Ph.D. Degree Progress Flow

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Plan · Progress · Complete

Ph.D. degree requirements include coursework and credit requirements, academic research ethics, advisor selection, the Doctoral Qualification Examination, doctoral candidacy, doctoral dissertation proposal review, department seminar presentation, the Doctoral Degree Examination, and graduation procedures.

Some requirements have specific application periods or completion deadlines. Students are encouraged to plan ahead according to their research progress. This page summarizes the major procedures, key deadlines, and commonly used forms. Eligibility and procedures are governed by the Department's and University's current regulations and official announcements linked below.

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01
Degree Requirements Overview

The sequence below summarizes the major requirements. It is not a fixed year-by-year schedule.

Admission
Coursework / Credits + Academic Research Ethics
Advisor Selection / Research Planning
Doctoral Qualification Examination
Publication-Based Waiver
Complete the Requirements for Doctoral Candidacy
Candidacy criterion + doctoral dissertation proposal review
Doctoral Candidacy
Complete Both Qualification Examination Subjects
Pass the examinations or complete approved journal-paper waivers
Before the Doctoral Degree Examination
Department seminar presentation / first draft / first similarity check
Doctoral Degree Examination
Dissertation Revision / Second Similarity Check / Graduation Procedures
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02
Key Deadlines and Planning Notes

Review the major regulatory deadlines first; recurring application and examination periods are listed separately below.

Academic Milestones
First Academic Year

Ph.D. freshman scholarship applications: Students planning to apply for the NSTC Doctoral Research Scholarship or the Elite Scholarship for International Ph.D. Students should contact Department faculty early and confirm advising willingness.

Complete academic research ethics education. Under the Department of Economics Academic Guidelines for the Ph.D. Program, doctoral students must complete the required academic research ethics education during the first academic year through the Taiwan Academic Ethics Education Resource Center, with at least three hours of study in principle, and pass the online assessment.

By the End of September in Year 2

Students planning to apply for a publication-based waiver of the Doctoral Qualification Examination: in accordance with 《國立東華大學經濟學系論文指導教授與研究生互動準則》, must submit the Ph.D. Student Dissertation Advisor Agreement by the end of September in Year 2.

Before the End of the Second Semester of Year 2

All other doctoral students: in accordance with 《國立東華大學經濟學系論文指導教授與研究生互動準則》, must select an advisor and complete the Ph.D. Student Dissertation Advisor Agreement before the end of the second semester of Year 2.

Within 4 Semesters after Admission

Doctoral Qualification Examination: Under the National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy, students must pass at least one subject of the Doctoral Qualification Examination within four semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave.

Publication-based waiver: students applying to waive subject(s) of the Doctoral Qualification Examination by published journal papers must submit the application within four semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave.

Within 6 Semesters after Admission

Retaking the Doctoral Qualification Examination: Under the National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy, a student who scores below 70 in a subject may apply to retake the Examination within six semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave. Each subject may be retaken no more than twice.

Fixed Application and Examination Schedule
Application Period: May 1–31 and October 1–31 each year
Examination Schedule: Within one week before the start of each semester

Source: National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy

Ph.D. Program Duration 2 to 7 years

Source: Department of Economics Academic Guidelines for the Ph.D. Program

Extended Deadline for Specific Student Categories

Students entering the Ph.D. program without a master's degree in economics or a related field, as well as international students, overseas Chinese students, and in-service students, may be granted an additional year to satisfy the relevant requirements. The extension requires Department approval and is not automatic.

Source: National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy

Planning Notes

  • Students considering publication-based waivers should plan their research and submission schedule with their advisor as early as possible.
  • A journal paper used for a waiver must meet the applicable requirements, including coauthorship with a Department advisor where required, and the waiver application is subject to a deadline.
  • The time from journal submission through review, revision, and formal acceptance is uncertain; students should allow sufficient time.
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03
Early-Stage Requirements

Complete the initial coursework planning, academic research ethics education, and advisor selection requirements.

Advisor Selection

Ph.D. Freshman Scholarship Eligibility Reminder: Students planning to apply for the NSTC Doctoral Research Scholarship or the Elite Scholarship for International Ph.D. Students are advised to contact Department faculty early and confirm advising willingness because the application materials include an advisor recommendation letter. See Graduate Scholarships for application schedules, eligibility, and required documents.

Requirement In accordance with 《國立東華大學經濟學系論文指導教授與研究生互動準則》, doctoral students must select an advisor before the end of the second semester of Year 2.

Students who plan to apply for a publication-based waiver of the Doctoral Qualification Examination must submit the Ph.D. Student Dissertation Advisor Agreement by the end of September in Year 2.

Coursework and Credits

Requirement Follow the Ph.D. curriculum / course map. Before applying for the Doctoral Degree Examination, students must complete the courses and credits required by the Department.

Changing Your Advisor

A change of advisor must follow 《國立東華大學經濟學系論文指導教授與研究生互動準則》. In principle, the student must submit the Graduate Student Declaration for Change of Thesis/Dissertation Advisor together with a new Ph.D. Student Dissertation Advisor Agreement, signed by the new advisor, and obtain approval from the Department Chair.

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04
Doctoral Qualification Examination and Publication-Based Waivers

The Doctoral Qualification Examination and publication-based waivers are two different ways to satisfy the Department's qualification examination requirements.

Regulation: National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy

A | Doctoral Qualification Examination
Subjects
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics.
Application Period
May 1–31 and October 1–31 each year.
Examination Schedule
Within one week before the start of each semester.
Passing Standard
Minimum passing score of 70 in each subject.
Within 4 Semesters
Students must pass at least one subject within four semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave.
Retakes
A student who does not pass a subject may apply to retake the Examination within six semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave. Each subject may be retaken no more than twice.
B | Publication-Based Waiver
Application Deadline
Within four semesters after admission, excluding semesters of leave.
Advisor Approval
The application must be signed and approved by the student's Department advisor.
General Requirement
The paper must meet the journal, review, field, and coauthorship requirements specified in the National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy.
One Paper
May waive one subject of the Doctoral Qualification Examination.
Two Papers
May waive both subjects.
Specified Journal
One paper meeting the specified journal condition in the regulation may waive both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics examinations.

Reference Materials for Waiver Eligibility (Chinese Only)

Planning Note

Journal review and acceptance timelines are uncertain. Students considering a publication-based waiver should plan their research and submission schedule with their advisor as early as possible and allow sufficient time before the application deadline.

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05
Doctoral Candidacy

To become eligible for doctoral candidacy, students must satisfy both Condition A and Condition B.

Regulation: National Dong Hwa University Department of Economics Regulations for the Qualification Assessment of Doctoral Candidacy

Condition A | Choose One of the Following
① Pass both subjects of the Doctoral Qualification Examination.
② Pass one subject of the Doctoral Qualification Examination + present one paper at an eligible academic conference.
③ Present two different papers at eligible academic conferences.

Eligible Academic Conferences

  • The Annual Conference of the Taiwan Economic Association or other conferences organized by the Taiwan Economic Association.
  • Conferences organized by Academia Sinica.
  • International conferences held in Taiwan by professional academic societies.
  • International conferences held abroad where the student presents an English-language paper orally in English.
Condition B | Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Review
  • The dissertation proposal must be approved by the advisor.
  • The Department arranges a public review meeting.
  • The advisor serves as chair of the review meeting.
  • Three professors or experts in the relevant field are invited to participate in the review.
  • If the review is conducted online, the meeting must be recorded in full and the recording submitted to the Department office as required by the current form.
Condition A (choose one) + Condition B (doctoral dissertation proposal review) → Doctoral Candidacy

Important Clarification: The Doctoral Qualification Examination and Doctoral Candidacy Are Separate Requirements

Becoming eligible for doctoral candidacy does not necessarily mean that both subjects of the Doctoral Qualification Examination have been passed or waived. For example, a student may become eligible for doctoral candidacy by presenting two eligible conference papers and passing the doctoral dissertation proposal review. If both qualification examination subjects have not yet been passed or waived, the student must still satisfy those examination requirements before applying for the Doctoral Degree Examination.

Conference papers may satisfy a doctoral candidacy criterion, but they are not the same as published journal papers used to waive subject(s) of the Doctoral Qualification Examination.

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06
Before Applying for the Doctoral Degree Examination

After obtaining doctoral candidacy, students must complete the following requirements before submitting an application for the Doctoral Degree Examination.

Pre-Application Preparation

Check these separately: completion of both qualification examination subjects and doctoral candidacy are separate pre-application requirements. Students who obtained doctoral candidacy through conference papers must separately confirm whether both qualification examination subjects have been passed or waived.

After completing the Department-level requirements and checklist, proceed to the Office of Academic Affairs application process for the Doctoral Degree Examination.

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07
Doctoral Degree Examination and Graduation

After completing the Department-level checklist, proceed to the University application, oral examination, dissertation revision, and graduation procedures.

01
Department-Level Checklist

Complete the Department's pre-application checklist and confirm all Department-level degree requirements.

03
Revise the Dissertation

After passing the Doctoral Degree Examination, revise the dissertation according to the examination committee's comments within the permitted period of study and obtain advisor approval.

04
Second Similarity Check / Graduation Procedures

Second Dissertation Similarity Check: after revision, run the similarity check again. The similarity index must be below 20%. Obtain the advisor's signed approval and complete graduation / clearance procedures.

If You Cannot Complete the Degree Examination in the Same Semester

Follow the Regulations of Master and Doctoral Degrees Examination and the current academic calendar to withdraw the application within the applicable deadline. The Office of Academic Affairs' current-semester announcement governs the exact deadline and consequences of late withdrawal.

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08
Related Regulations and Forms

The relevant links are provided within each section above. This section provides a consolidated list of the major regulations, forms, and University systems.

Department Regulations
Department Forms / Checklists
University Regulations and Systems
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