Application for Candidacy

A doctoral student must apply for and be admitted to doctoral candidacy. The Application for Candidacy for the Doctoral or MFA Degree formally summarizes the program of studies you will be fulfilling for your degree. The necessary form may be downloaded from the OGS website. Your completed Application for Candidacy form should be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) during the semester in which you have both passed your comprehensive examination* and fulfilled any language or research skill(s) that may be required by your program. It should be accompanied by the Report of Examination and Certification of Language or Skill Requirement forms. Also, the Appointment of Dissertation Committee form must be completed for the final step of being Advanced to Candidacy or ABD (All But Dissertation).

You are responsible for knowing all UNM regulations and requirements pertaining to graduate study, as well as those specific to your doctoral program. You are encouraged to become familiar with the "Graduate Program" section of the University Catalog and any written guidelines your own unit may provide. Questions regarding these regulations and requirements should be directed initially to the appropriate staff and faculty in your graduate unit, and then, if necessary, to OGS staff.

Doctoral candidates have five (5) calendar years from the semester in which they pass their doctoral comprehensive examination to complete all degree requirements.  The final requirement is generally the acceptance of the student's dissertation by the Dean of Graduate Studies.  Given extenuating circumstances, students may petition the Dean of Graduate Studies for an extension of this "Five Year Rule".

Prior to completing an Application for Candidacy, you should consult with your Committee Chair. The members of this committee, in particular your major advisor (who must be a regular UNM faculty member), should participate in designing your program of doctoral study. All relevant spaces on the form must be filled in; if there is missing information it will be returned for completion. You must sign the Application for Candidacy, your Major faculty advisor and graduate unit chair (or designate) must sign as well, indicating that they have reviewed and approved your proposed degree plan.

Upon approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies, one copy of your Application for Candidacy will be placed in your file in OGS, and another copy returned to your graduate unit. You should contact your graduate unit to verify this approval. If a discrepancy is detected, the OGS will return the Application for Candidacy with written notice of the problem, and the graduate unit will inform you that a correction is required. You should then consult with your advisor, who must initial all changes before the form is returned to the OGS for reconsideration.

Requests for minor revisions to the Application for Candidacy (e.g., a change in course work or the particular Catalog being applied) should be submitted to the OGS in the form of a memo to amend the Application for Candidacy that is signed both by your advisor and graduate unit chair. If extensive changes are made, however, you should complete a new Application for Candidacy. If you are requesting an exception to a University requirement, you must submit a petition to the Dean of Graduate Studies; guidelines are available from your graduate unit or the OGS.

You may take your comprehensive examination only if you have a cumulative graduate GPA of at least 3.00 in all course work undertaken since admission to a UNM graduate program, as well as all course work listed on the Application for Candidacy. However, once you have passed your comprehensive exam and have enrolled in dissertation hours (699), you must be continuously enrolled (excluding summers, unless you are graduating in summer) until your manuscript is accepted by your dissertation committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Please be sure that you have provided your correct UNM ID number. List your name as you want it to appear on your diploma. If you have used any alternate names while enrolled at UNM, list them as well. On the line for your local address, also include a telephone number at which you can be reached.

Your listing of 2) degrees currently held must be accurate and complete (no abbreviations). If anything is omitted (e.g., previous degree, major, institution, or year) your Application for Candidacy will be returned to you, as this information is used to produce the Graduation Commencement Program.

Specify your graduate unit or department as it is appears in the current University Catalog. Abbreviate if necessary, but please be clear.

For 3) UNM degree sought, your "major" should also be specified as it appears in the current University Catalog. At the end of the line, indicate the Banner major code for your major. Consult your unit if you do not know that code or click here. If you have a 4) Concentration or 5) Minor, indicate it on the following lines. (Transcripted minors are only available from graduate programs that have approved minors on file at OGS. If you are declaring a transcripted minor, you must complete a “Transcripted Minor” form and have it approved by your major and minor departments and OGS. The transcripted minor form should accompany the Application for Candidacy for final approval by OGS).

Indicate the 6) term and year in which you expect to complete all degree requirements. The 7) Catalog Yearunder which you plan to graduate will be used to determine whether you meet degree requirements, including those specific to your program. Your selection may be changed only in writing.

Do not list courses in any section if they are not needed to fulfill requirements, particularly courses that are not for graduate credit, as such credits cannot then be applied to any other degree. You must list all courses you will apply toward your degree, including those in which you plan to enroll in the future. If it becomes necessary to make changes to your program, submit a memo to that effect, approve. Please list by term the courses in each section.

8) Doctoral Program Credits should include all major credit hours you will apply toward this degree. The name of the instructor and the grade you earned must be listed for each UNM course you have already taken. Put a check mark to the left of each course that has been or will be used to fulfill a specific core requirement. If a substitution for a core requirement is included in your program of study, indicate that substitution. If a waiver of a program requirement has been allowed, include a memo to that effect, signed by your advisor.

9) Minor or Supporting Credits should include any courses other than graduate level major courses taken after admission to a UNM graduate program. You might not have courses to list in this section.

10) Master’s Program Credits should include course credits you wish to apply to your doctoral degree that were earned at UNM or at another institution as part of a related master’s degree program. If the courses are from an institution other than UNM, please write the institution name in the appropriate column and provide valid institution transcripts.

11) Transfer Courses or Non-Degree Credits should include graduate level course work you wish to apply to your degree that was completed at an institution other than UNM or at UNM in non-degree status. The relevance of the content of these courses will be determined by your department advisor. If you do list transfer courses, note the institution at which they were taken, and include a copy of the official transcript. You may only transfer courses or apply non-degree credits for which you have earned a grade of "B" or better. You may not transfer extension credits.

12) Transcripted Graduate Certificate Courses:  List courses completed to fulfill the requirements established by the certificate program as listed on the front page. Be sure that you are admitted to the certificate program by following UNM catalog graduate transcripted certificate procedures.

13) Language/Skill Requirement

 This section should be filled in with the Committee Chair signature. Be sure that the department faculty signs this line or the Language/Skill Requirement form is completed.

14) Approvals (Unit #1-Primary). Sign your Application for Candidacy and print your advisor’s name on the indicated line. Your advisor and faculty graduate director or graduate unit chair must sign to indicate your graduate unit’s approval. After the Dean of Graduate Studies signs the form, a copy will be retuned to your department or graduate unit.

15) Approvals (Unit #2-Certificate). Sign your Application for Candidacy and print your advisor’s name on the indicated line. Your advisor and faculty graduate director or graduate unit chair must sign to indicate your certificate graduate unit’s approval. After the Dean of Graduate Studies signs the form, a copy will be retuned to your department or graduate unit.