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Academic Affairs | Student FAQ

General Questions

Where can I find official communication/letters from GEPA?

You can log into the Graduate Student Portal at https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/.

How do I submit a leave of absence / half-time / in absentia form?

You can access all of these online forms in the Graduate Student Portal at https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/.

How do I submit a request to constitute my master’s or doctoral committee?

Please work with your department/program graduate coordinator. The online submission tool is only available to staff.

How do I pay the filing fee / readmission fee / doctoral advancement to candidacy fee?

Fees are assessed directly to your student account after the applicable form has been processed by GEPA. Fees are assessed at the beginning of each month.

I need confirmation that I completed my degree. How can I receive confirmation prior to receiving my  diploma or official transcript?  

All  students will receive a congratulatory letter from the Graduate Dean notifying them of their degree completion. The timing of the letter is determined by a few factors. 

  • All final degree forms and requirements must be confirmed and accepted by the GEPA Academic Affairs advisor. 
  • The student’s registration status in the quarter of filing the degree  
    • students who are not registered may receive their letter sooner as there are no grades pending
    • students who are registered must have all grades posted
  • Typically, students receive their letter by email approximately 2-4 weeks after the end of the quarter if all forms are received and all grades are posted. (*Spring quarter degree letters may take longer due to the amount of Spring graduates)

Please contact your GEPA Academic Affairs advisor with any questions. 

Academic Standing / Probation Questions

My GPA is below 3.0 and I received a letter from GEPA stating that I am on probation. What should I do?

  • If there is no hold on your registration then this is a warning letter. You need to focus on improving your academic performance (check in with your faculty advisor/s to work out an academic plan  ). As long as you continue to improve you will be able to continue registering. 
  • If there is a hold on your registration, see the question/answer below.

I have a hold on my registration due to my probation status. How do I get the hold removed?

Please work with your faculty advisor and your program’s graduate coordinator. They will need to submit a letter to the GEPA dean outlining an academic plan for improvement.

I had an incorrect grade recorded and a hold was placed on my registration. The grade is now corrected. How do I get the hold removed?

Contact your program’s graduate coordinator; they can follow up with the appropriate GEPA staff member who can remove the hold. 

Committee Constitution Questions (for master's and doctoral degrees)

Where can I find the rules on committee constitution?

How do I submit a request to constitute my master’s or doctoral committee?

Please work with your department’s graduate coordinator. The online submission tool is only available to staff. 

Can I include a faculty member from another university on my committee?

Please check with your faculty advisor first, for his/her approval, and then work with your program’s graduate coordinator. Professors from other universities may be eligible to serve as extra members (5th members on PhD committees or 4th members on master’s committees). 

How do I submit a request for an exception to the committee rules?

Please work with your program’s graduate coordinator and your faculty advisor. Your faculty advisor may need to write a letter explaining the need for the exception; your coordinator will upload the letter to the online committee tool. The exception request will be reviewed by the GEPA dean/associate dean.

Degree Completion Questions

Additional information can be found on the Preparing to Graduate page

How do I schedule a preliminary appointment to have my thesis/dissertation reviewed by GEPA?

 Schedule your preliminary appointment at the GEPA Online Calendar. A Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to your appointment. [*Please note this is only required for master's Plan I thesis students and PhD/DMA/EdD students. There are no appointments for master's Plan II comprehensive exam or professional degree (MAS, MBA, MFin, MCEPA, MIA, AuD) students)] 

*Please note: the preliminary appointment is the ONLY meeting you will have with a GEPA advisor. The final review is not a meeting. The advisor will set up the final review with you during the preliminary meeting; it will be conducted by email. 

When should I have my preliminary appointment?

Preliminary appointments should be scheduled *prior to your defense, after you've fully formatted your dissertation/thesis. Appointments may be made at least one full day in advance, but not more than 60 days in advance. Please make every effort to complete your preliminary appointment well in advance of the last two weeks of the quarter. The advisor calendars fill up at the end of the quarter, and the last two weeks of the quarter are reserved for final review. 

*It is recommended that you complete your preliminary appointment prior to your defense. You may have your preliminary appointment after your defense date but before your intended graduation date. Note: Your final document review must be after your defense.

You may find information about degree completion on the Dissertation & Thesis Submission page.

What do I need to prepare for the preliminary appointment?

You must have a complete and fully formatted draft of your dissertation/thesis prior to the appointment (per the requirements in the formatting manual). Upload the formatted PDF to ProQuest at least 1 day prior to the appointment. Complete the contact information tab in the ProQuest submission itself (separate from your account profile). Completing the full submission is not necessary; saving as a draft is sufficient.

The GEPA advisor will review your submission and provide written notes/feedback to you via email. The feedback and next steps will be discussed at the preliminary appointment.

What will happen during the preliminary appointment?

The GEPA advisor will go over any required changes that need to be made to your dissertation/thesis. The advisor will also go over the necessary forms and process for the final completion of your degree, and will schedule your final review. 

*Please note: the final review is NOT an appointment. The GEPA advisor will review your final thesis/dissertation and the final paperwork submitted by your program. The advisor will contact you via email regarding the status of your final degree documents. 

What is the final appointment / how do I schedule it?

The final appointment consists of the GEPA advisor reviewing all of your final degree forms. It will be scheduled by the GEPA advisor during your preliminary appointment. 

The final appointment must take place after your defense. The GEPA advisor will review all of your final degree forms, including the final version of your dissertation/thesis. The advisor will contact you via email regarding the status of your final degree documents (including the Final Report Form, co-author permission letters (if applicable), and the dissertation/thesis).

If you have any questions about the final review, please email your GEPA advisor directly. Please also see the Dissertation & Thesis Submission page.

Will GEPA provide a letter confirming that I have completed my degree?

  • Yes, all students receive a congratulatory letter from the dean or senior associate dean of GEPA notifying them of their degree award. The timing of the letter is determined by a few factors. 
    1. All final degree forms and requirements must be accepted by the GEPA Academic Affairs advisor.
    2. The student’s registration status in the quarter of filing the degree  
      • students who are not registered may receive their letter sooner as there are no grades pending
      • students who are registered must have all grades posted 
  • Typically, if all forms are received and all grades are posted, students receive their letter approximately 2 weeks after the end of the quarter .
  • Please contact your GEPA Academic Affairs advisor with any questions. 

When will I receive my diploma?

The Office of the Registrar handles diplomas. It can take 3-6 months after the end of the quarter for diplomas to be sent out. Please visit the Registrar's website for more details regarding diplomas.

Doctoral Advancement to Candidacy Questions

I have a hold for not advancing to doctoral candidacy but I passed the exam. When will the hold be removed?

Please work with your program’s graduate coordinator to see what the status of the advancement form is in DocuSign. It may be missing faculty signatures. Once the form is signed completely and is in GEPA’s queue, the hold will be removed within a day or two. GEPA is aware of the various deadlines and works hard to remove holds as quickly as possible once we receive the form.

I am an international student who has advanced to doctoral candidacy/or will advance soon; when will I be eligible for the non-resident supplemental tuition reduction?

  • Once you’ve advanced to doctoral candidacy (the form has been fully processed by GEPA and the Registrar’s Office), the supplemental tuition reduction is effective in the next quarter of registration. For example, advancement during Fall quarter results in the reduction for Winter quarter. 
  • If your form is received by GEPA on (or before) the 1st day of instruction, the tuition reduction is effective for that quarter. Please allow a few days for the Registrar’s office to make the adjustment on your billing account. 
  • Please contact your program’s graduate coordinator if you have any questions.

Can I complete my doctoral advancement to candidacy/qualifying exam during the summer?

Yes, if your committee approves of it. The advancement will be recorded as a Fall advancement (the Office of the Registrar does not record advancements in the summer except for EdD students). You must be enrolled in Fall quarter in order for the advancement form to be processed. 

Exception to Policy Questions

How do I submit a petition or request for an exception to policy?

All petitions must be approved and submitted by the student’s program / department, on the student’s behalf. Students may not submit petitions directly to GEPA. 

Please work with your program's graduate coordinator to ensure that the department supports the petition and that they have the details and supporting documentation (if applicable) needed for the exception request.  

What are the steps to submit a petition / request for an exception?

If the department / program supports the request, the program's graduate coordinator will submit the petition, along with any supporting documentation, to GEPA staff to prepare for the Graduate Dean's (or Senior Associate Dean's) review. GEPA may ask the department for clarification or additional documentation prior.

The Graduate Dean (or Senior Associate Dean) will review the petition and render a decision to approve or deny the exception request. GEPA will notify the department of the decision, and the department will notify the student.

Please note that many petition types will also require review and approval from the Educational Policy Committee (EPC). EPC meets once per month during the academic year.

The petition review process can take several weeks, and especially if EPC review is required, the process may take longer. 

Students should check with the graduate coordinator in their home program / department for the status of any petition. 

What supporting documentation is needed for a petition?

In order for a petition to be considered, the circumstances should be unusual and/or generally out of your control.  Make sure that you provide your department with a clear explanation of the circumstances surrounding your case and the justification for an exception to policy. The explanation should include things such as:

  • why/how the situation occurred
  • why you were unable to meet the deadline, etc.
  • a timeline of events, including specific dates, and any documentation that supports your request

When applicable, provide supporting documents such as:

  • email to or from program staff or faculty
  • a screen capture of an online form
  • a letter from a health care provider

Work closely with your department to provide the necessary background/documentation to present a clear case in the petition. 

Make sure you are familiar with UC San Diego Educational Policies, published deadline dates, and student responsibilities related to your request (see resources below).

Please note: For an exception to policy to be approved, a clear and compelling case needs to be demonstrated. GEPA and EPC carefully evaluate each petition individually and often cases do not meet the criteria for approval. As outlined in the EPC policy (link provided in the question/answer below), students are expected to know and adhere to campus policies and deadlines, and students are responsible for monitoring their academic record regularly and maintaining its integrity. The petition process is available to address cases where a student faces unusual circumstances and there may be good cause for an exception.

What if my request is denied? May I appeal the decision?

If a petition is denied, an appeal will only be considered if all 3 of the following criteria are met:

  1. The program / department faculty must support the appeal
  2. New information or documentation relevant to the request is provided 
  3. The appeal is submitted to GEPA no later than 1 quarter following the initial decision

Please note that all appeals denied by GEPA and/or EPC are final.

Where can I find UC San Diego academic policies and related resources?

Academic Policies and Procedures

Academic Senate Educational Policies

  • See "Graduate Student Petitions Requesting Exceptions to Academic Senate Regulations"

Registrar's Enrollment Calendar (including deadlines for course withdrawal and form submission)

 

Spring Evaluation Questions (Doctoral and MFA students only)

How do I start my evaluation?

Your program's graduate coordinator will alert you once the evaluation is open/ready for you. You can access it via the Graduate Student Portal at https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/. 

Who is required to fill out and sign my evaluation?

  • Both you and your faculty advisor are required to provide input and sign (via SSO) the evaluation.
  • For students who have not advanced to doctoral or MFA candidacy, 2 signatures are required: 1) the student’s advisor or faculty designate (chair/vice chair/director of graduate studies); 2) the student.
  • For students who have advanced to candidacy, 5 signatures are required: 1) the student’s faculty advisor; 2) a committee member; 3) another committee member; 4) the department chair/vice chair; 5) the student.

What if I don't have a faculty advisor yet?

Check with your program's graduate coordinator. Some programs have a designated faculty member complete evaluations for students who don't yet have an advisor. (It could be the program's director of graduate study, the program chair/vice chair, or other faculty designate.)

I am defending in Spring (or Summer). Is an evaluation still necessary?

It is strongly recommended to complete an evaluation to document your progress and the expectations from your committee. This is particularly important if the plans change.