Advancing to Candidacy
Advancing to Candidacy
To “Advance to Candidacy”, a classified graduate student must
- Complete at least six semester units of coursework suitable for inclusion in the M.S. degree program.
- Remain a graduate student in good standing with an average GPA of 3.0.
- Write and submit your research proposal outlining your research objectives for the master degree. This hurdle will allow you to register for Biol 691, University Thesis units (See MS Curriculum). To become eligible to register for thesis units, you will need to complete a "Proposal Submission" Form, and email your advisor-approved proposal along with the advisor-signed “Proposal Submission” form to the graduate coordinator and your committee (for approval) by one-week prior to first day of the semester that you wish to enroll in Biol 691. To register for Biol 691, your thesis advisor you will need to complete a SpecialRegistration Form on your behalf. Consult with your thesis advisor to determine the number of thesis units you should enroll in each semester. Exactly five University Thesis units (no more or less) are required for graduation. Once enrolled, you should be engaged in active research.
Once you have satisfied all requirements listed above, the graduate coordinator can petition on your behalf to "advance to candidacy". You are also eligible to apply for graduation. Although just because you are eligible does not mean you should! To determine if you are ready to graduate you need to review the MS Curriculum and the Graduation Process.
