Deadlines - Graduate Academic Affairs

 

DEADLINES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED

*Effective July 1, 2025 - The posted deadline must be met. A petition in R'Grad is only considered "received" once it arrives in the Graduate Dean's queue.

If the deadline is missed, or the student is not eligible for the requested petition at the time it is received, the petition will be denied. If the student becomes eligible, they must submit a new petition and have it received by the deadline.

R'Grad

All petitions are available via R'Grad, unless otherwise noted. It may take up to 10 business days for a petition to be reviewed by Graduate Academic Affairs once received in the Graduate Dean queue. Petitions can be tracked in R'Grad to see where it is in the process.

Regulations and Procedures

Regulations and procedures relating to the following petitions can be found at Regulations and Procedures for Graduate Academic Affairs.

Academic Calendar

Many deadlines reference the first day of instruction. The Academic Calendar can be found on the Registrar's website and lists important dates for each quarter.

Petition
Deadline
Add a Major
  • Summer - May 1st
  • Fall - June 1st
  • Winter - November 1st
  • Spring - February 1st

Quarter the added major will be effective. Please visit Graduate Admissions for more details on this process and a link to the application.

Annual Mentoring and Evaluation

September 30th - submitted annually for all graduate students

Application for Candidacy for Master's Degree Friday of week 3 - quarter of Master's graduation
Catalog Year Change First day of instruction - quarter the catalog year change will apply
Change of Grading Basis (Use Enrollment Adjustment Form) Friday of week 8 - quarter the course is taken
Committee Change (Dissertation or Thesis Committee)

5 business days prior to final defense

Both Master's and PhD students use this form to update their committees

Credit by Exam First day of instruction - quarter the exam is taken
Degree Objective Change - Master's to PhD
  • Summer - May 1st
  • Fall - June 1st
  • Winter - November 1st
  • Spring - February 1st

Quarter the degree objective change will be effective. Please visit Graduate Admissions for more details on this process and a link to the application.

Degree Objective Change - PhD to Master's
  • Summer - May 1st
  • Fall - June 1st
  • Winter - November 1st
  • Spring - February 1st

Quarter the degree objective change will be effective.

Designated Emphasis Application

Once the Designated Emphasis is complete (recommended)

DE applications can be found on the Regulations and Procedures page

Directed Studies (290) First day of instruction - quarter the course is taken
Dissertation

Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation

Dissertation submission information for PhD students

Double Count (Use Transfer Course Work/Double Count petition)

Prior to advancement to candidacy

Double counting is only for combined program Master's students.

Education Abroad Program Academic Planning Form for Graduate Students  Advising form for graduate students who wish to pursue Education Abroad Programs.  Students must start by consulting with the UCR Study Abroad office
Enrollment Adjustment Form (EAF)
  • Add: Friday of week 3
  • Drop/Withdrawal: Friday of week 6
  • Change Grading Basis: Friday of week 8
Exceed Unit Limit First day of instruction - quarter units will be exceeded
Filing Fee (Master's or PhD) First day of instruction - quarter of filing fee
Final Defense (Master's or PhD) Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation
Format Review (Dissertation or Thesis) Two weeks prior to the last Friday of the quarter - quarter of graduation
Grade Appeal

No later than 6 weeks after the beginning of the subsequent quarter

Grade appeals follow these procedures

Graduation Application Friday of week 3 - quarter of graduation
Half-Time Status and Reduced Fees First day of instruction - quarter of Half-Time Status
In Absentia Registration First day of instruction - quarter of In Absentia
Incomplete Extension Last day of instruction - quarter following the assignment of the Incomplete (recommended)

 

Intercampus Exchange Application

One month prior to the first day of instruction at the host campus

ICE Application

Most UC's are on the quarter system, only UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on the semester system. 

Leave of Absence First day of instruction - quarter of leave
Letter of Completion Only request if you have an immediate need to show proof of degree completion prior to the transcript and diploma being available and if your degree audit is complete.

The Registrar provides several resources for proof of degree completion.  Please visit https://registrar.ucr.edu/graduation-guide/diplomas#proof-of-graduation for details.
Major Change
  • Summer - May 1st
  • Fall - June 1st
  • Winter - November 1st
  • Spring - February 1st

Quarter the major change will be effective. Please visit Graduate Admissions for more details on this process and a link to the application.

Master’s Degree Add (in PhD field)

First day of instruction

Use to add master's degree curricula in the same field as the student's PhD. If a student wishes to add a master's degree in another field, they must follow the Add a Major procedure.

Manuscript (Creative Writing Only)

Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation

Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts students completing a manuscript will receive submission instructions after advancement to candidacy. 

Manuscript Completion Form (Creative Writing Only) Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation
Nomination of Oral Qualifying Exam Committee 5 business days prior to exam
NRST Reduction Extension Request First day of instruction (recommended) - quarter of reduction
Other Request

Use for requests not addressed by current petitions, including: awards, employment, exceptions (other), late arrival, and repeat course work.

Readmission
  • Summer - May 1st
  • Fall - June 1st
  • Winter - November 1st
  • Spring - February 1st

Quarter of readmission. Please visit Graduate Admissions for more details on this process and a link to the application.

Report of Exam Result or Degree Requirement

Tuesday after quarter ends

Grades, exam results, and non-course degree requirements are all due Tuesday after the quarter ends.

Report of Oral Qualifying Exam 5 business days after exam (recommended)
Signature Approval Page (Dissertation or Thesis) Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation
Substitute Coursework First day of instruction (recommended) - quarter of substitution
Thesis

Last Friday of the quarter by 12:00pm - quarter of graduation

Thesis submission information for Master's students

Timetable to Completion First day of instruction - quarter of hold
Timetable to PhD Oral Qualifying Exam First day of instruction - quarter of hold
Transfer Course Work First day of instruction (recommended) - first quarter of graduate program
Waive Course Work First day of instruction (recommended) - first quarter of graduate program
Withdrawal from UCR Last day of instruction - quarter of withdrawal

EXCEPTION REQUEST

If your petition is denied, you may request an exception. Only extraordinary, rare, and well-justified circumstances will be considered. 

  1. Create an "Other Request" petition via R'Grad
  2. In the "Choose a topic for your request" drop down, choose "Other." 
  3. The explanation must specify you are requesting an exception and reference the number of the petition that was denied. Clearly explain why your request should be considered.