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International Student and Scholar Services Ph.D. Student Topics Ph.D. students in F-1 or J-1 status sponsored by Georgetown University are advised by Kate Billings. Please contact Kate with any questions about your immigration status. - Registration International Ph.D. students in F-1 or J-1 status are required to maintain a full course of study throughout the doctoral program. During the coursework phase of study, these students must register for a minimum of 9 credits per semester. Any drop below this minimum course load requirement must be authorized in advance by the IS Advisor. To request a reduced course load, F-1 students must complete the F-1 Part-time Enrollment Form and J-1 students must complete the J-1 Part-time Enrollment Form. Throughout the dissertation research phase, students must register for dissertation research credits. Both the resident and non-resident thesis research sections meet the full course load requirement, either alone or in combination with coursework. Non-resident thesis research is only available for students who are conducting research outside the Washington, D.C. area. If a student opts to enroll in non-resident thesis research and will be conducting research abroad, the student must contact the IS Advisor prior to leaving the United States to ensure that s/he understands the implications of time spent abroad on his/her immigration status. Once a request for Advanced Standing has been approved by the Graduate School, students must contact the IS Advisor, as this approval may affect the length of the doctoral program and, therefore, the end date on the immigration document. Employment workshops are offered by OIP each spring semester. Students who are unable to attend an employment session should see the IS Advisor for more information. The following information is specific to Ph.D. student employment. Most volunteer positions do not require employment authorization. However, some organizations in the D.C. metro area require further verification of this information, so please see the IS Advisor for a verification letter in these instances. Unlike other degree-seeking students in F-1 status, Ph.D. students are eligible for full-time, off-campus work authorization (OPT) prior to completion of the doctoral degree. The student may apply for full-time OPT upon completion of all coursework requirements. Please note: the OPT application may require 90-120 days processing time. For more information on OPT, please see our information on F-1 Optional Practical Training. Ph.D. students in J -1 status are eligible for up to 36 months of Academic Training (AT), which may be completed during the program of study, upon completion of the degree, or a combination of both. Please note that AT authorization requires an original job offer letter and 3-5 business days for processing. For more information on AT, please visit the J-1 Academic Training section of the OIP website. F-1 or J-1 students in the United States must update the IS Advisor with any changes to the academic program of study. Therefore, if a Ph.D. student will not continue in the doctoral program for any reason, s/he must contact the IS Advisor to review the implications of this decision on the F-1 or J-1 immigration status. Voluntary Withdrawal (no degree awarded) Termination of Candidacy (no degree awarded) Terminating with a Master’s Degree Please note: students who are eligible to receive a terminal Master's degree must file the Student Petition for Change to Graduate Program Form with the Graduate School. According to the Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), Ph.D. students are given a maximum of five years to complete the doctoral program after they have achieved candidacy. Some students may complete the program in a shorter amount of time, while other students may need to request an extension of the academic program. Both circumstances will require an accompanying adjustment of the immigration document for students in F-1 or J-1 status. Defining Completion of Studies Please note the following issues associated with revisions crossing into new semester: (1) if the period of revisions crosses into a new semester, students must enroll in continuous registration and must submit the dissertation by the end of that semester in order to maintain valid F-1 or J-1 status. (2) A student who has defended the dissertation in one semester but will submit the dissertation in the next semester is NOT eligible for teaching or research assistant/associate positions per GSAS policy. While the IS Advisor receives regular reports from the Graduate School regarding students who have submitted a dissertation, it remains the student’s responsibility to meet with the IS Advisor when scheduling the oral defense. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the timely filing of a post-completion work authorization request, a process which includes an estimation of the dissertation submission date and, consequently, an amended expiration date and related grace period on the immigration document. If a student has not already been in contact with the IS Advisor regarding the submission of a post-completion employment application, s/he is urged to contact the IS Advisor following a successful oral defense. For more information on F-1 post-completion employment, please see information on F-1 Optional Practical Training. For more information on J-1 post-completion employment, please see information on J-1 Academic Training. Extending the Period of Study |
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