Graduate Student Forms
Important: Please email the Graduate Coordinator once your DocuSign form has been completed and signed. Without notification, the form may not be processed in a timely manner.
Complete this form to establish your thesis or dissertation committee. This should be done by the end of your first year in the program, and ideally by the end of your first semester in consultation with your advisor. Committee membership may be revised later if needed.
Complete this form to summarize your academic accomplishments for the previous review period (March 16 – March 15). Include milestones achieved, presentations and publications, as well as any grants or awards received. The form must be reviewed and signed by your advisor and submitted by April 15 annually.
Complete this form in consultation with your advisor and supervisory committee. It should be submitted during your first year, following your initial committee meeting.
Complete this form to summarize your academic accomplishments for the previous review period (March 16 – March 15). Include milestones achieved, presentations and publications, as well as any grants or awards received. The form must be reviewed and signed by your advisor and submitted by April 15 annually.
Complete this form with your advisor to develop your Individual Development Plan (IDP), as required by the Graduate School. The IDP is a planning tool that helps students assess their strengths and identify skills that would most benefit their academic and professional development. This form must be completed and updated annually between September 15 and the last Friday in August of each academic year. This version of the form is for new students (within their first year in the program) completing the IDP for the first time.
Complete this form with your advisor to update your Individual Development Plan (IDP), as required by the Graduate School. The IDP is a planning tool that helps students assess their strengths and identify skills that would most benefit their academic and professional development. This form must be completed and updated annually between September 15 and the last Friday in August of each academic year. This version is for current students (beyond their first year in the program) updating their IDP.
Complete this form in consultation with your advisor and supervisory committee. It should be submitted during your first year, following your initial committee meeting.
The Master’s Degree Acknowledgement (MDA) Request Form is used for Ph.D. students (Summer B 2024 and later) to have a previously earned master’s degree formally recognized as a whole toward their doctoral program, based on a holistic faculty review of its content, rigor, relevance, and recency. Unlike the course-by-course transfer request form, which evaluates and transfers individual courses (up to 30 credits), the MDA does not assess specific courses but instead acknowledges the overall value of the prior degree in meeting doctoral preparation requirements. This process must be initiated in consultation with the student’s committee chair and is expected to be completed during the first year of the program (and no later than prior to the qualifying exam). The request is subject to departmental, college, and Graduate School review and approval.
Use this form to request the transfer of individual graduate-level courses from a previously earned master’s degree (in Geography or another field) toward your Ph.D. requirements. Up to 30 credits may be transferred, though transfer is not required. Unlike the Master’s Degree Acknowledgement (MDA) process, which evaluates a prior degree holistically, this form is used to review and approve specific courses on a case-by-case basis. S/U-graded courses are not eligible for transfer. For master’s degrees awarded outside the U.S., a course-by-course credential evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) is required. This form should be completed in consultation with your advisor during your first year in the program.
Complete this form to add a minor to your PhD program. The minor may be an existing one or a custom-designed option. You must include a committee member unaffiliated with Department of Geography to represent the minor. Complete this form in consultation with your minor advisor once the details are determined.
Students enrolling in bespoke special topics, research/thesis hours, or Independent study need to request these hours with the advisor/instructor of record, and have it signed. The departmental admin staff will then enter the course and hours. For special topics courses, a specific title is required at the time of creation so it will show on transcripts.