Students who decide to work towards a PhD on part-time basis will be required to complete the same amount of work as full-time students. Schools may restrict the course load of part-time PhD students, but typically they are given seven to ten years to finish their work. Some universities may require students who are working towards a PhD on a part-time basis to have work experience in the field they are studying. A masters degree may fulfill some of the graduate work, and bachelor's degrees are usually always required.
Part-time PhD students at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois are required to register each individual semester throughout the entire program until they have completed their degree. Part-time students who are working full time may only take one course per quarter. According to the website Education-portal.com, students must complete the program within nine years from the start date unless an extension is authorized by the school.
New York University Courant Institute of Arts and Sciences offers part-time PhD program in computer science for individual who are already employed in the field. Education-portal.com states that students must complete two course or six credits per semester, according to the website. Students enrolled in the program have ten years to complete their PhD. They may apply for exemption from some courses if they can pass a challenge exam with a minimum grade of A minus.