The following standards apply to all students seeking a doctoral degree at Seattle Pacific University.

• You must satisfactorily complete the approved program of study.
• You must complete at least a 3-credit graduate course in Christian faith and values. 
• You must maintain the professional and personal standards expected of graduate students stipulated for each program. Failure to maintain these standards may result in removal from the program of study and degree status. 
• You must maintain the required minimum cumulative SPU GPA in your program, which will be no lower than 3.0, and may be higher in some programs.
• No course for which a grade less than a C (2.0) is earned may be accepted toward a doctoral degree. Higher standards may be required by specific programs. 
• Doctoral courses may not be taken for a pass/no-credit option, with the exception of thesis, dissertation, research, practicum, internships, and projects. Any exceptions are determined at the discretion of the doctoral programs.
• All doctoral internship, thesis, and project courses must be completed within three years of initial enrollment in the course. Students enrolled in such courses will receive a doctoral in-progress grade of “G” until the course is completed. After a lapse of three years the “G” becomes permanent.
• All courses applied toward doctoral degrees must be taken within a specific period immediately preceding the granting of the degree. Each doctoral program’s length is noted in the specific program section.
• The last 15 credits of the degree must be earned at SPU.
• See Limitations on Credit in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.