charts for your PhD timeline

It’s a common scenario: you have never heard about Gantt charts. Then, when writing a PhD application or planning your PhD timeline for the upcoming years, someone suggests: You should include a Gantt chart! No need to worry. Here is all you need to know about Gantt charts for your PhD timeline.

What are Gantt charts?

Gantt charts belong to the family of bar charts. In a Gantt chart, bars depict different project tasks. The length of each bar is proportionate to the task duration and indicates both start and finish dates.

Why are Gantt charts frequently used for PhD timelines?

A Grantt chart is a great way to provide an overview of project tasks, activities and milestones.

Gantt charts are frequently used to illustrate PhD timelines because doing a PhD essentially means creating, managing and implementing a project with many components over several years.

Furthermore, Gantt chart PhD timelines allow PhD students to track their progress. They can also help PhD students to stay on track with their work.

You may also like: How to develop an awesome PhD timeline step-by-step

What information is included in Gantt charts for PhD timelines?

Gantt charts can include all kind of information, based on the specific project they are focusing on. When it comes to Gantt chart PhD timelines, there are several elements that are commonly featured:

Of course, every PhD project is unique. This uniqueness should be reflected in your Gantt chart. For instance, your Gantt chart PhD timeline will look different if you write a PhD based on articles or if you write a monograph .

How do you create a Gantt chart for your PhD timeline?

Creating a phd timeline gantt chart in microsoft excel.

You can create a table, turn it into a bar chart and manually edit it until it looks like a Gantt chart. If you have some experience with Excel, it is doable. Detailed instructions on the process can be found in this manual from Ablebits.com.

However, why go through all the hassle when you can simply download a template? You can use Microsoft’s own free Gantt project planner template and adjust it to your PhD project.

Creating a PhD timeline Gantt chart in Microsoft PowerPoint

First, you need to open a blank PowerPoint slide. Then click on Insert (1.), then Chart (2.). A popup will appear. Select Bar (3.) and finally select the Stacked Bar option (4).

A standard bar chart will appear on your slide and a small Excel table with open next to it. The first column in the Excel table is called Categories . You can replace categories with the PhD tasks that you want to display. For instance, Literature Review, Interviews, Transcribing and Analysis. You can add more categories or delete existing ones by removing a row in the small Excel table.

Next to the Categories (now tasks) column, you see three more columns: Series 1 , Series 2 , Series 3 . You can use these columns to showcase the length of tasks. Rename Series 1 into Start Date and Series 2 into End Date . Series 3 indicates the overall length. Depending on the timeframe you want to showcase, you can opt for instance for Length (weeks) or Length (months) .

In the example below, I decided to plan PhD tasks for a year. Thus, 1 means January, 2 means February, 3 means March and so forth. The length of tasks is also indicated in months:

Next, click on your chart and three icons will appear in the upper-right corner next to it. Click on the bottom one, the Chart filters , remove the tick of the check box of End Date , and click on Apply. You will see that the bar chart will start to look like a Gantt chart:

Now, the blue parts of the bar, indicating the Start Dates, need to be removed. Just click on one of them, and on the righthand side, Format Data Series should appear. Select No fill. Alternatively, in the upper menu, select Format , go to Shape fill, and select No fill .

Now comes the fun part, namely decorating. You can add a chart title, colour the bars in the colour of your choice, edit the legend and the axis descriptions. Just play with it to explore the options.

Creating a PhD timeline Gantt chart in a Microsoft Word

To start the process in Word, it is smart to first change the orientation of your page to Landscape . In the top menu, click on Layout , then select Orientation , then choose Landscape .

Creating a PhD timeline Gantt chart with an online tool

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of creating your own Gantt chart but are not convinced by any templates, you can make use of online tools and software.

The site requires no signup. You can editing and simply start filling in the Gantt chart, and export it as an Excel, Image or PDF file when you are done!

PhD timeline Gantt chart templates

Best gantt chart template for phd timelines in microsoft excel, best gantt chart template for phd timelines in microsoft powerpoint, best gantt chart template for phd timelines in microsoft word.

Useful Gantt chart templates for Microsoft Word can be downloaded here from TemplateLAB. I like these templates as they can be easily adjusted to the needs of a PhD timeline. For instance, a weekly Gantt chart template can be useful to establish a detailed plan with weekly objectives to keep your PhD progress on track.

PhD timeline Gantt chart examples

Gantt chart phd timeline example in microsoft excel, gantt chart phd timeline example in microsoft powerpoint.

Using the Gantt chart PowerPoint template by OfficeTimeline.com above, an example PhD timeline to present a plan for a 3 year PhD could look, for instance, like this:

Gantt chart PhD timeline example in Microsoft Word

Using a weekly Gantt chart template from TemplateLab mentioned above, an example PhD timeline with weekly tasks and objectives could look, for instance, like this:

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Free planners and guides

PhD Toolkit

Free templates and planners available for you to download.

The book Planning Your PhD describes a number of planners and forms you can use to help plan your PhD. You can download these planners and forms below.

Show Planners

Thesis Planner - Moveable tasks

This planner allows you to work out the timeline for the major tasks of your PhD. ..

Thesis Planner - No tasks

This planner allows you to work out the timeline for the major tasks of your PhD ..

Six Month Planner - Moveable tasks

The Six Month Planner lets you map out your tasks for the next six months ..

Six Month Planner - No tasks

This blank planner shows you the next six months which you can fill in ..

Completion Planner - Moveable tasks

This Completion Planner allows you to work out the timeline for the major tasks of the final year..

Completion Planner - No tasks

This blank Completion Planner shows you the final twelve months of your PhD ..

This Six Months

This form helps you identify your targets for the next six months ..

Use this form to map out your tasks for the coming week ..

To Day List

Use this form to plan out your day and identify when the important jobs are going to get done ..

The Next Thing

To help you get clear about your very next task ..

Writing Audit

Use the Writing Audit to work out how much writing you have done and update it as you add new wor..

Meeting Agenda

A template agenda for meetings with your supervisor ..

Meeting Notes

A template for noting down the outcomes of your meetings with your supervisor ..

PhD Toolkit - All forms

Download all PhD Toolkit forms in a zip ..

PhD Toolkit - All planners

Download all PhD Toolkit planners in a zip ..

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CAREER COLUMN
04 January 2019

Six project-management tips for your PhD

Angel Santiago-Lopez 0

Angel Santiago-Lopez is a PhD candidate at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

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In my experience, a PhD project sometimes feels like it demands more time than is possible — especially if you were hoping to maintain a healthy work–life balance. In my view, every graduate-school curriculum should carry a course on project management.

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Sample PhD Research and Thesis Timeline

A research project culminating in a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree typically takes 3-6 years from time of enrollment depending on transferred credits, prior completion of a MS degree, and pace of research. Graduate students who enroll without previously completing a MS will often complete the requirements and earn an MS degree on the path to their PhD.

Although PhD degree programs are more varied in schedule in comparison with MS programs, this document provides a Gantt chart illustrating one example of a research timeline in which the student also completes a MS degree. Note that thesis and graduation deadlines are approximate, and you are responsible for knowing and meeting deadlines specific to your degree.

[File coming soon!]

PhD Projects – What is it & how to do one

When researching for your PhD program, you may encounter terms such as PhD projects, thesis, and more. What is a PhD project?

In this post, we explore what a PhD project is, and how is it different from say, PhD thesis and dissertation. We also look at what PhD students do to complete their project.

What Is A PhD Project? What’s The Aim?

Diving into a PhD project is like embarking on a grand academic adventure at a university. It’s not just about getting that coveted title but about pushing the boundaries of knowledge in your chosen field.

The heart of a PhD lies in its project, a rigorous exploration led by you, the doctoral candidate, under the mentorship of seasoned faculty members.

A PhD project is usually documented down as a dissertation, thesis, or other research papers that would contribute to the current body of knowledge.

Imagine working on a project that not only challenges you intellectually but also has the potential to transform how we understand a particular phenomenon.

A PhD in economics might dissect the intricate dance of market forces and policies, providing fresh insights that could inform better decision-making in corporate America or even shape public policy.

The PhD project isn’t a solitary journey. It thrives on diversity, drawing strength from a rich tapestry of backgrounds and perspectives.

Recognising the value of this diversity, initiatives like The PhD Project, founded in 1994, have been pivotal. They aim to:

increase the representation of minority groups in business schools,
enriching the academic environment and, by extension,
the corporate landscape.

Through unique events and a robust support network, including partners like LinkedIn, these initiatives empower doctoral students, providing scholarships and resources to navigate the academic world.

These efforts underscore the importance of bringing historically underrepresented voices into academia.

By fostering a more diverse faculty, universities can inspire and educate the next generation of leaders, ensuring that the classroom reflects the diversity of the workforce and the customer base it serves.

What Do a PhD Student Do In A PhD Project?

When students are in their PhDs, they perform a myriad of tasks. Here are some that they do, as they complete their PhD programme:

In-depth Research

At the core of a PhD project is the pursuit of new knowledge. Students engage in:

rigorous investigation,
analyzing data, and
exploring vast literatures to uncover novel insights in their field.

Whether it’s deciphering historical manuscripts or applying complex mathematical models, this foundational activity is where innovation begins.

Building a broad and diverse network is crucial.

PhD students connect with peers, faculty, and professionals across various platforms like LinkedIn, and at academic conferences.

These connections provide support, foster collaborations, and open doors to opportunities in academia and industry.

Guided by experienced professors, PhD students receive invaluable:

direction, and

This mentor-mentee relationship is pivotal, offering insights from seasoned academics who’ve navigated similar paths and can share the nuances of academic and professional development.

Academic Writing

Crafting a dissertation is a monumental task that hones a student’s writing prowess. This extensive document encapsulates their research findings and contributions to the field, requiring clear, concise, and compelling communication.

PhD students spend hours learning how to write good academic writing. This is usually achieved by:

Attending workshops
Fixing drafts reviewed by more experienced academic
Reading many research papers.

Presenting at Conferences and Seminars

Sharing research with the academic community is a key aspect of a PhD project. In fact, most PhD programs require their students to present papers.

Students present at conferences, engage in scholarly debates, and receive feedback, enhancing their research and building their reputation.

Many PhD students also take on teaching roles, leading undergraduate or graduate courses. This experience is not just about imparting knowledge but also about inspiring and guiding future generations, honing their own skills in communication and leadership in the process.

PhD Project vs PhD Dissertation

A PhD dissertation is the essence of your doctoral journey, distilled into a single, substantial document. It’s the narrative of your PhD project, a tale of discovery, challenge, and innovation.

In the world of academia, this dissertation is your passport to the realm of scholars. It’s where you present your research findings, meticulously compiled and critically analyzed, to your university and the wider scholarly community.

A PhD project as a voyage across the vast ocean of your field, where you chart unexplored territories and navigate through the complexities of your research question.

The dissertation, in contrast, is the logbook of this journey, capturing every eureka moment and every storm weathered. Faculty mentors, often guide you in weaving this narrative, ensuring your story not only contributes to academia but also enriches the diversity of thought within it.

This is where the potential to inspire the next generation of researchers lies, especially those from historically underrepresented backgrounds, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic academic workforce.

PhD Projects Explained

A PhD project is a comprehensive research endeavour undertaken by doctoral students to contribute new knowledge to their field. Its aim is to develop critical thinking, research skills, and subject-matter expertise, culminating in a dissertation that showcases the student’s findings.

Through this rigorous process, PhD candidates are prepared to become the next generation of scholars, educators, and leaders, capable of addressing complex challenges and advancing their disciplines.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Course Requirements

PhD Timeline and Milestones

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There is no specific length of time associated with earning a PhD. Across disciplines and campuses, the average amount of time to earn the degree is between four and five years, although individual time varies widely.

The education program was planned to span at least three years and was designed for students who already have undertaken graduate work and already demonstrated competence and interest in educational research. The length of the program, however, is based on the student’s progress in mastering subject matter, preparing for examinations, preparing research proposals, and conducting original research. The nature of these activities differs and makes for considerable time variability among students in the same program.

Year-by-Year Guideline

A general guideline for planning your graduate program is described below.

During the first year, students normally complete any prerequisites that are deemed necessary by the admissions committee, the graduate advisor, or faculty advisor. General program prerequisites are noted on the Advising Form in this handbook.

In addition to prerequisites, in the fall all PhD students are required to complete the one-quarter, 4-unit Proseminar In Education (EDU 291).

All students will take the following methodology core courses:

EDU 201 Qualitative Methods (4) Winter
EDU 204A Quantitative Methods in Educational Research: Analysis of Correlation and Design (4) Spring

Second year

During the second year of the program, students complete any remaining background course work or required course work. The rest of the second year is devoted to completing courses in your area of specialization. At least 32 units (approximately eight courses) are required for the area of specialization; these are selected with the assistance of the faculty advisor. You should also complete at least two advanced methodology courses. Students will also complete the Preliminary Examination by the end of the second year.

Second/Third year

During the second and third year, students prepare for and complete the qualifying examination. The student and his or her qualifying examination committee will design a qualifying examination to assess readiness to complete the dissertation.

Fourth year plus

PhD dissertations must satisfy the standards and format of the Graduate Studies Office and those of an appropriate publications manual, for example, that of the American Psychological Association (latest edition). In general, the style and format of the journals by the AERA should be used in written work in this program.

The Office of Graduate Studies will assign a three-person committee to guide the dissertation, with one member serving as chair. Normally a student’s dissertation advisor will be the chair. All three members of the committee must approve the dissertation.

When the committee approves the dissertation, the student makes a public presentation of the dissertation results. The details of place and time for dissertation presentations will be publicly posted, and any member of the University community may attend and raise questions at this exit seminar. This presentation is not an examination, but an opportunity for students to inform members of the graduate group and others about their research. Participation in the process of research dissemination is viewed as a scholarly activity.

Expected Timeline for Completing Program Milestones 

Students entering the Ph.D. program in Education are expected to make timely progress toward completing their doctoral studies. We have defined timely progress in terms of several program milestones. The table below specifies the time that students should take to complete each milestone. Students are encouraged to complete program milestones sooner than indicated, but not at the expense of producing quality work.

Students who do not complete program milestones within a normal time period are considered by the GGE faculty to be at risk of not completing the program successfully and will be counseled by their advisor to help them get back on track as quickly as possible.

Program Milestone Years to Completion 

MILESTONE #1: Course requirements completed, Preliminary Exam passed, & Qualifying Exam committee formed two to three years from beginning of program

MILESTONE #2: Completion of both of the following two separate steps:

Qualifying exam completed
Dissertation proposal approved (Advancement to Candidacy) One year past Milestone #1, not to exceed four years from beginning of program

MILESTONE #3: Dissertation completed within four years past Milestone #2, not to exceed a total of seven years in the program.

We expect students to complete each milestone within the specified period of time. We recognize, however, that students come into the program with varied backgrounds and interest, and these will be reflected in somewhat different timelines through and between program milestones. We also recognize that exceptional circumstances can make it difficult for students to complete a program milestone within the normal period of time.

Progress in completing program milestones is an important criterion in shaping faculty evaluations of student work, including evaluations for fellowship and travel support, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. GGE faculty also look for indications of each student’s course completion record, writing and reading ability, and writing and research productivity.

Faculty members also view the PhD program as a point of entry for students into the educational research community. Evidence that students are taking some initiative in joining this community - through collegial engagement with faculty, other doctoral students, and educational researchers in other venues (conferences, associations, journals, etc.) – is regarded very favorably by faculty members, not only on its own merits but as a resource to students in developing professional skills and dispositions. Evidence that students are not engaged in collegial relations of this sort is viewed by faculty members as a liability for students who hope to complete the program successfully and in a timely manner.

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General Ph.D. Requirements

10 semester-long graduate courses, including at least 8 disciplinary. At least 5 of the 10 should be graduate-level SEAS "technical" courses (or FAS graduate-level technical courses taught by SEAS faculty), not including seminar/reading/project courses. Undergraduate-level courses cannot be used. For details on course requirements, see the school's overall PhD course requirements and the individual program pages linked therein.
Program Plan (i.e., the set of courses to be used towards the degree) approval by the Committee on Higher Degrees (CHD).
Minimum full-time academic residency of two years .
Serve as a Teaching Fellow (TF) in one semester of the second year.
Oral Qualifying Examination Preparation in the major field is evaluated in an oral examination by a qualifying committee. The examination has the dual purpose of verifying the adequacy of the student's preparation for undertaking research in a chosen field and of assessing the student's ability to synthesize knowledge already acquired. For details on arranging your Qualifying Exam, see the exam policies and the individual program pages linked therein.
Committee Meetings : PhD students' research committees meet according to the guidelines in each area's "Committee Meetings" listing. For details see the "G3+ Committee Meetings" section of the Policies of the CHD and the individual program pages linked therein.
Final Oral Examination (Defense) This public examination devoted to the field of the dissertation is conducted by the student's research committee. It includes, but is not restricted to, a defense of the dissertation itself. For details of arranging your final oral exam see the Ph.D. Timeline page.
Dissertation Upon successful completion of the qualifying examination, a committee chaired by the research supervisor is constituted to oversee the dissertation research. The dissertation must, in the judgment of the research committee, meet the standards of significant and original research.

Optional additions to the Ph.D. program

Harvard PhD students may choose to pursue these additional aspects:

a Secondary Field (which is similar to a "minor" subject area). SEAS offers PhD Secondary Field programs in Data Science and in Computational Science and Engineering . GSAS lists secondary fields offered by other programs.
a Master of Science (S.M.) degree conferred en route to the Ph.D in one of several of SEAS's subject areas. For details see here .
a Teaching Certificate awarded by the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning .

SEAS PhD students may apply to participate in the Health Sciences and Technology graduate program with Harvard Medical School and MIT. Please check with the HST program for details on eligibility (e.g., only students in their G1 year may apply) and the application process.

PhD Timeline

--> Also see the separate pages with on-boarding information for new PhD students <-- Information and Resources for New Graduate Students Wiki site for incoming PhD students (behind Harvard Key)

First Year (G1)

Notify your financial aid officers of any external funding. Contact: Erin Bishop in SEAS Finance and Emily Fingerle in GSAS Financial Aid.
Make note of the course registration deadline. (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies Academic Calendar.
Register for courses before the deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day")
Mid-January: Deadline for submitting materials to be reviewed at the January CHD meetings .
Late-January: Course registration deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day").
G1s: Your Prospective Program Plan due to the Office of Academic Programs on this day.
Transfer of up to 3 classes of coursework may be allowed. Include the Application for Credit for Work Done Elsewhere with your Prospective Program Plan.
April 1: Research Advisor Selection Form /Research Assistant appointment form due to Office of Academic Programs.
Note: The April CHD meeting is the last CHD meeting in all academic year. CHD does not meet over the summer. Remember to plan ahead.

Second year (G2)

Throughout year.

G2’s are required to serve as a Teaching Fellow in either the Fall or Spring semester.
Make sure you complete the TF form once you line up a TF position!
G2’s are required to take their qualifying exam in either the Fall or Spring terms.
Email quals_defenses@seas to book a room. If you book your own room (e.g., external to SEAS) you must still email quals_defenses@seas well in advance in order for your required documentation to be ready, else your exam cannot take place.
Upon completion of the exam, students are required to submit the Designation of Research Committee form to OAP.
If you plan to request a delay of the qualifying exam, complete a Request to Delay Qual Exam form. Note that delays until September (i.e. start of G3 year) are typically approved as a matter of course
Mid-September: Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies Academic Calendar.
Mid-October : Final Program Plan due to OAP; see the CHD page for dates.
Late-January : Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies Academic Calendar.
May 1 : Advising Agreement form due to OAP.
May: Commencement and diploma options for Masters en Route / Continuing Master’s students - You can apply to receive your S.M. degree en route to your PhD after you have completed eight of your core courses (this requirement may depend on area). You will receive your S.M. diploma, and participate in the Commencement if you choose to. However since you will be considered a non-terminal degree recipient, you will not be able to join the ceremony in Sander's Theater.

Third year (G3+) and beyond

Meet with your Research Committee at least annually, as indicated by your area's expectations.
Send any changes to your Final Program Plan to the CHD for review. See the CHD page for submission dates. Note that the Committee on Higher Degrees expects students not to petition for a revised Program Plan less than a year prior to the final defense in case additional coursework is required, so it's important to keep your plan up to date with your courses as actually taken.
Inform OAP of any changes to your research committee .
PhD candidates can review their eligibility to receive an SM en route .
Early-September: Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies Academic Calendar.
Late-January: Course Registration Deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). See the GSAS Policies Academic Calendar
May 1 : RA reappointment form due to OAP.

Completing your degree

Degree application.

Check out FAS degree-completion information here (Registrar) and deadlines here (GSAS calendar)
Complete the degree application via my.harvard by the Registrar's deadline.
If you schedule your own room (e.g., external to SEAS) you must still email quals_defenses@seas well in advance in order for your required documentation to be ready, else your defense cannot take place. You must also get agreement from your full committee to hold your defense in a non-SEAS room.

Dissertation Submission and Commencement

The best way to share your dissertation with others is by linking to the DASH copy. DASH uses persistent URLs and provides you with download statistics, and the DASH copy of your PDF will not include the signed Dissertation Acceptance Certificate (DAC). If you choose to post or share your PDF in some other way, you should remove the DAC page so that readers do not have access to the scanned signatures.
Get ready for commencement by updating your email and other contact information via my.harvard.edu .

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Imperial College London Imperial College London

Timeline of a PhD

A typical PhD, taken over 3-4 years, is structured as follows:

First three months

During your first 3 months you settle in and prepare an initial research plan with your supervisor.

Your research plan gives a statement of the general topic area, an initial formulation of the issues to be addressed, a list of principal references on which the work will draw, and objectives for the first year of study. Your supervisor may also ask you to attend some of the undergraduate lectures.

You will also need register for the Graduate School's Professional Skills programme . If you are a non-native English speaker you will also have your English language ability assessed.

First six months

You can expect to spend your first 6 months undertaking literature searches and defining your project. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor. You will also meet the personal tutor (a member of staff from a different research group).

Months 7-18

You continue to work on your research project, and will have the opportunity to attend the Graduate School's Professional Skills courses on advanced writing, career planning, presentation and progressing.

An Early Stage Assessment is submitted by the end of month 9.

This report sets out the main research areas, details of work done so far, and a programme for future work. You attend an interview with one or two assessors and your supervisor. This assessment confirms your suitability to continue with your PhD programme.

You will have also attended some, or all of, the Graduate School's Professional Skills training on topics such as professional conduct, project management, and a residential course on research skills and development.

Months 18-24

Late stage review (22 months after registration).

You will be required to submit a report that contains the contents page for your thesis, a statement of expected contributions, achievements to date and a plan for completion of work and thesis. You will be assessed by interview with one or more assessors and your supervisor.

Months 24-36

You continue working on your research project. You will also have the opportunity to attend courses on career planning, and completing your research.

At the end of 36th month, you will complete a Progress Review, which will determine whether you will be moving up to the writing up status or maintain active registration.

Months 36-48

Progress Review ( at 36 months ). It is decided whether you should move to writting up stage or have your acitve registration extended.

Thesis submission ( by the end of 48th month )

Your thesis is your account of the work you have done, which should form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and show evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or the exercise of independent critical power. The thesis is examined by an oral exam. There are two examiners: one from Imperial College and one from another university. The oral exam usually lasts for 2-3 hours, and you will find out the result immediately after the exam.

UCL Ear Institute

Typical timetable for full-time PhD student (3 ...

Typical timetable for full-time PhD student (3 Year)

By 1 month	Research Log activated Field of Study agreed Assignment of Supervisors Timetable for supervisory meetings and progress reports
Before 3 months	Agreement of thesis work plan, research method and timetable Agreement of and attendance at Skills Development Programme and arrangements made for any further required study
6 months	Research Log updated with progress report
12 months	Agreement of programme for second year of study Writing of upgrade report and upgrade viva takes place Transfer of registration from MPhil to PhD (between 9–18 months, but as early as reasonable).
24 months	Submission and assessment of second year progress report on research log Agreement of thesis structure and strict timetable for thesis writing
30 months (not less than 4 months before expected date of submission	Submit entry for examination form Submit nomination of examiners form
36-48 months	Complete Research Log Transfer to Completing Research Student status (if necessary) Submission of thesis

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Find out what our current cohort of research students are getting up to, where our past students have ended up and whether we have any Studentships currently advertised on our jobs page:

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Sample timeline for PhD students

April 25, 2015 by Kathleen K. Treseder

Read broadly and deeply in area of interest

Apply for fellowships and student-oriented grants

Develop plan for summer project (by April)

Perform field or lab project in summer

Develop idea for dissertation research and begin writing dissertation proposal (by December)

Complete formal literature review, meta-analysis, proof-of-method, or proof-of concept related to dissertation idea (by end of Spring Quarter)

Submit manuscript from above study (by end of summer)

Submit dissertation proposal to committee (by end of September)

Advance to Candidacy (by end of October)

Submit NSF DDIG proposal (October)

Perform field or lab research

Submit manuscript for completed lab or field work (by end of summer)

Complete remaining field and lab work

Apply for postdoctoral positions and funding

Finish writing dissertation

Defend dissertation and submit final version to UCI (by end of Spring Quarter)

Submit manuscript for completed lab or field work

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College of Business > News & Events > Driehaus Hosts 30th Anniversary Celebration of the PhD Project

At The PhD Project’s 30th Reunion, Participants Share Insights and Celebrate Community

By Meredith Carroll / August 23, 2024 / Posted in: Faculty, College and Schools / Twitter / Facebook

A group of people in business casual attire lean in, laughing, from their seats in a small lecture hall

“I’ve done some press in advance of this event,” said Associate Professor of Accountancy Stephani Mason, a PhD Project alumna and a DePaul professor who was heavily involved in organizing the event, “and I keep getting asked, ‘What does the PhD Project mean to you?’ My answer, in a word: Family.”

From a Few Mentors to an Exponential Impact: The PhD Project Family Tree

The PhD Project, founded in 1994, aims to diversify the world of business. The initiative does so by giving Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, and Native American business professionals and students the mentorship and resources they need to earn business PhDs and pursue careers in the academy. There, in turn, they can become mentors for the next generation of BIPOC leaders in business and in business education.

DePaul has close ties to The Project. The late Sandra Shelton, who served as the KPMG/Neil F. Casson Endowed Professor of Accountancy at DePaul, was the first PhD Project member to be capped as new faculty that year. She went on, during her time at DePaul, to inspire and mentor countless others . Shelton also served as a long-standing member of The Project’s annual conference planning committee.

Among them? Mason, as well as the Dr. Barry Jay Epstein Endowed Professor of Accounting Kelly Richmond Pope and Associate Professor of Marketing Jim Alvarez Mourey. All three are PhD Project alumni.

A woman holds a microphone and speaks in front of a projector screen

Indeed, over the past thirty years, the number of Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, or Native American business school faculty has increased from just 294 to more than 1,700: a sixfold increase. The PhD Projects now counts 10 college presidents and 89 deans among its alumni, who are spread out across a total of 670 campuses nationwide.

Passion and Connection: Insights from the Conference

Four people in business attire pose, smiling, in front of a large bookcase

Pope shared how her career trajectory took her from working in accounting to working in academia to producing an award-winning documentary, All the Queen’s Horses, about the largest case of municipal fraud in American history. It’s a path, she stressed, that stemmed from her belief in the power of storytelling to engage audiences.

Janine Sanders Jones, Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship, Teaching, and Service Excellence at the University of St. Thomas, shared her experience developing a business-school-specific institute that trains faculty to create inclusive classroom environments.

“What are you doing in the classroom that could potentially signal to a student that they don’t belong? Or that they’ll get a different experience than other s?” she advises faculty to ask themselves. “Get to know your students. Not just their name but their storie s.”

Alvarez Mourey shared how similar considerations informed the creation of Business 101, part of the award-winning core curriculum at Driehaus.

“We designed the class to give students a taste of each discipline. We can’t assume students have background knowledge” about their options within the world of business, he said. “As a first-generation college student, I definitely didn’t know about all the majors available to me.”

“It’s not enough to bring our students in,” he added. “It’s our job to set them on a path to a career.”

Amidst a Fraught Environment, a Commitment to DEI for the Long Haul

The conference and celebration took place in an increasingly fraught environment for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in higher education. State legislatures have curtailed such initiatives, or even banned them outright .

The conference brought this context to the fore — and gave attendees the chance to process it. Some shared advice, such as finding allies in other faculty. Others simply took the chance to feel, collectively, the impact of the backlash to DEI. That backlash, as one participant noted, has already jeopardized what is, for many, their “life’s work.”

In his opening remarks, DePaul President Robert L. Manuel re-affirmed the university’s longstanding commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that advances equity and nurtures diversity.

A middle-aged man in a suit speaks into a microphone

“I know this is not always easy work,” he added. “But it is vital to meeting the needs of our students. It is vital to our survival.”

“Faculty diversity is critical if you want to be an institution that’s doing what universities are supposed to do: producing first class scholarship research, contributing to the production of knowledge that is going to make the world a better place, and preparing the young people who are going to lead us into tomorrow," said Dr. Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change.

In this conversation, as in many others, Mason’s opening words about the project providing “family” rung particularly true.

“The PhD Project has given me people who will celebrate my accomplishments,” she said. “But perhaps more importantly: When times get rocky, as they always do, you know that there’s a group of people for you to tap into.”

Mason’s advice to her academic family? “Remind yourself who you are. And remind yourself whose you are.”

Current opportunities at Melbourne

Graduate research engagement and project officer.

Job no: 0063486 Location: Parkville Role type: Full-time; Continuing Faculty: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Department: Graduate Research Office Salary: UOM 6 – $96,459 - $104,413 p.a. plus 17% super

As required by clause 1.15.9 of the 2024 EA, current casual or fixed-term employees of the University will be provided with 7 days of prior opportunity to apply for and be considered for vacant continuing positions if they meet the following criteria:

they have been employed by the University over two or more semesters and over two consecutive calendar years,
they have been employed on a 0.5 FTE or more time fraction, and
they have the skills, experience, qualifications, and expertise required by the Selection Criteria.

In addition, redeployment candidates will be given a prior opportunity under the Recruitment and Appointment Policy together; this cohort is known as Priority Applicants.

Lead and deliver projects, events, and initiatives to enhance graduate research experiences within MDHS.
Collaborate with key stakeholders to drive impactful change and ensure compliance in graduate research, supporting faculty growth.
Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role The Graduate Research Engagement and Project Officer plays a vital role in supporting graduate researchers, academic supervisors, and professional staff within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences (MDHS). Reporting to the Graduate Research Team Coordinator, this position is responsible for delivering projects, events, and initiatives that enhance engagement with graduate research, while collaborating closely with key stakeholders to ensure compliance and support the Faculty's strategic goals.

Your responsibilities will include:

Plan, coordinate and deliver a range of complex administrative tasks to drive projects, events and collaborative activities for MDHS graduate research.
Work collaboratively with stakeholders of the Graduate Research Office to deliver collaborative activities, events and implement initiatives including policy changes across the MDHS faculty.
Create and maintain through continuous review of MDHS content on relevant websites and platforms to ensure compliance with University of Melbourne policies.

Who We Are Looking For The successful candidate will possess strong project and change management skills, coupled with excellent interpersonal and communication abilities, enabling them to influence and drive change effectively. They will excel in both independent and collaborative work, demonstrate high-level analytical problem-solving skills, and be adept at managing data and learning new software in a dynamic environment.

You will also have:

A relevant degree with experience within the higher education sector; or a combination of relevant experience and education/ training.
Demonstrated high-level project and change management skills and the ability to deliver projects within expected standards and timeframes.
Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly both in a team and independently, in an environment with changing demands.

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position . This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your New Team – Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences is a diverse faculty renowned for its research excellence, teaching, training, and policy leadership across the breadth of medical, biomedical and health science fields. Led by the Dean, Professor Jane Gunn, the faculty is Australia’s overall leader in clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences, and sits at the heart of a flourishing ecosystem of globally recognised health and biomedical organisations across Victoria. Partnerships are key to our continued success in education, research and enhancing the health and wellbeing of our communities.

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Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam's Relationship Timeline

Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam met in 2005 at a friend’s birthday party when they were 22

Jon Kopaloff/WireImage

As a star of How I Met Your Mother , Cobie Smulders knows a thing or two about fictional long-winded romance stories — but her relationship with husband Taran Killam has a sweet story of its own.

After meeting at a birthday party in 2005, the couple got married seven years later in 2012.

The actress and the Saturday Night Live alum’s relationship dates back to their early 20s. During a 2019 appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan , Smulders told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest that the “ magic [with Killam] happened 14 years ago . We’ve been together since we were 22 years young.”

“We were babies and we survived our 20s together,” she added. “I don’t know how that’s possible, but we did. It’s crazy.”

Smulders and Killam are now parents to daughters Shaelyn Cado and Janita Mae. The Stumptown star spoke to SheKnows in 2017 about how parenthood changed the pair's priorities and work-life balance.

“It’s really about putting the girls first and having to be a bit choosy about work now and doing jobs that you only really want to do … But always, in every decision I make, my daughters come first, whether that’s a work decision or a life decision, and that’s the same with my husband too," Smulders said at the time.

One role in particular that Smulders has taken on since becoming a mom is playing Maria Hill in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “In terms of being in these movies, I will say that my husband, I think, finds me more attractive than ever,” she said at a screening of Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2020. “He’s a comic fan. That’s his world — he loves it.”

From how they met to their Marvel date nights, here is everything to know about Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam's relationship.

2005: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam meet at a party

John Shearer/Getty

The Hollywood couple met at a friend’s birthday party in 2005. “We were 22, the friend was turning 30, so we were like, ‘This chick is super old. Whoa,’ ” Smulders recalled during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2019. “We met and got along and he thought that I was also 30. So it was a really funny meeting of like, ‘When were you born?' ”

2007: Cobie Smulders is diagnosed with cancer

While Smulders was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 25, she did not reveal her diagnosis until a 2015 issue of Women’s Health .

“For me at the time, I just wanted to deal with it on my own and with my family,” she later explained to PEOPLE in 2018. “I wasn’t interested in sharing it with anybody. It doesn’t really benefit the world until now, when I can say, ‘This is what I went through and I survived it. These are the things I did and these are the things I learned and these are the things I can show you.’ Before it just felt like something I want to deal with myself.”

After being diagnosed, Smulders was fearful she would not be able to have children and went on a deep-dive Google search on what she could do to help herself. Her search led her to “very bleak” results, underscoring that there were not enough resources to help at the time. Regardless, she tried everything from cutting out cheese and carbohydrates to yoga and crystal healers. Thankfully, the actress’ oncologist helped her get into remission and save enough of her ovaries for her to have two kids.

November 2008: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam announce they’re expecting their first child

Smulders’ rep confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE that the actress and her then-boyfriend Killam were expecting their first child together, due the following spring.

January 2009: Cobie Smulders confirms she is engaged to Taran Killam

Jim Spellman/WireImage

Smulders confirmed to PEOPLE in early 2009 that she and Killam were engaged. When asked if the sparkler on her left hand was an engagement ring, she said, “Yes, it is.” The HIMYM star revealed that Killam had popped the question over the holidays. While she didn’t divulge specifics about the proposal since “that’s personal,” Smulders did share that “it was very romantic.”

May 16, 2009: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam welcome their first child

Smulders and Killam became parents with the arrival of their daughter Shaelyn Cado Killam on May 16, 2009.

During an appearance on The Bonnie Hunt Show in 2010, Smulders discussed her daughter’s unique name. “My full name is Jacoba Francisca Maria Smulders, that’s a mouthful!” Smulders laughed. “Hopefully she won’t be teased too much. I went with it because I liked Shay and I had never really heard it before.”

September 8, 2012: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam get married

The longtime couple tied the knot at the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang, Calif. Prior to their nuptials, Smulders told ET Canada that their daughter Shaelyn was looking forward to the wedding — and the sweets involved. The Marvel star also shared, “She really wants a dress and she wants white shoes.”

October 21, 2014: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam announce they’re expecting their second child

PEOPLE confirmed in October 2014 that Smulders was pregnant with the couple's second child, a month after she and Killam celebrated their second wedding anniversary.

January 2015: Cobie Smulders reveals she and Taran Killam welcomed their second child

Andrew H. Walker/Getty

And baby makes four! At the Sundance Film Festival in 2015, Smulders revealed that she had recently welcomed her second child , Janita Mae Killam. “I’m in Sundance and I have a 3-week-old baby, so I can certainly relate,” she told Bustle of her movie Unexpected , in which she plays a pregnant teacher. “It’s my world at the moment, and it’s just so prevalent in the world today. I’m very lucky where I have a great career and a huge support system and not every woman has that. It’s an interesting film because it shows both of those sides.”

Her second daughter even made a brief cameo in the movie, as the actress used her real sonogram during her on-screen ultrasound.

August 11, 2016: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam work together on a project

On Aug. 11, 2016, Killam shared a photo of himself and his wife — who was snapped laughing — at work. “The happy couple. Nepotism at work. #WWKG,” he wrote alongside the snapshot. The film Killing Gunther , which was previously titled Why Were Killing Gunther , marked Killam’s directorial debut.

Killam and Smulders starred as the movie's leads, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger , who played the title role.

April 5, 2017: Taran Killam praises Cobie Smulders prior to her Broadway debut

Taran Killam/Instagram

The Single Parents star was a proud husband as he wrote a heartfelt tribute to his wife ahead of her Broadway debut in Present Laughter in 2017. “I don't normally like to get very personal on social media but tonight is the opening of this woman's Broadway debut. This woman, the kindest, most selfless, most stunning individual with the most educated heart I've ever encountered. She followed me to New York for my work and set a goal for herself,” he wrote alongside a photo of Smulders on Instagram.

Killam continued: “The only specific creative goal I've ever witnessed her commit to: perform in a play on Broadway. In these three years, she has jumped through many hoops; put herself out willingly and vulnerably, while still keeping a priority of being a superb mother and phenomenal partner.” He went on to share how proud he was of her, and thank her for the “honor” of being her husband.

July 2, 2017: Taran Killam calls Cobie Smulders “my hero”

Phillip Faraone/Getty

Killam commemorated his wife’s final night in Present Laughter by sharing a sweet photo of himself and Smulders outside of New York’s St. James Theatre. “My wife is my hero. For so many reasons outside of ‘the biz.’ But tonight she closed her Broadway debut,” he captioned the picture. “Congratulations to the most 'alluring' woman I've ever met in my life. I love you.”

March 2019: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam guest star on Arrested Development

Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Entertainment Weekly reported in March 2019 that the real-life couple would be guest-starring in multiple episodes of Arrested Development. The pair played a younger version of Lucille and George Sr., the show’s matriarch and patriarch, in the second half of season 5.

June 18, 2019: Cobie Smulders jokes about how she keeps Taran Killam faithful

VALERIE MACON/AFP/Getty

In June 2019, the Avengers actress dropped by Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she discussed letting her husband, who is a “huge fan,” peek at her Marvel scripts .

“Well, like, he’s only allowed to have sex with one woman, which is me,” Smulders told host Seth Meyers . “So I feel like it’s only fair, that’s the only way I can repay him. I don’t know what I get in return, but I feel like Marvel’s cool with that.”

April 1, 2022: Cobie Smulders marks Taran Killam’s 40th birthday

Colbie Smulders/Instagram

The actress dubbed Killam "the greatest" as she celebrated his 40th birthday on April 1, 2022. Smulders posted a throwback photo of her husband on Instagram, writing: “This guy is now 40. He is the greatest. Happy Birthday @tarzannoz ❤️.” Smulders also wrote on Instagram days earlier that Killam is “the only one” with whom she would want to share a birthday week.

On April 3 that year, Killam sweetly marked his wife’s own milestone 40th birthday. “I love her more than anything,” the Stuck in the Suburbs actor captioned a photo of Smulders . “Happiest Birthday my love. 40 never looked so good.”

November 2023: Cobie Smulders celebrates Taran Killam's new Broadway role

Smulders gave Killam a shout-out on Instagram on Nov. 17, 2023, in honor of the opening night of his Broadway show Spamalot . The actor took on the role of Lancelot in the show's revival at the St. James Theatre. "So proud watching my beloved @tarzannoz and the rest of the phenomenal cast of @spamalotbway in their opening night performance," Smulders wrote alongside a photo of her husband in costume. "It was a magical night. Bravo."

IMAGES

Guidelines to draw a timeline of your PhD
Top 5 Research Timeline Samples with Templates and Examples
How to develop an awesome PhD timeline step-by-step
How to Write a PhD Research Proposal
Sample Dissertation Timeline :
Phd Timeline Template

COMMENTS

Planning your PhD research: A 3-year PhD timeline example
The following PhD timeline example describes the process and milestones of completing a PhD within 3 years. Contents. Elements to include in a 3-year PhD timeline. The example scenario: Completing a PhD in 3 years. Example: planning year 1 of a 3-year PhD. Example: Planning year 2 of a 3-year PhD. Example: Planning year 3 of a 3-year PhD.
How to develop an awesome PhD timeline step-by-step
Contents. Why a clear PhD research timeline matters. Step 1: Decide what to include in your PhD timeline. Step 2: Discuss your provisional PhD timeline with your supervisor/s. Step 3: Design your PhD timeline. Step 4: Regularly update your PhD timeline.
A PhD timeline for finishing quickly [Free Gantt Download]
Elements to include in a 3-year PhD timeline. The initial stage in this timeline typically involves coursework, often lasting one year, where the student engrosses themselves in advanced study in their chosen field. Once the coursework is done (USA PhDs), they focus on proposing, conducting, and presenting their initial research.
The PhD Process
PhD timeline 1 month: Meet with your supervisor(s) and discuss your proposed project. Here you will clarify any changes that are needed and agree a schedule of meetings and a plan of work for the following months. ... The latest PhD projects delivered straight to your inbox; Access to our £6,000 scholarship competition; Weekly newsletter with ...
Guidelines to draw a timeline of your PhD
Guidelines for how to make & use the timeline throughout your PhD. 1. Example & download: I draw below an example for the institute where I did my PhD: the Institute of Biology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Therefore, it is designed for a 4-year PhD program with annual committee meetings and for students who spend a lot of time ...
Planning the timeline and progress of your doctoral dissertation (or
The Gantt chart is a technique I learned in graduate school when I took project management courses. This is a hypothetical Gantt chart for my doctoral student, covering about 15 months. What I suggested to her was to use backcasting techniques to plan backwards from her goal (PhD thesis defense) to intermediate goals.
How to Prepare a PhD Research Plan/Schedule?
A PhD research plan or schedule can be prepared using the GANTT chart which includes a month, semester or year-wise planning of the entire PhD research work. First, enlist goals and objectives. It's not about your research objective enlisted in your proposal. I'm talking about the objectives of your PhD.
How to Manage Your PhD Timeline for Smoother Research Completion
Follow these steps as you create your PhD Timeline: Attend the program orientation to understand specific graduation requirements. Make a list of technical events such as conferences, committee meetings, PhD viva voce, presentations, qualification examination, etc. Manage your PhD timeline term-wise or month-wise.
PhD Research Project Plan
I share my PhD Research Project Plan at Oxford and how to plan your PhD research timeline using TeamGantt to stay productive and organized as a PhD student. ...
PDF Sample Generic Timeline for Research Higher Degree Students
SAMPLE GENERIC TIMELINE FOR RESEARCH HIGHER DEGREE STUDENTS (incorporates some PhD specific requirements) Time Elapsed (in months for 3 yr study) 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 ... Skills in project management, teamwork, academic writing and oral communication; ATN Leap Communication
How to Create a Dissertation Timeline (With Examples + Tempate)
Inclusion in a Dissertation Timeline. When constructing your dissertation timeline, include every element of the dissertation from the abstract to the conclusion. Keep in mind that you may not be writing your chapters in chronological order. For instance, after completing their first round of research and writing their research question, most ...
My PhD journey in a Gantt chart incl. Open Science practices
Plan and monitor your PhD with a Gantt chart and include all of your activities in implementing Open Science practices to ensure efficiency and societal impact of your research work and efforts. This Gantt chart provides you with an example and template plan for your Ph.D. from thesis proposal writing to the thesis defense. Start with planning ...
How Do You Get a PhD? A Guide to the PhD Timeline
The average PhD length is five or six years, while some students may take eight or nine years. Regardless of how long a PhD program takes, there are some common stages of a PhD that all doctoral students share. These significant and essential milestones shape the timeline for earning your doctorate.
Creating awesome Gantt charts for your PhD timeline
Manually creating a PhD timeline Gantt chart in PowerPoint is a bit easier than in Excel. Therefore, I will explain the process here. First, you need to open a blank PowerPoint slide. Then click on Insert (1.), then Chart (2.). A popup will appear.
PhD Toolkit
Thesis Planner - Moveable tasks. This planner allows you to work out the timeline for the major tasks of your PhD. .. Free
Six project-management tips for your PhD
Six project-management tips for your PhD. Use strategies from the private sector to better manage your graduate project. One way to help manage your PhD is to create a list of specific outcomes ...
Sample PhD Research and Thesis Timeline
A research project culminating in a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree typically takes 3-6 years from time of enrollment depending on transferred credits, prior completion of a MS degree, and pace of research. ... this document provides a Gantt chart illustrating one example of a research timeline in which the student also completes a MS degree ...
PhD Projects
PhD Projects Explained. A PhD project is a comprehensive research endeavour undertaken by doctoral students to contribute new knowledge to their field. Its aim is to develop critical thinking, research skills, and subject-matter expertise, culminating in a dissertation that showcases the student's findings.
PhD Timeline and Milestones
Dissertation proposal approved (Advancement to Candidacy) One year past Milestone #1, not to exceed four years from beginning of program. MILESTONE #3: Dissertation completed within four years past Milestone #2, not to exceed a total of seven years in the program. We expect students to complete each milestone within the specified period of time.
PhD Overview and Timeline
Late-January: Course registration deadline (previously known as "Study Card Day"). Mid-February: Deadline for submitting materials to be reviewed at the March CHD meetings. G1s: Your Prospective Program Plan due to the Office of Academic Programs on this day. Transfer of up to 3 classes of coursework may be allowed.
Timeline of a PhD
A typical PhD, taken over 3-4 years, is structured as follows: ... Timeline of a PhD. A typical PhD, taken over 3-4 years, is structured as follows: ... or all of, the Graduate School's Professional Skills training on topics such as professional conduct, project management, and a residential course on research skills and development. Months 18-24.
Typical timetable for full-time PhD student (3 Year)
Transfer of registration from MPhil to PhD (between 9-18 months, but as. early as reasonable). 24 months: Submission and assessment of second year progress report on research log. Agreement of thesis structure and strict timetable. for thesis writing . 30 months (not less than 4 months before expected date of submission
Sample timeline for PhD students
Sample timeline for PhD students. April 25, 2015 by Kathleen K. Treseder. Year 1. Read broadly and deeply in area of interest. Apply for fellowships and student-oriented grants. Develop plan for summer project (by April) Perform field or lab project in summer. Year 2.
Website Offers Compensation Project Resources, Info for Staff, Faculty
The faculty project page outlines the methodology behind the project, implementation details, and the timeline for additional market adjustment applications for affected faculty. Graduate Assistant Benchmarking Project. The Graduate School benchmarked minimum graduate assistant base pay within the Southeastern Conference.
Driehaus Hosts 30th Anniversary Celebration of the PhD Project
The PhD Project, founded in 1994, aims to diversify the world of business. The initiative does so by giving Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic American, and Native American business professionals and students the mentorship and resources they need to earn business PhDs and pursue careers in the academy. There, in turn, they can become ...
Details : Graduate Research Engagement and Project Officer : The
Job no: 0063486 Location: Parkville Role type: Full-time; Continuing Faculty: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Department: Graduate Research Office Salary: UOM 6 - $96,459 - $104,413 p.a. plus 17% super As required by clause 1.15.9 of the 2024 EA, current casual or fixed-term employees of the University will be provided with 7 days of prior opportunity to apply for and be considered ...
Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam's Relationship Timeline
August 11, 2016: Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam work together on a project . On Aug. 11, 2016, Killam shared a photo of himself and his wife — who was snapped laughing — at work. "The happy ...