Colorado Technical University

Can a Phd program be completed in 2 years?

I am done with my masters and I need to know if I can complete a PhD in 2 years if I rush against time, is it a possibility at all? I will start my courses this fall (06) and is their any chance I can finish by summer of 2008. Is their a technical limitation on the minimum number of years you have to enrol in a doctoral program before graduating? Thanks for all responses so far! Actually, I am not worried about the coursework, load etc etc because I am for all practical purposes a recluse and a workaholic. My concern is mainly if it is allowed legally? Again, Can a graduate (finished masters) complete PhD in two years?

Public Comments

1. People used to go to school to earn a degree. These days a lot of people just buy the things. Why waste two years?
2. no! there is no such thing as a 2 year PhD, at least not in the US (some international universities give out Doctorates in 2 years, but not PhD), so if you are looking for a shortcut for a quick degree, there are options. But if you're looking for a genuine Ph.D degree then its gonna be at least 3 (normally 4 years or more). Why? because Ph.D's invent something completely new to this world, and i dont know if you can do that in 2 years.
3. It'll probably take you two years to complete the coursework and pass your comps, if not more. Then you have to do your dissertation. How long that takes depends on your field. In the humanities, its a ton of research and a 300 page (minimum) paper. In the sciences its a shorter paper, but you still have to do the research so that you can report the results. There just aren't any shortcuts.
4. In most PhD programs, there are at least two years of coursework, followed by language exams (usually French, German, and whatever other languages are necessary for your field of study), then comprehensive exams, then writing a dissertation, then defending a dissertation. I have never known anyone to complete the process in under 3 and a half years, and I know hundreds of PhDs. However, residency requirements can vary. You might be done with your coursework by summer of 2008, and if you pass your language exams by then (you can usually take them anytime), then you might not be required to remain in residency. You could, for example, move elsewhere and then come back to campus for your qualifying exams when you are ready, and then come back yet again to defend your dissertation. I took a fellowship out of state right after my comps, and then got a job as a visiting assistant professor right after that, so it took me a couple of years to finish my dissertation since I was teaching full time. So I just stayed in touch with my advisor and my committee members for a couple of years, and eventually returned to campus to defend.
5. If you have absolutely no life and load up on the classes it could be done...
6. wait untill you have more than 2 years, a two year Phd is a waste of time