Guidance for Degree Milestones

Graduate Division Dates and Deadlines

Dates & Deadlines: https://graduatedivision.ucmerced.edu/current-students/calendar-and-deadlines 

Qualifying Examination

  1. Establish your Qualifying Examination Date with your candidacy committee 
  2. Email your exam date, location, and Zoom link to appliedmath@ucmerced.edu 
  3. Complete your Application for Qualifying Exam and circulate for committee, advisor, and Grad Chair signatures 
    • On the application, for "SCHOOL" list the following: 
      • UC Merced faculty: Home departmet 
      • External faculty: Home institution
  4. Submit your completed application to gradservices@ucmerced.edu at least 1 month prior to exam, cc'ing appliedmath@ucmerced.edu and amgrad@ucmerced.edu. 
  5. Applied Mathematics department staff will provide your advisor with all necesarry information, including the Qualifying Exam rubric. 

Advancing to Candidacy

  1. Pass your Qualifying Exam 
  2. Department staff will work with your committee to complete and submit the Qualifying Exam Report
  3. Graduate Services will email you once your report has been processed and confirm you are ready to advance
  4. Confirm you have completed all degree requirements necessary before advancing: 
    • Completed: Math 201, Math 221, Math 222, Math 231, Math 246, Math 280, and Math 282 with a minimum letter grade "B" and at least a 3.25 GPA
    • Completed or currently enrolled: Math 233 and Math 224 
    • Passed the Qualifying Exam 
    • Maintained a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all completed coursework
  5. Pay the advancement to candidacy fee which Graduate Division will cover via fellowship
  6. Submit your Advancement to Candidacy form selecting Master's Along the Way (MAW) if applicable
    1. Master's Advancement to Candidacy Form 
    2. PhD Advancement to Candidacy Form
  7. Committee members, advisors, and Graduate Chair sign form electronically 
  8. Graduate Services will receive the form and finalize for processing 
  9. If you selected MAW, the Registrar's office will update your curriculum and inform you when to apply for graduation 

Master's Along the Way (Capstone Project)

  1. Select MAW when submitting your Advancement to Candidacy 
  2. Wait for Registrar's office to email you before filing a graduation application 
  3. Submit capstone project to eScholarship 
  4. Submit the following paperwork to gradservices@ucmerced.edu, cc'ing appliedmath@ucmerced.edu and amgrad@ucmerced.edu: 
    1. Final Report for Master's Degree 
    2. Signed Capstone Project signature page (overleaf template)

Review the Checklist for the Master's Degree Completion for additional guidance. 

Ph.D. Degree Completion

  1. Check your degree audit in MyDegreePath to ensure all course and program requirements are completed
  2. Connect with department staff to review necessary action items and answer questions if needed
  3. Schedule your dissertation defense with your doctoral committee
  4. Email your exam date, location, and Zoom link to appliedmath@ucmerced.edu 
  5. Applied Mathematics department staff will provide your advisor with all necesarry information, including the PhD Dissertation and Defense Evaluation Rubric. 
  6. Submit a Reconstitution of Committee if any committee members have changed since your Qualifying Exam 
  7. Complete your dissertation defense
  8. File a Ph.D graduation application 
  9. Submit your dissertation to ProQuest (overleaf template)
  10. Submit the following paperwork to gradservices@ucmerced.edu, cc'ing appliedmath@ucmerced.edu and amgrad@ucmerced.edu:
  11. Register for Commencement 

Review the Checklist for the Doctoral Degree Completion for additional guidance. 

To receive an expected degree conferral letter, please complete a Request for Expected Degree Conferral Letter