Milestones

Presentation Requirement.
All students are required to present a research poster at the end of their second year. The annual departmental poster day takes place in May, and is typically held during the last or second-last class meeting for Psychology 293.

Attendance
The date of this poster session is listed in the course syllabus, and it is the second-year student’s responsibility to attend. If absence is unavoidable, the student should make alternative arrangements with the Head Graduate Advisor to fulfill the poster requirement.

Recommendations
Because even the simplest study can take a year or more to execute (including human subjects approval, if needed; setting up and piloting the experiment; and collecting and analyzing data), it is advisable that students begin their research as soon as possible.

We recommend that students establish their QE committee prior to the end of their second year, and solicit their input on the second-year research poster.

QE Requirement
Before passing the QE, students will be required to submit a paper – preferably an empirical paper to be submitted for publication as part of their ongoing research activities, to be read by members of their QE committee.

Area specific Requirements
Clinical Science and Social-Personality students should refer to their area-specific documentation regarding written requirements and the QE.

Deadline to submit
A completed manuscript should be turned in to the QE committee no later than 1 week before the written exam. However, students will be strongly encouraged to complete this first manuscript by the end of Year 2.

Purpose: The purpose of the QE is to ascertain the breadth of the student’s comprehension of fundamental facts and principles that apply in the major field of study and to determine whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of the field of study.

Format: The QE consists of a written portion followed by an oral portion. The written portion is required by departmental policy, whereas Graduate Division requires the oral portion. After completion of the oral portion, the examiners decide, by unanimous vote, whether the student has demonstrated sufficient command of the content and the ability to design and produce an acceptable dissertation.

Before passing the QE, students will be required to submit a paper – preferably an empirical paper to be submitted for publication as part of their ongoing research activities, to be read by members of their QE committee.

Upon successful completion of the QE. Students should advance to candidacy as soon as possible after passing the QE (filing the required form, which requires them to list the members of their dissertation committee), and schedule their first Dissertation Advisory Committee meeting for the semester following the QE.

The Application for Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree and *corresponding fees should be submitted to the Graduate Division following successful completion of the Qualifying Examination. This should be completed by the end of the third year. *The university charges a $90 advancement fee; students are encouraged to seek faculty mentor support if help is needed to pay this.

Criteria for Advancement to Candidacy:

To advance to candidacy, the student must fulfill each of the following requirements:

1) pass the qualifying examination

2) have no more than two courses graded Incomplete

3) have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in all upper division and graduate work taken in graduate standing

4) have made satisfactory progress completing course requirements.

Dissertation Proposal: All students will be required to submit a Dissertation Proposal to their Dissertation Advisory Committee at least one week before their first meeting. The format of this proposal is to be specified at the level of the area, but generally is expected to take the format of a grant proposal of 5-10 pages in length.

The Department requires two digital copies of the dissertation in Portable Document Format (PDF): one copy to the dissertation committee chair and one copy to the Graduate Student Services Advisor.

Students should refer to Graduate Division's Dissertation Filing Guidelines.

Annual Review of Doctoral Candidates

The Graduate Council of the Academic Senate requires an annual Doctoral Candidacy Review for all doctoral students after they advance to candidacy until they complete their program. The report is designed to assist doctoral students and their dissertation chair to stay on track with advising and other supportive activities to help facilitate the completion of doctoral work in a timely manner.

You can read more about this in the Graduate Division Degrees handbook

Two-semester teaching requirement

Each student is required to serve as a 50% Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for two semesters. 

Applying for GSI positions
Students should attend to notices sent periodically via email by the Graduate Student Services Advisor regarding TA application procedures and deadlines. It is each student’s responsibility to submit timely applications and to meet the TA requirement. Students may be assigned to Psychology 101 Research and Data Analysis regardless of the course preferences they list on their application. For any given term, Psych grads may apply to as many positions as they would like, however a minimum of at least three positions must be selected when submitting an application. 

GSI selection procedure
Funding guarantees are based on receipt of timely TA applications; late applications are not guaranteed priority placement even if funding is needed. However, the department tries to offer appointments to all students as needed in their first five years of the program.

GSI contract
If a student secures alternative funding prior to committing to a TAship, they must notify the Graduate Student Services Advisor immediately. Once a student accepts the Academic Student Employee offer, it is expected that they will fulfill this contractual obligation.