You and your academic unit must complete and submit an Application for Advancement to Candidacy/Final Report for the Master's Degree to the Graduate Dean at least 30 days before the opening of the quarter in which the degree is expected. If you have not advanced to candidacy before the beginning of the quarter during which you will have completed all requirements, the degree will not be conferred until the end of the following quarter. Deadlines are listed on the OGS website.
For more information regarding the Master's degree and related policies and procedures please see your faculty graduate advisor. UCI's Graduate Advisor's Handbook provides current implementation guidelines that faculty may use.
Thesis Committee Membership
There may be confusion about the requirements for committee membership. Unfortunately, sometimes a student completes the Advancement exam, only to find that s/he needs to retake the exam because the Thesis Committee was not appropriate. So, please be sure that your committee meets the requirements well before your examination date. The Thesis Committee is comprised of three voting members of the University of California Academic Senate (see Senate and non-Senate Academic Titles), with a majority of members affiliated with your program. Non-voting members of the Academic Senate will be considered for general committee membership on an exception-only basis. More details about thesis committee requirements are available in the Graduate Advisor's Handbook.
Conflict of Interest
You, the departmental faculty graduate advisor, and the department chair must complete the Conflict of Interest statement, which is included in the Application for Advancement to Candidacy/Final Report for the Master's Degree. More information about conflict of interest in graduate education is available on the OGS website.
