Advancement to Candidacy

1. Classified students may file for Advancement to Candidacy, after their first year of study and no later than the semester prior to the expected final semester of their graduate career. Carefully check the requirements for advancement and check deadlines on the university calendar. Note:
   1. Advancement deadlines are usually early in the semester.
   2. Late applications will delay graduation.
   3. To graduate in December a student must meet the Spring Semester deadlines; i.e. they must advance in February to graduate in December.
2. Before a student may Advance to Candidacy they must satisfactorily complete the Graduate Student Writing Requirement. Instructions for the completion of this requirement are listed on this web site. The scoring rubric used to evaluate student submissions is also provided.
3. Before applying for Advancement, students must have completed the core courses of the Biology Program. The course plan is here.
4. To advance to candidacy the student must develop a coherent program of study including identification of 30 units of course work. See the Courses section in this manual for more information.
5. Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all course work taken from the earliest term listed on the petition for advancement to candidacy. The GPA includes all coursework taken in this timeframe, including prerequisite courses, courses required to achieve candidacy and courses in other departments unrelated to the biology degree program.
6. Students are required to submit the Advancement to Candidacy Form, signed by the student and their thesis program advisor (if chosen), to the Graduate Coordinator for approval. This form is found on the graduate division web site.