Academic Services

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the deadlines to file my dissertation? Generally you have until the last day of finals week to file for that quarter. Specific deadlines for that quarter can be found on the Graduate Division Calendar, the schedule of classes or the Registrar's website. Our office is open from 9am-noon and 1-4pm every weekday.

What is the deadline to advance to candidacy for next quarter? You must take your final qualifying exams by the last working day before the new quarter starts. Specific deadlines for that quarter can be found on the Graduate Division Calendar, the schedule of classes or the Registrar's website.

What is a filing fee leave of absence? A filing fee leave of absence is designed for students in their last quarter of completing a PhD or terminal master's degree. The leave protects your student status, and allows you to complete your final degree requirements (generally file your thesis/dissertation) during the quarter without registering for classes and paying full student fees. When filing, you would pay a nominal filing fee, 1/2 of the registration fee for the quarter, currently $150. See the Graduate Division Handbook for more information about the filing fee, or the Academic Services section of this website for information about a leave of absence. The application for a leave of absence can be found here.

I want to file my dissertation this summer. Do I need to register? It depends. If you are registered or on a filing fee leave of absence for Spring quarter, you can file anytime in the Spring or Summer using your spring fees. If you were on another type of leave of absence or were lapsed in the spring, you can register for 4 units in the summer to file. For more information about Summer registration, please see the Summer Sessions website.

What are the deadlines to apply for leaves or in absentia registration? Generally the deadline to submit your application for a leave of absence or in absentia registration is two weeks before the quarter starts. For the exact dates, please see the Graduate Division calendar, the schedule of classes or the Registrar's website.

How can I add or drop a course? Students register for classes online via the Registrar's Gaucho Online Data (GOLD) system. The deadline for dropping a class and changes of grading options by petition is the last day of instruction each quarter.
- Instructor approval is required to add a class on GOLD after the 5th day of instruction. If permission is granted, students will be given course approval codes which can be used to add the class until the published add deadline.
- After the ADD and DROP deadlines for the quarter (posted on the Graduate Division calendar, the schedule of classes and the Registrar's website) graduate students must submit a Schedule Adjustment Petition signed by the course instructor and their department's Graduate Advisor to add or drop a class. Schedule Adjustment petitions are available from the Registrar's office or Graduate Division.
- Once a quarter is over and grades are posted, retroactive changes to student transcripts require Graduate Division approval. See our website for more information about retroactive schedule adjustments.

Do you have a .tex template for the dissertation/thesis? No. We are working on developing a standard template for dissertations and theses in LaTeX, but it is not complete yet. There are templates being circulated around UCSB, but please be aware that you are still responsible for making sure your dissertation/thesis conforms to our formatting & margin requirements. We encourage you to bring a draft of your document to our office for a pre-check before filing.

Can I make an appointment to have my dissertation checked? We encourage you to bring a draft of your dissertation or thesis to our office for a pre-check before filing, no appointment required. Our advisors are available to meet with you from 9-noon and 1-4pm Monday - Friday on the 3rd floor of Cheadle hall. Pre-checks take 5-10 minutes.

I graduated this quarter so why are there are fees for next quarter on my BARC account? It often takes some time for the registrar's office to be notified that you finished your degree. You can ignore the fees and they will drop off of your account by the third week of the quarter, or stop by the Registrar's office to fill out a Cancellation of Registration form. If you aren't sure if you finished your degree, contact us.

How can I request a letter that verifies my master's degree or PhD? After you have filed your dissertation/thesis, and we have been notified by the department that you've completed all of the requirements for the degree, we would be happy to write you a letter verifying your degree. Email us with your name, perm number and the address(es) where you would like the letters sent (limit 5 letters). After your degree has been finalized (~2 months after the filing deadline), official degree verifications and transcripts can be ordered via GOLD.

How can I become a part time student? Generally speaking, there is no part-time status for graduate students at UCSB, nor are there reduced fees for a reduced courseload. Most lending agencies demand repayment of loans if a student is not registered or is carrying less than a normal courseload (8-12 units). The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires international students to be engaged in a full course of study while at UCSB.

I want to register for commencement but GOLD won't allow me to. What do I do? Graduate students do not need to declare candidacy or register for commencement on GOLD. We have our own commencement registration site, on the Graduate Division website. Online commencement registration is open from late february through June.

How can I take classes at another UC campus? UCSB participates in the Intercampus Exchange Programs for Graduate Students (IEPGS). IEPGS provides access during fall, winter, or spring quarter to courses at another University of California campus not ordinarily available at UCSB. See our website for more information and the application form. Applications are due 6 weeks before the quarter begins.

How do I add or drop members from my thesis/dissertation committee? Committee Form I-A is used to add and remove dissertation committee members as necessity dictates. Changes in committee membership are not unusual, particularly for doctoral students. Form I-A is reviewed by the Graduate Division Academic Services and approved by the Graduate Dean.