A Guide to Graduate Forms

You will need to fill out a number of forms as you move through your program of study. Be aware of the existence of each of these; what they are used for and by whom; and when/if each should be submitted and in what order. All the forms are available on the graduate school web page at http://www.unr.edu/grad/forms. A brief description of most of the forms that you might need to know about follows:

Advisory-Examining Committee/Program of Study (GSA-2):

Puts together your Program of Study and your Graduate Committee. Identifies, also, the chair of that committee. Change of Committee or Program of Study (GSA-3): This form is used to address any modifications that were made in your program of study as you have moved through the program. For example, on the original program of study form, you may have identified a particular course that you wanted to take as an elective--BUT, that course was not offered at a time at which you could take it. If you substituted another elective for the one you were unable to take, this form allows you to notify the graduate school of that change, and to demonstrate to the graduate school that you have obtained department approval to do so. You must submit this form in advance of your application for graduation. This form is also used to change committee members.

Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request (ADM 158):

This form is used to get approval of those courses that you wish to transfer into your graduate program, and by definition, have included in your program of study. Remember: if you entered graduate school as a graduate special, you may bring in no more than 9 credits taken as a graduate special into your program once you have been admitted into the program. You do not need to fill out this form to bring Graduate Special credits into your program; this is done automatically by Admissions and Records. However, this form must be used to transfer any and all non-University of Nevada, Reno credits into your program. If you have more than 9 credits as a Graduate Special, you will "lose" all credits above nine (i.e., they cannot be counted toward completion of your program of study). You identify which Graduate Special course you want to bring in with you by including them on your POS form. All courses brought into your program, of course, must be approved by the Graduate Director and/or the Chair of your POS committee. MA and MPA students can only transfer into their program of study NINE graduate credits (upon approval of the Department, of course), no matter where those credits were obtained (University of Nevada, Reno or elsewhere). NONE of your courses can be more than six years old at the time of your graduation; those courses that are older than six years will not count toward completion of your program.

A Ph.D. student who has received a Masters degree prior to entering the Ph.D. program, or who has taken graduate-level courses after the B.A., may be allowed to bring into his/her Ph.D. program up to 24 of such Masters' level credits (pending departmental approval). Work with your chair and/or the Graduate Director to determine which courses, if any, can be brought into the Program with you. You use this form to identify and obtain approval of such courses. All of the courses taken by you at University of Nevada, Reno in pursuit of the Ph.D. degree must be no more than eight years old at the time of your graduation. (The department and the graduate school do not care how old transferred-in courses are, PROVIDED those course were part of a terminal Masters program for which you received a Masters degree.)

Masters Degree/Application for Admission to Candidacy/Notice of Completion:

This form is used by MA and MPA students to notify the Department, College and Graduate School that you have completed all requirement for the MA or MPA degree (including passing the Comprehensive Exam and completing a Professional Paper or Thesis). It requests that these entities recognize same. Approval of this request allows you to graduate.

Doctoral Degree/Application for Admission to Candidacy-Comprehensive Examination Report:

This form is used by Ph.D. students to notify the Department, College and Graduate School that you have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. degree except the dissertation. It is used to request that these entities advance you to candidacy (move you up the graduate ladder into an official position of candidate for the Ph.D.).

You must be advanced to candidacy at least eight months prior to applying for graduation. You cannot be advanced to candidacy until you have successfully passed a major and minor comprehensive exam and met the residency requirement. Note: the residency requirement mandates that you complete two successive semesters of nine credits each semester.

Doctoral Degree/Notice of Completion (Grad-6):

This form, when approved by the Department, College and Graduate School, allows you to receive your Ph.D. degree. It is submitted after ALL requirements for the Ph.D. degree have been successfully completed, including the dissertation and its defense.