Incoming students can typically start enrolling around mid-Aug. However, you will be receiving detailed information about the curriculum and course offerings at the department's Incoming Graduate Student Orientation which is typically scheduled in early Sept. We recommend that you enroll for your courses after the orientation.
Please contact the Graduate Student Advisor/Coordinator.
Graduate students should not waitlist a required course. Please contact the Graduate Advisor if you are unable to enroll in a required course.
Please review the procedures on
how to add a class and
how to drop a class. You will need to submit an
EASy request for a
late add or drop request. Please note that dropping a course after Friday of Week 4 will result in a W on your transcript.
After the 10th week of the quarter, any changes to a student's class schedule are considered a retroactive action. As such, a general campus petition is required and must be submitted to GEPA. Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator as soon as possible so that the general petition may be initiated.
- An incomplete may be assigned if a student's work is of passing quality. An incomplete may be issued for extenuating circumstances only (e.g., death in the family or health issues) and the student must obtain the instructor's approval prior to the final examination.
- The student has until the end of finals week of the following quarter to complete the remaining coursework. If the student fails to submit the remaining coursework by the deadline, the incomplete will lapse to a permanent U or F.
- It is the student's responsibility, and not that of the instructor or department, to adhere to the deadline for proper removal of the incomplete.
A graduate student assigned a grade of D, F, or U only may petition to repeat the course on the same grading basis for which it was first taken. Consult your Graduate Program Coordinator to petition.
Note that:
- Degree credit for the course will be given only once, but the grade assigned for each enrollment shall be permanently recorded.
- Only the grade received in the repetition will be used in calculating the overall GPA for the first 16 units repeated.
- Petition must be submitted to the Graduate Division for approval prior to enrollment in course to be repeated.
Graduate students may take undergraduate classes. However, to be a full-time student, grad students need to be enrolled in 12 units of graduate level or upper division coursework. Since most language classes are lower division only, graduate students must be sure to enroll in at least 12 units of full-time course work in addition.
Languages can be taken for a letter grade or S/U basis. Some instructors may allow you to audit, but language courses are often very full and auditing may not be allowed, especially if there is a waitlist. Enroll early to avoid being on the waitlist.
Good progress toward the Ph.D. requires that students advance to candidacy by the end of the fall quarter of the fourth year. A student who fails to advance to candidacy by the end of the fall quarter of the fourth year may receive no more than a 33% teaching or research assistantship from the Department for the following quarters until advancing to candidacy. Students on a UCSD fellowship may receive no more than two-thirds of their stipend for the following quarters until advancing to candidacy.
- Select your committee. See, Who can be on my doctoral committee? How do I appoint my committee? for full details. The qualifying examination/defense may not occur prior to Graduate Division approval of the committee.
- Coordinate a date with your committee. Find a date and time during which all of your committee members are able to meet (usually for 2-3 hours) for your oral examination. Coordinating schedules can be difficult so consider an online scheduling tool such as Doodle. All committee members must be present for the advancement to candidacy exam and must sign the form. Arrangements can be made for a committee member to be present via teleconference only under special circumstances.
- Request a room. Email the Department of Political Science Graduate Program Coordinator to request a room for your defense. You must let her know if you require a room with teleconference capabilities.
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If applicable, request teleconferencing support*. If you require teleconference capabilities, contact the Department of Political Science Student Services Coordinator to request support. You will be responsible for picking up the teleconference phone (SSB 301).
- Coordinate paperwork. The Advancement to Candidacy form is now processed online through docusing, please contact the Department of Political Science Graduate Program Coordinator for instructions and information for form processing. Contact to schedule a pick-up time for your prepared Advancement to Candidacy form, typically the day before or the morning of your defense. You will need this form at the defense to collect committee signatures.
- Defend your prospectus. It is the student's responsibility to inform and remind all committee members of their scheduled defense. If your committee elects yout o pass then you will contact the the Department of Political Science Graduate Program Coordinator to initiate the Advacmenet to Candidacy forms on your behalf. The online docusing form is automatically routed to all members in your committee for their signature and then on to the appropriate folks at GEPA. If your committee elects you to pass, have all committee members sign the Advancement to Candidacy form. The form must contain all original signatures; proxy signatures are not accepted. If you have a committee member teleconferencing in, the student must mail the form for original signature.
- Obtain the Chair's signature. The online docusing form is automatically routed to all members in your committee for their signature and then on to the appropriate folks at GEPA. After you have successfully defended your prospectus, return the form to your Graduate Coordinator, who will acquire the Department Chair’s signature and return the form to you.
- Submit your forms. Bring the form with all signatures to the Cashier's Office and pay the fee. Bring the fee and all completed paperwork to Graduate Division.
*The student is responsible for returning department property in good working condition and will be held accountable for any damages.
Advanced doctoral students performing research away from campus and outside the state of California may be eligible to register in-absentia for up to two (2) years. During this time a student must be enrolled in at least 12 units of POLI 298/299 and pays reduced fees. Time registered in-absentia does count towards all established time limits. Review the In-Absentia Policy and FAQs guide (PDF) for further information. Consult with your Graduate Coordinator to determine eligibility and make arrangements.
International students may be registered in-absentia and still retain their visa status.
All students may work as a GSR while registered in-absentia. In-absentia students may not work as a TA or Reader, only as a GSR.
You must request in-absentia status prior to every quarter that you plan to be registered in-absentia.
Review your situation with your Graduate Coordinator to determine eligibility and alternative options. Students are allowed a maximum of three (3) quarters Leave of Absence during their tenure in the program. Reasons for a Leave of Absence can include employment, family, financial, health, transfer, or other. It is the student's responsibility to ensure their paperwork has been properly coordinated adhering to academic deadlines. This can be done by monitoring your Academic History through TritonLink. For information regarding Health Insurance while on an approved leave, visit Student Health Services.
International students may go on Leave of Absence, but they must not be in the United States during the time of their Leave of Absence. For more information, please visit the International Students and Programs Office.