Adult & Continuing Education FAQs

Listed below are some frequently asked questions we often receive from students and others expressing interest in our Adult & Continuing Education (ACED) PhD Program. Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to us at elps@utk.edu

When do classes usually meet for the Ph.D. program? Also, are they synchronous or asynchronous? This information is of value to me as a parent.

• This distance program uses an asynchronous format (canvas 24/7 access and no residential requirement) for course delivery to better accommodate adult learners’/working professionals’ time and obligations/responsibilities. We apply the cohort model, which means we offer two courses per semester, including summer (6 classes per year). We estimate the coursework will be completed in about 3 years, and the students will move to taking comps, preparing dissertation proposals, and conducting dissertation research, then writing It up for defense, and then graduate in a little over 5 years if the students keep the pace with the program. 

How long is the online Ph.D. program expected to take to complete? Are courses offered in the Summer?

• We use a cohort model for course offerings, which means we offer two courses per semester (including Summer), for a total of six courses per year. If a student keeps up with the program, they are expected to complete their coursework in a little over three years. After that, they move on to the stages of taking their comp exams, preparing dissertation proposals and research, defending it and graduating, which takes about five more years.

Are there any on-campus requirements involved in the Ph.D. program? 

• No, the entire program is delivered online asynchronously without any on-campus requirements, except for the graduate commencement ceremony where students can choose to participate if interested in doing so.

I am interested in learning more about the financial aid and funding offerings for the Ph.D. program. Specifically, are assistantships and fellowships available, despite the program being online?

• Our program is a distance education program that offers 6 hours of credits (2 courses per semester, including Summer). Therefore, the new distance education program students are not considered full-time students (taking 9 or more hours each semester) and thus are not eligible for the assistantship and most of the fellowship. Our program is designed for adult learners, and most are working professionals, so we offer 2 classes per semester to accommodate their program study alongside their work and family balance.

I am interested in the Ph.D. program. My goal is to start in the Summer or Fall. What is the application deadline?

• Our program’s application deadline to begin in the Fall is February 1^st, and we do not admit students during the summer terms. Also, our program’s application deadline to begin in the Spring is October 1^st.