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UCLA Registrar's Office

Master’s degree students file a candidacy form with the department. Doctoral students are advanced to candidacy by the Division of Graduate Education.

Master’s Degree

It is the student’s responsibility to file a master’s advancement to candidacy petition with the major department no later than the second week of the term in which they expect their degree award. Failure to do so prevents a student from receiving a degree until the quarter in which the form is filed and the student is advanced to candidacy, regardless of when degree requirements were completed. Forms for this purpose are available in each department.

After a student completes all course requirements and the comprehensive examination/capstone project or thesis, the Registrar’s Office reviews the courses and grades in order to confirm the degree award. Once the process is complete (approximately six weeks after the end of the term), the degree is recorded and appears on the official transcript.

During the final term, students should inform the Registrar’s Office of postal mail and e-mail address changes. An address change can be initiated on MyUCLA, at 1113 Murphy Hall, or through the monthly BruinBill statement.

Doctorate Degree

The student is advanced to candidacy following completion of course and language requirements, and written and oral qualifying examinations. If offered by the program, the Candidate in Philosophy degree is awarded for the quarter in which a student is advanced to candidacy. A student is advanced to candidacy by the Division of Graduate Education when the report on the University oral qualifying examination is received, provided that all conditions are met. The doctoral advancement to candidacy fee is automatically charged to the BruinBill account at the time advancement occurs.

For details on advancement to candidacy requirements, consult with the department or program; or see Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA (PDF). Information on department and program-specific advancement to candidacy requirements are available on program requirements for UCLA graduate degrees.