Forms and Links

All completed forms must be legible (typed is preferred) and submitted directly to the Graduate Admissions Coordinator (soto@ucf.edu) for processing.

Please click here to visit the College of Graduate Studies website and access other forms not listed below.  For information about Academic Integrity at UCF please click here.

If a link is not working, please contact soto@ucf.edu

Graduate Student Handbook

 

Preparing for Graduation

There are many important deadlines and milestones that students should be aware of as they progress through their academic career. The College of Graduate Studies website is designed to provide graduate students with this important information to keep the students on track with their plans for earning their graduate degree and help them navigate the graduation process.

Students should check with their program adviser for information on the important milestones associated with their program of study and degree requirements. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog and the corresponding handbook (Physics Handbook or Planetary Sciences Track Handbook) for program-specific information.

 

Planned Program of Study (POS)

Please click here to access a presentation on how to process a What If Report in the Graduate Plan of Study.

Please click here to access a presentation on how to process an interactive Graduate Plan of Study report.

The Program of Study policy can be reviewed here.  An approved program of study should be on file with the College of Graduate Studies prior to obtaining candidacy status. You may revise the Planned Program of Study as needed.

If requesting a transfer of credit, the student should submit a Plan of Study (POS) during their first semester of enrollment.  Attach a list of courses to be considered for transfer.  The student’s final official transcript(s) must be in file.

Review the Transfer of Credit Policy here.

Contact soto@ucf.edu for the plan of study template form to be completed during the first semester in the program.  Return completed and signed forms to soto@ucf.edu for further processing.

Restricted Registrations

Students who wish to register in the following courses, must complete the restricted registration agreement (Physics RRA) form:

  • Directed Independent Studies
  • Directed Research
  • Internships, Practicums, Clinical Practice
  • Study Abroad
  • Research Report
  • Thesis
  • Doctoral Research
  • Doctoral Dissertation

Physics RRA

Instructions to complete the RRA form (Note: Forms cannot be modified once submitted, so make sure you gather all the necessary information prior to completing your form.):

To complete the Registration agreement via DocuSign:

  1. Select your program’s department from the dropdown.
    [Department of Physics]
  2. On the landing page, you will enter the names and email addresses of all signers (student, faculty, staff, and/or graduate director/coordinator).
  3. You will receive a validation email with an access code and a link to complete the form.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not delete the validation email once you’ve completed the form, as you can use the link in this email to track your form’s approval and completion status.

4. Click the link in the validation email (or enter the access code from the email into the form).

5. Complete the required fields on the RRA form. If you have questions about any of the information required, please reach out to soto@ucf.edu 

6. The next approver (usually advising faculty) will receive the form and will complete their section.

7. Any additional approvers will sign the form and complete their required sections.

8. Your program’s graduate staff will receive a copy of the completed form for their records.

9. Once all approvers have signed, the form will be automatically routed to the College of Sciences Graduate office; they will enroll you in the requested credit hours.

Note: You should not send PDFs to the College of Sciences, since they will receive the completed form via DocuSign for processing!

Tracking form completion/approval: 

If you would like to track the progress of your RRA form, you should click the “Resume Signing” link in the validation email you received from DocuSign. This is the ONLY way to access your form after you submit it.

  • If the form is complete and has been routed to the COS Graduate Office, you will see “This document is now complete” in the blue bar at the top.
  • If the document is not complete, you can scroll to the bottom of the form to view who has yet to sign, so that you can follow up with that student, faculty or staff member.
  • For more routing/approval details, you can click “Other Actions>View History” to view the approval/view history of your form.

Need Help? 

If you have any difficulties accessing or completing the form, email cosgrad@ucf.edu for assistance.

Note: Failure to turn in the completed restricted registration form in a timely manner may result in the student being assessed a late registration fee of $100.  You may register for undergraduate course UCF1500 (before the registration deadline) to avoid being assessed a late registration fee.

Registration in courses other than those listed on the restricted registration form must be completed online via your myUCF account.

Candidacy Status Forms

Are you ready to enroll in doctoral dissertation hours?  Students seeking Candidacy status to enroll in doctoral dissertation hours must have completed the following requirements:

  • Complete a Planned Program of Study (see above POS forms)
  • Complete the CITI Training and RCR Workshops
  • Students must complete the majority of all course work prior to entering Candidacy Status.  This includes: 18 Credit hours of Required Core Courses, 3 credit hours of a Methods course, 9 credit hours of Formal coursework, and 27 credit hours of Remaining Electives.  Students can have no more than 6 credit hours of remaining coursework (outside of Dissertation hours) when applying for Candidacy.
  • Pass the candidacy exam (written and oral exams, to include a dissertation proposal)
  • Form the dissertation advisory committee consisting of a chair, approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.

Initial Committee Formation Forms:

  • Dissertation and Thesis Advisory Committee Form – Submit this electronically to form your initial committee once you have passed the written part of the candidacy exam (qualifier). Please use Chrome or Firefox.
  • Graduate Faculty Scholar and Graduate Faculty Nomination Form – Contact soto@ucf.edu to submit this form electronically on your behalf to nominate an external committee member as a UCF Graduate Faculty Scholar.  Include a CV/Resume with your e-mail request.  The CV/Resume should indicate prior service in a dissertation committee, if applicable. Please use Chrome or Firefox.
Notification of Passing Candidacy Forms:

Submit the corresponding forms (at least one (1) week prior to the academic calendar “Final day for Doctoral committee/candidacy forms to be submitted to Graduate Studies”) once you have completed all the requirements noted above.  The notification will be submitted electronically on your behalf to the College of Graduate Studies after passing the candidacy exam, and once you are ready to enroll in doctoral dissertation hours.

 

Master’s Thesis Forms

  • Thesis Advisory Committee Form – This form is for MS students that have chosen the Thesis option.  Complete this form at least four (4) weeks prior to the first day of class for the term you wish to enroll in Thesis hours.
  • Department Committee Skills Form – This form must be completed by each member of the thesis advisory committee after the completion of the oral defense and examination of the thesis.

 

Final Examination

Students are encouraged to enroll in the Thesis and Dissertation Webcourse as soon as possible to prepare for their thesis or dissertation defense.

  • Thesis and Dissertation Services Link – As of Fall 2023, the Thesis and Dissertation Services site has been retired.  Thesis &Dissertation Approval forms and format review process are now in the Thesis & Dissertation Webcourse.  Final Thesis & Dissertation submission process will be directly to STARS (after receiving format approval in Webcourse).
  • Defense Announcement – Thesis or Dissertation defense announcements must be sent to soto@ucf.edu no later than three weeks prior to the date of the final examination. Refer to the UCF Academic Calendar for format review, final examination/defense, and final submission semester deadlines.
  • Department Committee Skills Form – This form must be completed by each member of the thesis or dissertation committee after the completion of the final examination/defense.

 

Graduation

Click here for instructions to file an intent to graduate online.  Refer to the UCF Academic Calendar for filing deadlines.

Note: No graduate student may be a traveling scholar during their last term at UCF.

Graduate Notice of Late Intent to Graduate – Complete this form once you have completed all MS or PhD degree requirements and are ready to graduate but failed to submit the intent to graduate online by the specified deadline. Students must submit the Late Intent to Graduate form to the Graduate Admissions Coordinator as soon as possible, prior to final submission deadline.

Department Exit Interview Form – Complete this form once you have completed all MS or PhD degree requirements.  Include a CV/Resume with a list of publications and conferences attended, if applicable. Students must submit the Exit Interview form to the Graduate Admissions Coordinator prior to graduation.

 

Student Initiated Forms

  • Annual Progress Report – (For Doctoral Students) – The Annual Progress Report is now submitted via e-mail link once the student is notified by the College of Graduate Studies. Doctoral students are required to meet with their advisor and/or dissertation committee on an annual basis.
  • 7-Years Rule Completion Plan – Students have 7 years from admit term to complete degree requirements.  The 7-Years Rule Completion Plan is now submitted electronically as early as the students’ fifth year in the program once the student is notified by the College of Graduate Studies.
  • Time Conflict – Complete this form if you have courses that conflict in schedule and you need approval to enroll in them. Note: This form is combined with the Override form, hence you need to scroll to the bottom of the form.
  • Change of Name Form – Complete and return this form to the Registrar’s Office or the UCF College of Graduate Studies to change your name in your student record at UCF.
  • Change of Address Form – Log into myUCF and go to Student Self Service > Personal Information in order to update your contact information.
  • Late Fee Appeals Committee Petition Form – Complete this form to request a waiver of late payment fee, late registration fee, reinstatement fees or dropped for non-payment fee.
  • Graduate Petition Form – Included in the 7-years completion plan. Complete this form to request an exception to university policy.  Include required statements.
  • Administrative Record Change – Graduate Student Request – Complete this form to request a late add/drop/withdrawal or other administrative record change.  Before you submit this form to the College of Graduate Studies, please review and understand the university’s add/drop and late withdrawal policies.
  • Traveling Scholar Form – This form must be completed by students who wish to attend another institution as a Traveling Scholar.  No graduate student may be a traveling scholar during their last term at UCF.
  • Special Leave of Absence – Students requesting a Special Leave of Absence must complete this eform no later than the end of the third semester of absence.  A Special Leave of Absence may be granted to a student in order to temporarily waive the continuous attendance requirement.
  • Parental Leave Application Form – (For Graduate Assistants) – The Parental Leave program is designed to assist graduate assistants on existing assistantship agreements during pregnancy or immediately after the birth or adoption of their infant child.  Complete this form to request up to 6 weeks of leave at least 4 weeks prior to the anticipated start date of the leave.  Submit this form to the College of Graduate Studies at gradassistantship@ucf.edu or Fax at 407-823-6442.   For more information, refer to the “Parental Leave for Graduate Assistants” link at Graduate Assistantships.
  • Intent to Return to Assistantship from Parental Leave Form – Please complete and submit this form to the College of Graduate Studies at gradassistantship@ucf.edu or Fax 407-823-6442 at least 2 weeks prior to the end of your parental leave or by the date given to you in your parental leave approval letter. For more information, refer to the “Parental Leave for Graduate Assistants” link at Graduate Assistantships.