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Petitions and Forms

PhD Committee Nomination Forms & Final Defense Forms

  • Nomination for Oral Qualifying Exam Committee (Form 2)

    Nominate the oral qualifying exam committee -  Access via R'Grad

    Deadline: The Form 2 must be submitted at least 2 weeks (preferably 1 month) prior to the oral qualifying examination. 

    Overall Committee  

    • Must consist of 5 members, the majority of whom must be affiliated with the student’s graduate program. 
    • All committee members should normally be voting members of the UC Academic Senate.  
      • Any exceptions must hold a Ph.D., be qualified for a UC faculty appointment, and must be supported by a memo of justification from the Graduate Advisor.  
        • A memo need not be written for those holding Adjunct faculty positions.
        • For Cooperative Extension specialists, a vita and memo of support should be forwarded the first time that they are nominated to serve.

    Chairperson  

    • Must be from the academic unit supervising the student's Ph.D. program. 
    • Must be a voting member of the UC Academic Senate. 

    Outside Member  

    • Must be a voting member of the UC Academic Senate. 
    • Must not hold an appointment in the student's academic unit or graduate group (A cooperating faculty member from the student’s department cannot be an outside member). 
    • This person represents the faculty at large and acts most importantly as a "third party ensuring fairness." 
    • Special expertise in the area of the student's dissertation is not expected; this member's academic field may be unrelated to the field of study of the student and the other committee members. 

     

  • Report of Oral Qualifying Exam & Nomination of Dissertation Committee (Form 3)

    Report the results of the oral qualifying exam & nominate a dissertation committee 

    Please bring this form with you to your exam. After your exam you have 48 hours to take the form to the MSE Graduate Advisor for their signature (We suggest you make an appointment with them ahead of time); and once you have the MSE Graduate Advisor signature please take the form to Grad Division in the University Office Building

    Deadline: The Form 3 must be submitted within 48 hours of the Oral Qualifying Examination taking place. 

    The form should be completed as follows:  

    • The exact date of the Oral Qualifying Examinations must be provided. 
    • Each committee member must provide a wet signature and indicate whether or not they approve the student’s exam. 
    • The student’s dissertation committee should be nominated on the bottom portion of the form. The names of the proposed committee members should be printed; signatures are not required. 

    Overall Committee

    • Must consist of at least 3 members, the majority of whom must be affiliated with the student’s graduate program. 
    • All committee members should normally be voting members of the UC Academic Senate.  
    • Any exceptions must hold a Ph.D., be qualified for a UC faculty appointment, and be supported by a memo of justification from the Graduate Advisor. 

    Chairperson

    • Must be from the academic unit supervising the student's doctoral program. 
    • Must be a voting member of the UC Academic Senate. 
    • Adjunct Faculty and Cooperative Extension Specialists (and CE/OR) may serve as sole chairs of committees if the Graduate Dean approves, provided that at least one Senate member is on the committee.  
    • If the department would like to make such a request the Graduate Advisor should send memo of support to the Graduate Division.
  • Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form

    Make a change to an existing dissertation committee

    Please print out the form, fill out, and turn it into MSE 313

    Procedure to Change the Dissertation Committee:

    1. In order to change an approved Dissertation Committee, the Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form must be submitted

    2. A memo of explanation/support from the Graduate Advisor may also be required.  

    • If members are being added no memo is needed. 
    • If members are being deleted because they have left UCR, indication is needed on the form. 
    • If members are being removed for other reasons, a memo from the Graduate Advisor is required.  
      • The memo should explain the reason for the change and confirm that any member being removed is aware and in agreement with being removed.

         

    3. Changes should be received in the Graduate Division no later than two weeks before the final defense. 

    • If the change is being made within two weeks of the final defense, the Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form should be hand-delivered to the Graduate Division by the Graduate Program Coordinator and discussed with Graduate Division staff. 
  • Report of Final Exam (Final Defense) for PhD (Form 5)

    Report the results of the final defense of the dissertation

    After your exam please take this form straight to Grad Division in the University Office Building

    Deadline: The final examination (final defense) must be successfully completed by the last day of the quarter in which the student intends to graduate. 

    Regulations:

    • The Dissertation Committee supervises a final examination, the focus of which is the content of the doctoral dissertation. 
    • The final examination may be given either just prior to the completion of the dissertation while the student is in residence during a regular academic session, or after the acceptance of the dissertation. 
    • The final examination is open to all members of the academic community. 
    • Administration of the final examination is subject to the policies of the Graduate Council governing critical examinations. 
    • All members of the Dissertation Committee are expected to be physically present at the final defense
    • Faculty may indicate that a student has passed the defense of their dissertation “with revisions.”  
      • Should the committee choose this option, the student would be notified that they have 120 days from the defense of the dissertation to successfully complete revisions and file the dissertation. The student must still be paid and enrolled or on Filing Fee Status during the quarter of planned graduation. Students who fail to file within 120 days must seek an exception to file from the Graduate Division; exceptions must be supported by the Graduate Advisor and all members of the dissertation committee. 

    Procedure:  

    1. The results of the final exam are reported on Ph.D. Form 5, Report of Final Examination. 

    2. The form should be completed as follows:  

    • The date of the examination must be provided. 
    • Each committee member must provide a wet signature and indicate whether the student has passed the exam, passed with revisions

    3. The completed and signed Form 5 is forwarded to the Graduate Division. 

    4. Once Graduate Academic Affairs staff has confirmed that all degree requirements have been completed, the student will receive notification confirming official graduation.

    Graduation:

    In addition to advancing to candidacy and completing all degree requirements by the deadline, ALL students must submit an Application to Graduate through R’Web by Monday of week 4 of the quarter in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation Procedures page for specific deadlines and instructions.

  • Filing Fee

    The Petition for Filing Fee can be found on R'Grad.

    Deadline: 

    • Fall Quarter: September 1st 
    • Winter Quarter: December 1st 
    • Spring Quarter: March 1st 
    • Summer Quarter: June 1st 

    Regulations: 

    • A Ph.D. student who has completed all degree requirements with the exception of filing the dissertation and the final defense may use Filing Fee Status in their final quarter instead of paying full registration fees.
    • When a Ph.D. student is on Filing Fee Status, it is expected that a full draft of the dissertation/thesis has been read and approved by the committee, that only minor revisions need to be made, and that no more than 12 hours of faculty time will be required.
    • Students on Filing Fee Status do not pay regular tuition and fees, nor do they enroll in coursework. Therefore, they are not entitled to University student privileges or use of University facilities, such as the Student Recreation Center. However, students on Filing Fee Status still have access the Library. 
    • Students on Filing Fee Status may NOT be employed with any student employment title such as GSR, TA, or Associate-In. Additionally, they cannot receive University fellowships/loans. 
    • Students on Filing Fee Status are not enrolled in the medical insurance program but may purchase Health Insurance (albeit at a higher rate) if enrolled in GSHIP the previous quarter. 
    • Only one quarter on Filing Fee Status is allowed.
    • Students on Filing Fee pay one-half of the Student Services Fee.
    • Students can use Filing Fee Status the quarter after being on Leave of Absence. They may also readmit on Filing Fee Status.
       

    Procedure: 

    1. The Petition for Filing Fee can be found on R'Grad. 
    2. Once submitted by the student, the petition will go through an electronic routing process.
    3. The student will receive an email once a decision is made.
    4. After the Filing Fee application is approved, tuition and fees are adjusted to reflect the correct payment amount (one-half of the Student Services Fee). 

Master's Advancement

  • Plan I Application for Candidacy

    Apply for a thesis, manuscript or professional paper master's degree- Access via R'Grad

    General Regulations/Minimum Requirements:    

    • A minimum of 36 quarter units in approved courses is required, at least 24 of which must be earned in graduate courses.  
      • A maximum of 12 units may be in graduate research for the thesis (299). 
      • No transfer units from a university outside of the University of California may apply toward the required 24 units of graduate courses. 
    • All candidates for the degree must prepare and present an acceptable thesis. 
    • Students must complete a 3.00 overall GPA in all upper division and graduate level course work related to the degree. 
    • A second Master's degree may be approved when there is little relation between the degrees, but duplication of a Master's degree in a single field is not permitted. 

    Thesis Committee/Membership Regulations: 

    Membership  

    • Overall Committee
      • Must consist of at least 3 members, the majority of whom must be affiliated with the student’s graduate program. 
      • All committee members should normally be voting members of the UC Academic Senate.  
      • Any exceptions must hold a Ph.D., be qualified for a UC faculty appointment, and must be supported by a memo of justification from the Graduate Advisor, along with the nominee's curriculum vitae.  
      • To avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest, when domestic partners or spouses make up the majority of the faculty overseeing a thesis, another faculty member will be added to that committee.

     

    • Chairperson
      • Must be a voting member of the UC Academic Senate. Must be from the academic unit supervising the student's master’s program.
      • Adjunct Faculty and Cooperative Extension Specialists may serve as sole chairs of committees if the Graduate Dean approves and at least one Senate member is on the committee.  
        • If the department would like to make such a request the Graduate Advisor should send memo of support to the Graduate Division. 

     

    • Thesis Committee Change Procedure  
    • In order to make a change to an approved thesis committee, the student must submit the Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form as well as a memo from the Graduate Advisor. 
      • The memo should explain the reason for the change and confirm that any member being removed is aware and in agreement with being removed.
  • Plan II Application for Candidacy

    Apply for a comprehensive exam, project, or analytical paper/project master's degree- Access via R'Grad

    Deadline: Applications for Candidacy for the Master’s degree must be submitted by the first day of instruction of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate. If the application is not received by the deadline date, the award of the degree may be deferred to the following quarter.

    Regulations: 

    • If the Master’s degree requires a thesis (Plan I), the entire thesis committee must be nominated. 
    • All requirements for the degree must be completed by the last day of the quarter in which the student wishes to graduate. 
    • No student may graduate with a “GD” (Grade Delay) posted. 
    • Terminal Master’s students cannot graduate with an Incomplete grade on their record even if it is not needed for the degree. 
    • All requirements for the degree must be satisfied within a calendar year of the time of completion of the required course work.  
      • Should the student be unable to complete the degree requirements within this time, candidacy will lapse. The student must then re-submit the Application for Candidacy in order to reinstate Master's Candidacy with the Graduate Division. 
    • The approval of the Graduate Dean is required for all substitutions or waivers of degree requirements.

    Procedure: 

    1. The Application for Candidacy for Master's Degree can be found on R'Grad. 
    2. Once submitted by the student, the petition will go through an electronic routing process.
    3. The student will receive an email once a decision is made.
  • Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change

    Make a change to an existing thesis committee 

    Please print out the form, fill out, and turn it into MSE 313

    Procedure to Change the Dissertation Committee:

    1. In order to change an approved Dissertation Committee, the Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form must be submitted

    2. A memo of explanation/support from the Graduate Advisor may also be required.  

    • If members are being added no memo is needed. 
    • If members are being deleted because they have left UCR, indication is needed on the form. 
    • If members are being removed for other reasons, a memo from the Graduate Advisor is required.  
      • The memo should explain the reason for the change and confirm that any member being removed is aware and in agreement with being removed.

         

    3. Changes should be received in the Graduate Division no later than two weeks before the final defense. 

    • If the change is being made within two weeks of the final defense, the Dissertation/Thesis Committee Nomination/Change Form should be hand-delivered to the Graduate Division by the Graduate Program Coordinator and discussed with Graduate Division staff. 
  • Report of Final Exam (Final Defense) for Master’s Degree

    Report the results of the final defense of the master's thesis

    After your exam please take this form straight to Grad Division in the University Office Building

    Deadline: The final defense (if required) must be successfully completed by the last day of the quarter in which the student intends to graduate. 

    Regulations:

    • The final examination may be given either just prior to the completion of the thesis and while the student is in residence during a regular academic session, or after the acceptance of the thesis. 
    • Administration of the final examination is subject to the policies of the Graduate Council governing critical examinations. 
    • All members of the Thesis Committee are expected to be physically present at the final defense

    Procedure: 

    Procedure: 

    1. The results of the final defense are reported on the Report of Final Defense for Master’s Degree. 
    2. The form should be completed as follows:  
      1. The date of the examination must be provided. 
      2. The Thesis Committee Chair must provide a wet signature confirming that the student has passed the exam
    3. The completed and signed Report is forwarded to the Graduate Division. 
    4. Once Graduate Academic Affairs staff has confirmed that all degree requirements have been completed, the student will receive notification confirming official graduation.

     

    Graduation:

    In addition to advancing to candidacy and completing all degree requirements by the deadline, ALL students must submit an Application to Graduate through R’Web by the Monday of week 4 of the quarter that they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation Procedures page for specific deadlines and instructions.

  • Filing Fee

    The Petition for Filing Fee can be found on R'Grad. 

    Deadline:

    • Fall Quarter: September 1st 
    • Winter Quarter: December 1st 
    • Spring Quarter: March 1st 
    • Summer Quarter: June 1st 

    Regulations: 

    • A Master’s student who has completed all degree requirements with the exception of filing the thesis/field report/project or completing an exam, may use Filing Fee Status in their final quarter instead of paying full registration fees.
    • When a  Master’s Thesis Plan student is on Filing Fee Status, it is expected that a full draft of the dissertation/thesis has been read and approved by the committee, that only minor revisions need to be made, and that no more than 12 hours of faculty time will be required.
    • Students on Filing Fee Status do not pay regular tuition and fees, nor do they enroll in coursework. Therefore, they are not entitled to University student privileges or use of University facilities, such as the Student Recreation Center. However, students on Filing Fee Status still have access the Library. 
    • Students on Filing Fee Status may NOT be employed with any student employment title such as GSR, TA, or Associate-In. Additionally, they cannot receive University fellowships/loans. 
    • Students on Filing Fee Status are not enrolled in the medical insurance program but may purchase Health Insurance (albeit at a higher rate) if enrolled in GSHIP the previous quarter. 
    • Only one quarter on Filing Fee Status is allowed.
    • Students on Filing Fee pay one-half of the Student Services Fee. 
    • For Master’s students, an Application for Candidacy must be filed with or before the Filing Fee petition. 
    • Master’s students must be advanced to candidacy and have at least 3 quarters of residency and a 3.0 GPA in order to use Filing Fee Status. 
    • Students can use Filing Fee Status the quarter after being on Leave of Absence. They may also readmit on Filing Fee Status.

    Procedure: 

    1. The Petition for Filing Fee can be found on R'Grad. 
    2. Once submitted by the student, the petition will go through an electronic routing process.
    3. The student will receive an email once a decision is made.
    4. After the Filing Fee application is approved, tuition and fees are adjusted to reflect the correct payment amount (one-half of the Student Services Fee). 

For more forms please visit: General Petitions and Timetable Forms
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