Masters Degree Processing

General Submission and Processing Information

• After the grade submission deadline for a quarter, GDASU staff will send an email to GPAs requesting master’s degree check sheets for students who completed all degree requirements by the filing deadline for that quarter.

  • GPAs are welcome to submit master’s degree check sheets prior to receiving this email request, but GDASU staff cannot finish awarding degrees until all grades have been submitted.

• Master’s degree check sheets should be completed, signed, and submitted to the Graduate Division via email to gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu. DocuSign signatures, scanned signatures, and email approvals are accepted.

• The Faculty Graduate Advisor, and the Department Chair have signature authority for master’s degree check sheets. The GradPoint Contact List will be used as the source of truth for Faculty Graduate Advisors and Department Chairs.

• 1-2 weeks before the final degree list is due to the Registrar’s, GDASU staff will ask GPAs to check their department’s Degrees Awarded Report on GradPoint Academics for accuracy.

• GDASU staff are required to submit the final graduate degrees list to the Office of the Registrar by the Registrar’s requested quarterly deadline. Approximate time frames are:

  • Fall - end of January/beginning February

  • Winter - end of April

  • Spring - end of August

  • Summer - end of October

• The Office of the Registrar finalizes all degrees 1-2 weeks after receiving the final degree list from the Graduate Division

• Diplomas are mailed to students by the Office of the Registrar’s approximately 3-4 months after the end of the quarter in which their degree was awarded.

Expectations of Departmental Staff and Chairs or Faculty Graduate Advisors

• Staff Graduate Advisors are expected to complete master’s degree check sheets for all students who have completed the requirements to earn a master’s degree in their department’s degree program(s).

  • Verify the student has met all departmental requirements specified on the check sheet.

  • Confirm the total number of required units has been met.

  • Verify that University requirements have been met.

  • List completion dates for any projects, comprehensive exams, thesis approval, and language exams

  • Indicate any course substitutions/waivers

  • Indicate the quarter and year master’s requirements were satisfied

    • Requirements must be completed by the filing deadline for a particular quarter.

  • Verify the student has an Unconditional Admission status in the Admission Unit’s Online Application Review System (App Review)

    • If a student still has a Provisional Admission status, their degree cannot be awarded until they clear this with the Admissions Unit.

• After check sheets have been signed by the Faculty Graduate Advisor or Department Chair, the completed check sheets should be submitted to the Graduate Division at: gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu.

• 1-2 weeks prior to the Registrar’s final degree list submission deadline, the Degrees Awarded Report on GradPoint Academics should be reviewed for accuracy, and the GDASU staff should be contacted immediately if any students are missing from the report (a reminder email will be sent to GPAs).

• Faculty Graduate Advisors or Department Chairs are expected to sign the master’s degree check sheets verifying the check sheets accurately reflect:

  • the student’s completion of all degree requirements

  • the dates milestones were met

  • the degree quarter

  • their approval of any noted exceptions (substitutions/waivers)

Expectations of Graduate Division Academic Services Staff

• GDASU staff will review all master’s degree check sheets submitted by GPAs and verify:

  • all departmental requirements specified on the check sheet have been met

  • review any course substitutions/waivers

  • the total number of required units has been met

  • dates are listed for any projects, comprehensive exams, and language exams

  • all University requirements have been met

  • all grades have been submitted from the degree start date through the degree quarter

  • the student has an Unconditional Admission status

• For students completing via Plan I - Thesis, GDASU staff will confirm the student’s filing date and that all filing requirements have been fulfilled.

• GDASU staff will schedule a student’s degree after completing the degree audit.

• The day after a degree is scheduled, GDASU staff will double-check their work and then provide the degree record to the GDASU Assistant Director for final review.

• the GDASU Assistant Director will triple-check the degree data before provisionally awarding the degree and scheduling the degree verification email to be sent to the student.

• The master’s degree check sheet and thesis filing documents (title page, signature page) if applicable will be archived so they are available in the GradPoint Documents Tab.

Exceptions

Exceptions requiring department approval:

• If the department is waiving a course requirement, GPAs should indicate on the master’s check sheet how the course content was met (prior college coursework, by exam, etc.).

  • The minimum unit requirement must be met regardless of waived coursework so the master’s check sheet should also indicate how the waived units are being fulfilled (elective coursework, etc.).

• If the department approved a course substitution, GPAs should indicate the substitution on the master’s check sheet.

  • The minimum unit requirement must be met so the course substitutions should amount to the same number of units as the courses they are substituting.

• If the student completed the department’s language requirement in a previous program, with prior college coursework, or is a native speaker, the GPA should note this on the master’s check sheet.

• Students with an Incomplete grade (I), No Grade (NG), No Record (NR), or In Progress (IP) grade on their record are ineligible to be awarded a master’s degree until grades are assigned. However departments can request an exception if the coursework is not needed to fulfill degree requirements. A memo (signed by the Department Chair or FGA) explaining the request should be included with the master’s check sheet.

  • In these cases, the department will need to obtain a Grade Change Report from the Office of the Registrar in order for the grade to be submitted after the degree has been awarded. 

Exceptions requiring Graduate Dean or Graduate Council approval:

• The department wants to allow a core course to be substituted by an independent study course (596), upper-division course (when graduate level is normally required), or something similar.

  • The department should include a memo (signed by the Department Chair or FGA) addressing why the request is being supported.

  • GDASU staff will provide the information to the Associate Dean, or Dean for review.

• The department wants to request an exception to the departmental grading requirement (B or better in core courses, etc.) for an individual student

  • The department should include a memo (signed by the Department Chair or FGA) addressing why the request is being supported in this case.

  • GDASU staff will provide the information to the Associate Dean, or Dean for review.

• The department wants to waive a requirement entirely (including language requirements) either for an individual student, or a cohort.

  • The department should include a memo (signed by the Department Chair or FGA) explaining the rationale for the request.

  • GDASU staff will provide the information to the Graduate Council for review.

• The department wants to request an exception to Graduate Council policy: residency, cumulative GPA, etc.

  • The department should include a memo (signed by the Department Chair or FGA) explaining the rationale for the request.

  • GDASU staff will provide the information to the Graduate Council for review.

• Retroactive degree requests can only be made in cases where a student completed all degree requirements by a filing deadline, but due to administrative error, the degree was not awarded before the degree list was finalized by the Office of the Registrar.

  • Department steps:

    • Complete a master’s degree check sheet that confirms all degree requirements were completed by the applicable filing deadline.

    • Confirm the student was either registered or on a Filing Leave of Absence during the degree quarter.

    • Prepare a memo (signed by the FGA) requesting the retroactive degree.

      • the memo should confirm the student was eligible by the applicable filing deadline

      • the memo should include an explanation of the administrative error

    • Email the master’s check sheet (including any other applicable degree paperwork) and memo to the Graduate Division at: gradacademics@graddiv.ucsb.edu.

  • GDASU steps:

    • Confirm the student’s degree eligibility for the applicable quarter.

    • Submit the request to the Graduate Division Dean for review.

    • Submit the request (including department memo, and Graduate Division Dean memo) to the Office of the Registrar for review.

    • Inform the GPA after the retroactive degree is processed by the Registrar’s.

Notable Processes, what to expect in GradPoint

• The Capstone Box in the Programs Tab of a student’s Profile on GradPoint Academics will display a student’s degree milestone information (filing date, thesis title, comprehensive exam date, project date) after it has been recorded by GDASU staff.

• The Exams Box in the Programs Tab of a student’s Profile on GradPoint Academics will display a student’s language exam information (if applicable) after it has been recorded by GDASU staff.

• Department’s can review the Degrees Awarded Report on GradPoint Academics to verify the accuracy of the degrees awarded for a particular quarter.