Graduation Procedures: PhD & Master's Degrees

Scroll to the bottom of this page for information about diploma, transcript, and letter of completion.

Applying for Graduation: PhD & Master's Degrees

Graduate Academic Affairs: PhD and Master's Students
8am-Noon and 1pm-5pm, Monday - Friday.
Contact Us
(951) 827-3315
GAA@ucr.edu

Application and Submission Deadlines^*

^*All Deadlines are STRICTLY enforced. These deadlines are calculated based on the Academic Calendar available at https://registrar.ucr.edu/calendar.

Type of Petition/Application	Spring 2025	Summer 2025	Fall 2025	Winter 2026
Filing Fee Status Deadline	3/1/25	6/1/25	9/25/25	1/5/26
Application for Candidacy for Master's Degree Deadline (via r'grad)¹	3/31/25	6/23/25	9/25/25	1/5/26
Graduation Application opens (via r'web)	2/3/25	3/10/25	5/19/25	11/3/25
Graduation Application Deadline (via r'web)²	4/21/25 (apply by 4/7/25 to ensure commencement eligibility)	7/11/25 (apply by 4/7/25 to ensure commencement eligibility)	10/17/25	1/23/26
Format Review Deadline (via ProQuest)	5/30/25	8/29/25	12/1/25 (extra time given because of the Thanksgiving Holiday)	3/6/26
Last day to complete all degree requirements (Noon PST).	6/13/25	9/12/25	12/12/25	3/20/26
Conferral Date of Degree	6/13/25	9/13/25	12/12/25	3/20/26

¹Once approved, candidacy does not expire unless one year has passed since you applied for candidacy. Your degree audit will show a green check mark
once your candidacy is approved.

²If you apply for graduation in a particular quarter, but do not finish the degree, you will be required to apply for graduation again in the new quarter.

Between Quarter Deadline Information³	Spring 2025	Summer 2025	Fall 2025	Winter 2026
Format Review Deadline (via ProQuest)	6/6/25	9/5/25	12/9/25	3/10/26
Last day to complete all degree requirements and avoid fees for the next quarter--no later than Noon PST. Graduation date will reflect the next quarter.	6/20/25	9/19/25	12/23/25	3/24/26
Conferral Date of Degree	9/13/25 (Summer 2025)	12/12/25 (Fall 2025)	3/20/26 (Winter 2026)	6/12/26 (Spring 2026)

³After a quarter ends and before the next quarter begins, there is typically some "in between" time. This amount of time varies depending on the quarter. For example, if the Summer quarter ends September 22, all students wishing to receive a Summer graduation date must complete the requirements on or before that date. However, Fall quarter doesn't begin until September 25th, so students have until the date listed in the above table, which is the last business day before the next quarter begins, to complete the requirements and avoid fees for the next quarter. The conferral date for the degree would be for the next quarter (Fall in this example).

⁴The in-between deadline in the Summer deadlines apply only to students who were not enrolled for all three quarters of the previous academic year (for Summer 2025, students who were not enrolled for all three: Fall 2024, Winter 2025 and Spring 2025). Please visit our Regulations and Procedures page for information about summer enrollment.

Master's Degree

Step 1: Degree Audit

Review your degree audit via R'Web (see Degree Audit icon under your authorized applications menu). Confirm all requirements have been or will be completed by the end of the quarter you wish to graduate. Discuss any discrepancies with the Graduate Program Coordinator in your department.
Step 2: Application for Candidacy

Fill out the Master's Application for Candidacy in R'Grad appropriate for the master's plan you are completing (Plan I vs Plan II). If you are completing a Thesis (Plan I), you must nominate your Thesis committee as part of the advancement process. The application for candidacy is due by the first day of instruction of the quarter you plan on graduating. See Application/Submission Deadlines chart above.
Step 3: Apply to Graduate

Apply to graduate via R'Web. The application will be available once registration begins for the quarter you wish to graduate. The deadline to apply is the Monday of week 4. See the Application/Submission Deadlines chart above.
Step 4: Capstone Requirement (comprehensive exam, thesis, manuscript, etc.)

Complete your capstone requirement (comprehensive exam, manuscript, project, etc.) and confirm the report of completion of the capstone was submitted by your department to Graduate Academic Affairs. Creative Writing students completing a manuscript must follow the manuscript submission instructions received via email with the Advancement to Candidacy confirmation. Any student completing a Thesis (Plan I) as the capstone requirement must review the Thesis Filing page for detailed instructions regarding submission of the Thesis for format review and finalizing the document.
Step 5: Update your Permanent Address in R'Web

Your diploma will be directly mailed at no cost (starting Spring 2018 and later). Your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address on R’Web. Make sure your address is up-to-date! You can change your permanent address by clicking on the “Personal Information” icon in R’Web. For more information about diplomas, please visit https://registrar.ucr.edu/graduation-guide/diplomas.

PhD Degree

Step 1: Degree Audit

Review your degree audit via R'Web (see Degree Audit icon under your authorized applications menu) and review the Advancement to Candidacy letter you received from Graduate Academic Affairs at the time of advancement. Confirm all requirements have been (or will be) completed by the end of the quarter you wish to graduate. Discuss any discrepancies with the graduate program coordinator in your department.
Step 2: Apply to Graduate

Apply to graduate via R'Web. The application will be available once registration begins for the quarter you wish to graduate. The deadline to apply is the Monday of week 4. See the Application/Submission Deadlines chart above.
Step 3: Final Defense and Dissertation Submission

Review the Dissertation Filing page for detailed instructions regarding submission of the Dissertation for format review and finalizing the manuscript.
Step 4: Update your Permanent Address in R'Web

Your diploma will be directly mailed at no cost (starting Spring 2018 and later). Your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address on R’Web. Make sure your address is up-to-date! You can change your permanent address by clicking on the “Personal Information” icon in R’Web. For more information about diplomas, please visit https://registrar.ucr.edu/graduation-guide/diplomas.

FAQs about Graduation Application

What if I apply to graduate, but don't complete my requirements by the deadline?

Communicate with the graduate program coordinator in your academic department. They can adjust your exit term and notify the Graduate Division that you will adjust your graduation term. Review the Application/Submission Deadlines button below and apply for graduation again for the quarter you plan to graduate.

You DO NOT need to apply for candidacy a second time unless you are changing to a different Plan (i.e. Project vs. Comprehensive Exam or Thesis vs. Comprehensive Exam). The Graduate Academic Affairs Office will notify you if a second candidacy application is needed.
How do I inform the Graduate Academic Affairs office if I will not complete my requirements by the end of the graduation quarter I applied for?

If you will not finish by the deadline for the quarter of graduation you applied for, please notify your program coordinator/academic advisor. They will notify Graduate Academic Affairs that your graduation application needs to be cancelled. Once GAA cancels your grad app, you'll be able to apply for a future quarter.

If you are already advanced to candidacy, you do not need to apply for candidacy again for a second time.
What is the difference between filing a graduation application and submitting an advancement to candidacy application?

The graduation application tells the Registrar's Office and Graduate Academic Affairs that you plan to complete the degree by the end of the quarter. It also gives you an opportunity to check your official name status for your diploma. The Advancement to Candidacy application is for master's students only and triggers your department and Graduate Academic Affairs to review and confirm that all requirements have been completed or will be completed by the end of the quarter.

If you fail to complete your requirements by the end of the quarter you applied for candidacy, you DO NOT need to file a new Advancement to Candidacy application. Graduate Academic Affairs will move your candidacy forward and let you know if more information is needed.
I tried to complete the graduation application in R'Web, but I received an error message.  What should I do?

You may already have completed the graduation application. Go to your Student Profile in R'Web and click on "View Application to Graduate". This will tell you if you have an active graduation application and will give you information about next steps.
What is the difference between graduation and commencement?

When we use the term graduation, we are talking about finishing degree requirements and earning the degree. When we use the term commencement, we are talking about the ceremony that is held at the end of the academic year. The commencement ceremony is voluntary.  You can still graduate even if you don't participate in commencement.
When will I get my diploma?

Your diploma is managed by the Registrar's Office and will be mailed to your permanent address approximately 2 months after the conferral date of your degree. Please be sure to keep your permanent address updated in R'Web. More information can be found on the Registrar's web site.

Commencement Ceremonies

The hooding ceremony for PhD and MFA graduates will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 9:00am in the Student Recreation Center.

All other master's degree candidates (other than MFA) will participate in the designated college ceremony.

The Commencement Ceremonies are held once a year at the end of Spring quarter. There are many ceremonies, so it is important for students to confirm which ceremony they will be participating in. The UCR Commencement Website is a great place to find details about tickets, times, location, and other general information.  The Graduate Division Commencement page contains information specific to graduate students and the participation eligibility requirements.

Diplomas and Transcripts

Diploma
In most cases, your diploma will be mailed directly to your permanent address and should be received 8-10 weeks after the end of your graduation term. A shipping notification will be sent to your UCR email address when your diploma is on its way. Your diploma will be directly mailed at no cost (Spring 2018 graduates and later) approximately two months after your conferral date.

Please note that diplomas sent to international addresses can take significantly longer to be received and tracking information may only be available during the time that the package is in the US Postal Service’s possession.

The Registrar provides several resources for proof of degree completion. Please visit https://registrar.ucr.edu/graduation-guide/diplomas#proof-of-graduation for details.

Transcript
The official transcript showing the degree has been awarded will be available about 1 month after the conferral date. If you would like an official transcript, you can order it through R'Web or contact the Registrar's Office.

The Registrar provides eTranscripts (pdf) at no cost to students (covered by the single document fee). If you need a paper transcript, please contact the Registrar's Office.

An unofficial transcript is available for you to print from your R'Web student profile. Log in to R'Web, click on the Student Profile icon and then click on "unofficial transcript" from the left menu.

Letter of Completion

The Graduate Division understands that you may need to prove your degree completion to outside entities for employment or other reasons prior to the transcript and diploma being available. You may request this letter HERE.  This letter is not an official document and does not replace the transcript or diploma, which are the only official documents available as proof of degree completion. Once the official documents are available from the Registrar, a letter of completion will not be issued by the Graduate Division.

The Graduate Division provides this letter only when all requirements are complete and all grades have been posted. Any communication regarding a degree yet to be conferred should be requested from the student's academic program.

Transcript
An unofficial version of your transcript can be printed by navigating to your Student Profile in your R'Web portal. Official transcripts are ordered by selecting Transcripts and Verifications via your R'Web portal. More information is available on the Registrar's web site: https://registrar.ucr.edu/grades-records/request-transcript.

Official Documents
The Registrar provides several resources for proof of degree completion. Please visit https://registrar.ucr.edu/graduation-guide/diplomas#proof-of-graduation for details.