Financial Support

Fellowships are awarded on the basis of scholarly achievement and promise. Students apply to their prospective programs, which then nominate the most qualified applicants. Recipients must complete a full-time program of study or research each quarter, maintain a GPA of 3.50 or better, have no more than 7 units of “Incomplete” grades, be advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. within 12 quarters after entry (unless the award letter specifies a different date), and be making acceptable progress toward their degrees. Fellowships are offered only to full-time students pursuing degrees. Thus, credential and nondegree objective students are not eligible for fellowships.

Fellowship applications are considered once a year, in the winter quarter, and awards are made for the following academic year. Applications for admission that include requests for fellowships should be completed and submitted by January 5 (earlier when specified by the program).

Fellowship holders may supplement their awards with employment, with the prior approval of the Graduate Dean. Supplementation levels vary with type and amount of fellowship award.

A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal Application must be completed by all domestic graduate students and continuing international students who receive and accept any fellowship or grant from their department or from the Graduate Division. These awards are based on academic merit, but may be paid from a variety of funding sources, some of which require financial data. In order to use available resources to the maximum benefit of all graduate students, this information is required. It does not affect the amount of merit-based support awarded.

Graduate students may be employed by the university on a part-time basis (not to exceed 50 percent time or 20 hours per week) during the academic year. Students who hold assistantships must register for and complete a full program of study or research and remain in good standing for the duration of their employment. Students are responsible for reviewing their course enrollment to ensure that they are enrolled in at least 12 units. They may not have more than 7 units of “Incomplete” grades and must be advanced to candidacy within 12 quarters after entry to the Ph.D. program.

Fifty percent time teaching assistantships provide a salary of $5,545 per quarter. TAs are appointed through their departments and must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or better and be making acceptable progress toward their degree. No one may serve in teaching title codes (TA, Fellow, Associate In) for more than 18 quarters.

Any student whose native language is not English must pass a test of spoken English (TAST or SPEAK test) before performing TA duties.

The salary for research assistantships at 49 percent time begins as $4278 per quarter. Graduate student researchers (GSRs) can also be paid on a full-time basis for up to three months during the summer. To be appointed to and retained as a GSR, students must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or better and be making acceptable progress toward the degree. GSR appointments are made through the department or program.

All grant funding available to graduate students is administered through the Graduate Division. Students should contact their graduate department for more information. Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are available to graduate students through the Financial Aid Office. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office or check www.finaid.ucr.edu for a FAFSA if they want to be considered for these federal loan funds.

Dissertation Research Grants provide funds to doctoral candidates for research-related expenses associated with the dissertation. Applicants must be advanced to candidacy and plan to be registered during the period of the award. Proposals may be funded up to a maximum of $1,000. Applications are available at www.graduate.ucr.edu/finsuptoc.html.

The Intercampus Research Opportunity Fund assists with travel, living expenses, and the research costs of doctoral candidates whose research or study requires the use of another campus’ resources. Applicants must be advanced to candidacy. Applications are available in the Office of the Academic Senate.

Graduate Student Association Minigrants help to meet the financial needs of students who have been invited to present scholarly papers or posters at regional and national professional conferences. The program, administered by the Graduate Student Association, funds both conference attenders and presenters, with attenders reimbursed at one half the rate of presenters. The percentage of reimbursement is set monthly and is based on the volume of Minigrant applications received.

Unless a leave of absence has been granted, students are expected to register for every academic quarter once their graduate studies begin. Students must either be registered or on filing fee status in the quarter in which the degree is actually awarded.

Students who have completed all degree requirements except for filing their dissertations/theses or sitting for their master’s comprehensive examinations are eligible for filing fee status during the final quarter of residence. For students writing dissertations or theses, the student’s committee must have read and approved a draft of the manuscript, with only minor revisions needing to be made.

Students on filing fee status pay only one-half of the registration fee. Because filing fee status is tied to the registration fee, it can vary from quarter to quarter. See classes.ucr.edu for information on fees. Only one quarter on filing fee status is allowed, unless a student fails the master’s comprehensive exam. Then a retake of the exam on filing fee status is allowed. Students who fail to complete their degree programs must register and pay full fees for the following quarter.

A leave of absence is intended to allow the temporary interruption of the student’s academic program. Leaves are granted for the following reasons:

• 1. Serious illness or other temporary disability

• 2. The need to concentrate on a job or occupation not directly related

to the degree program

• 3. Family responsibilities

To be eligible for a leave of absence, students must have the approval of their graduate advisors, be in good standing, and have been enrolled for at least one quarter. Leaves are not normally granted for more than one year.

Since students on leave do not pay fees, they may not use university facilities or make demands on faculty time. Students on leave are ineligible for fellowships, research grants, and financial aid. Appointment as a graduate student researcher or teaching assistant, or any other appointment requiring full-time enrollment, is not possible. Nor can students on leave take qualifying examinations or receive credit for academic work done during the leave period. 56 / Graduate Studies

Students pursuing graduate study or research outside the state of California for an entire quarter may register in absentia and receive a 85 percent reduction in the registration fee and the education fee. Refer to the Finances and Registration section of this catalog for a schedule of fees. In absentia registrants are normally advanced to candidacy for the doctorate or be writing a master’s thesis.

Students who withdraw — for whatever reason — during the first five weeks of a quarter are entitled to a partial refund of fees. The amount of the refund is determined by the number of calendar days elapsed between the first day of instruction and the date on which a withdrawal form is filed with the Graduate Division. See the Schedule of Refunds in the Finances and Registration section of this catalog. Students who have applied for the Deferred Payment Plan are considered registered students and are held to the same refund schedule.

Students who are unable to file the necessary paperwork due to illness or emergency should call the Graduate Division at (951) 827-3315.

Candidacy for the degree may be lapsed after withdrawing or failing to register at the end of a leave of absence.

If three years or more have passed since advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D., candidacy status will be determined in consultation between the Graduate Dean and the department. If five years have elapsed between advancement to candidacy and readmission, candidacy will normally be withdrawn. In that case the student may be held for another set of written and/or oral qualifying examinations leading to advancement to candidacy. In addition, students will be responsible for all appropriate fees.

Each quarter, graduate students must pay their fees and enroll by the date indicated at classes.ucr.edu. Course schedules require the prior approval of the departmental graduate advisor.

All graduate students are expected to carry a full academic course load unless good reasons exist for not doing so. Graduate students are considered to be full time if they are carrying 12 graduate units. When a course program contains both graduate and undergraduate courses, the table on this page is used to calculate the appropriate course load.

In some programs, half-time study (6 units or fewer) is possible. Half-time status is only approved for students who cannot attend full-time for reasons of occupation (full-time employment outside the university), unusual family responsibilities, or poor health. Students should file petitions for half-time status with the Graduate Division.

A maximum of 8 quarter units from institutions outside the UC may be counted towards the master’s degree at UCR. All transfer work must have been completed in graduate standing with a minimum grade of “B.” Units cannot be transferred if the student earned a degree. These units may not be used to reduce the minimum number of graduate level units required. Department and Graduate Division approval must be obtained before these units can be accepted for credit. Grades are transferred as “Satisfactory” (S), with no GPA value.

For doctoral students, transfer credit is determined by the department and approved by the Graduate Dean.

UCR undergraduates who have no more than two courses or 8 units of course work remaining in their bachelor’s programs and who have been admitted to graduate status may begin course work for their advanced degrees at the beginning of the final quarter of undergraduate study. Backdating units from undergraduate status requires that students inform their college offices before beginning course work and that they petition the Graduate Division for credit once they are enrolled as graduate students.

Students may apply summer sessions course work from any UC campus toward their graduate degree requirements if they have the prior approval of their departments and of the Graduate Dean.

Units from another UC campus may be used to satisfy one of the three quarters of the residence requirement and may be counted for up to one-half of the total units required for the UCR master’s degree. Department and Graduate Division approval must be obtained before such units can be accepted for credit.

Graduate Undergraduate Units plus Units

0 16 1 15 2 13 3 12 4 11 5 9 6 8 7 7 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 1 12 0 57