Degree Milestones

Submit the candidacy application at least one quarter before completing all degree requirements.

1. Confirm that at least one-half of the required coursework has been completed.
2. Review the final coursework plan with the Major Professor and Graduate Advisor.
3. Identify the proposed Thesis Committee.
4. Confirm that the proposed members are willing and eligible to serve.
5. Submit the M.S. Advancement to Candidacy form through GradSphere:

- Log into GradSphere and select the "Advancement to Candidacy" form.  
 - Select your degree pathway as "HSGG MS Plan I"
- Enter expected term and year of completion - this is not binding, just an estimate.  
- Enter your coursework. Your coursework should match all courses listed on your Program of Study (the courses counting towards the MS degree.  Background courses, English Language course requirements, or other courses not counting towards the MS requirements should not be listed). You can log into OASIS for easy copy and past of course titles. 
- If you officially transferred coursework from a previous institution, you will check that field.  This will not apply to most students. 
- Enter your MS Thesis Committee. Please review the degree requirements for additional information about committee membership. This is the committee that will review and sign your Thesis.

Once you submit your candidacy form in GradSphere, it should route automatically for approval to your Committee Chair, the Program Graduate Advisor, the Program Graduate Coordinator, and then Graduate Studies.  You can log into GradSphere and see where your form is throughout the process. You should also receive an email once the Candidacy has been fully approved. 

1. Confirm that at least one-half of the required coursework has been completed.
2. Review the final coursework plan with the Graduate Advisor.
3. Identify the capstone topic and HSGG faculty mentor.
4. Confirm the anticipated quarter of the comprehensive examination.
5. Submit the M.S. Advancement to Candidacy form through GradSphere.

- Log into GradSphere and select the "Advancement to Candidacy" form.  
- Select your degree pathway as "HSGG MS Plan II"
- Enter expected term and year of completion - this is not binding, just an estimate.  
- Enter your coursework. Your coursework should match all courses listed on your Program of Study (the courses counting towards the MS degree.  Background courses, English Language course requirements, or other courses not counting towards the MS requirements should not be listed). You can log into OASIS for easy copy and past of course titles. 
- If you officially transferred coursework from a previous institution, you will check that field.  This will not apply to most students.

Once you submit your candidacy form in GradSphere, it should route automatically for approval to the Program Graduate Advisor and the Program Graduate Coordinator, and then Graduate Studies.  You can log into GradSphere and see where your form is throughout the process. You should also receive an email once the Candidacy has been fully approved. 

After completing your coursework, you should immediately begin preparing for the QE. 

The QE is traditionally taken in the 5th or 6th quarter, and all Ph.D. students are expected to complete the QE before their 7th quarter.

The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine if the student has the ability and academic preparation necessary to successfully conduct independent research and complete a doctoral dissertation. 

Step 1 - Identify your research topic and form your QE Committee (12-14 weeks prior)

Work with your Major Professor and Graduate Advisor to identify your research topic and nominate five faculty members:

- four HSGG faculty members;
- one non-HSGG UC Davis faculty member;
- a chair who is not your Major Professor.

Individuals from outside the University of California are considered External Members and may be approved with additional review. External members include faculty, researchers, or other professionals who are not employed by the University of California, and who possess special expertise and/or experience not matched by eligible UC committee members. Please be prepared to upload their current CV/Resume and justification of expertise not available within the UC System. Note that External Members can only serve on a UC Davis Committee one time.

Step 2 - Set the date of the exam and reserve the room (12-14 weeks prior)

Confirm the QE date and time with your Committee. 

It is the student's responsibility to reserve a room for in-person QEs (and create a zoom link as needed). Reserve a room on the Metro Cluster here.

Step 3 - Prepare the Dissertation Prospectus (10-12 weeks prior)

Prepare an independently written, 10–20-page research proposal describing your dissertation-specific literature review, research aims, hypotheses, methods, anticipated outcomes, progress to date, and broader significance.

Formatting requirements:
- Double-spaced, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins
- Continuous line numbering
- Figures and tables included in the page limit
- References excluded from the page limit

Be prepared to submit the prospectus to all QE committee members at least one month before the oral examination.

Students may discuss ideas with their Major Professor and peers, but the prospectus must be written independently without editorial assistance.

Step 4 - Submit the QE application (4-5 weeks prior)

Initiate the UCD Qualifying Exam Application in GradSphere 

Once initiated, the application will route for program approval. Once approved by the Graduate Program, the QE Application will route to Graduate Studies for approval.  The QE cannot proceed until Graduate Studies has approved your QE application.

QE applications MUST be submitted to Graduate Studies at least 30 days in advance or they will be denied. Please try to submit 40 days in advance to secure departmental approval by the 30-day deadline.

Remote Member

Exams may now have one remote member without the need for exception paperwork from Graduate Studies - please be sure to check the appropriate box if this applies.

Emergency Plan Options

Pre-approved emergency plans are not required, but highly recommended. Whether or not selected as an emergency plan, rescheduling the QE in the event of an emergency that prevents all members from being present is always allowed.

The student must discuss the Emergency Plan section of the application with their proposed QE chair, prior to submission of the application.
- Changing to a Fully Remote Exam if an Emergency Occurs
- Moving the Exam to a Pre-Scheduled Backup Date/Time
- Reconstituting the Committee with a Pre-Determined Alternate Program Member

Step 5 - Submit the prospectus (4-5 weeks prior)

Provide the completed prospectus to the committee at least one month before the oral examination.

Step 6 - Meet with committee members (3-4 weeks prior)

Share any requested documentation (dissertation prospectus, slides, etc - discuss requirements with committee)

Step 7 - Check approval from Graduate Studies for your QE (1-2 weeks prior)

Make sure you received the approval from Graduate Studies for your QE. If your approval is pending, reach out to the Graduate Program Coordinator to help you follow up with Graduate Studies.

Step 8 - Exam Date! 

Arrive early and make sure all technology is working. 

Step 9 - Advance to Candidacy (1 week post)

The committee will reach a decision on the student’s performance immediately after the oral exam. Read more about the QE exam and its outcome on the Grad Studies site.

Upon successful result, initiate the UCD Advancement to Candidacy Application in GradSphere to establish the Dissertation Committee!

Additional Resources

- Graduate Studies Qualifying Exam website
- Graduate Council Policy - Doctoral Qualifying Examinations GC2005-02 (rev. 13)
- Acing your Qualifying Exam
- Additional Hints to Help You Succeed on Your QE
- QE Regulations (Graduate Studies document)