Clinical Timeline

Task	Aspirational Goal	Probation Deadline	Final Termination Deadline
Propose M.A. thesis	Fall, Second Year	End of Third Year	End of Fourth Year
Defend final M.A. thesis	Fall, Third Year	End of Fourth Year	End of Fifth Year
Comps	Spring, Third Year	Fall of Fifth Year	Fall of Sixth Year
Propose dissertation	Fall, Fourth Year	End of Fifth Year	End of Sixth Year
Defend dissertation	Spring, Fifth Year	Fall of Sixth Year	End of Seventh Year
Attend / complete internship	Sixth Year	End of Seventh Year	End of Eighth Year

 

Goals are meant to keep students on track, but sometimes students and their major professor may intentionally exceed the goals in order to maximize the student’s academic training while at USF (e.g., to enhance their CV with additional publications before they go on the job market, to master a new research methodology, etc.).

Probation deadlines are the last possible time that students can complete each milestone and remain in good-standing. Students who fail to meet a deadline will be placed on probation (usually for a one-year period). In conjunction with the major professor and with the approval of the clinical faculty, the Director of Clinical Training will write a letter to the student (filed with the college and graduate school) that outlines the nature of the deficiency and the required remedy. Failure to meet the terms of the probation will be grounds to recommend dismissal of the student from the program.

In extraordinary circumstances (e.g., student’s serious health problem, massive problems with data collection that are not the fault of the student, such as the new HIPAA regulations) the clinical faculty can allow a student to exceed these established deadlines without penalty.