Graduate Division

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 chart of deadlines below.

• 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 chart of deadlines below.

• Step 4: Capstone Requirement

  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.

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 chart of deadlines below. 

• 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. 

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 deadlines in the chart above and apply again for the quarter you plan to graduate. 
   

• 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.

• 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 Commencement Ceremonies are held once a year, usually at the end of Spring quarter. There are several 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 eligibility requirements for participating in commencement. 

Commencement Ceremony 2020 Deadlines  

These deadlines are for students graduating in Spring 2020 or Summer 2020. Students who graduated in Fall 2019 or Winter 2020 are automatically eligible to participate in commencement and do not need to submit the following items. 

Diplomas and Transcripts 

Your diploma will be directly mailed at no cost (Spring 2018 graduates and later) approximately two months after your conferral date.  Contact the Registrar's Office for more information.

If you would like an official transcript*, you can order it through R'Web or 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.

*Your transcript showing the degree posted to your record will be ready approximately 4 weeks after your conferral date.

Certificate of Completion 

The Graduate Division understands that you often need to prove your degree completion to outside entities for employment or other reasons. All students completing a master's or PhD degree will receive this document via email. This certificate is signed by the Dean of the Graduate Division and is watermarked with the seal of the University. It will list the date you completed the degree requirements in addition to your conferral date. Students report success when using this document for a postdoc position or other employment. 

If you need a University certified copy of the certificate, you may print the certificate in color and bring it to the Registrar's Office. For a small fee, they will put the University of California seal on the document that you provide and place it in a sealed envelope. 

The Graduate Division provides this certificate 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 major department.  The only official documents regarding a student's graduation are the transcript (ordered through the Registrar's Office) and the Diploma (mailed to the student - spring 2018 graduates and later).  Please see Diplomas and Transcripts above for details.

Need Help? 

Graduate Academic Affairs
140 University Office Building
Monday-Friday, 10am-Noon and 1pm-5pm
Amanda.Wong@ucr.edu (last names A-L) 
Trina.Elerts@ucr.edu (last names M-Z)
951-827-3315