Graduation Requirements : Department of Geophysics, Stanford University

The specific degree requirements you must fulfill are those listed in the Bulletin of the year in which you were admitted.
See your advisor for advice on courses and your program.
See Tara Ilich, Student Services Director, for forms, procedures and questions.
See Prof. Norm Sleep, Director of Graduate Studies, for approval of waivers and academic guidance.

MS students, and those PhD students who wish to also receive a Master's degree, must fill out this form during their first quarter. The department recommends that all PhD students get their MS degree as well. Confer with your advisor, get his/her signature, and make sure the courses you propose to complete total at least 45 units. Return it to Tara. She will check the form for accuracy and obtain the Chair's signature. Waivers or substitutions for the required courses must be documented in writing and approved by your advisor and Norm Sleep. After obtaining the signatures, give the memo to Tara for filing in your student record.

Departmental Oral Qualifying Exam for PhD students

PhD students must pass this exam before the end of their sixth quarter (summer quarters excluded) and before they can be officially admitted to the PhD program. Schedule this with your advisor. (For details, see orals exam).

Fill out the Qualifying Oral Examination form and return it to Tara. Once you pass, fill out the:

Academic Requirements

Work with your advisor on the plan for fulfilling the academic requirements. The minimum units to graduate are 108 for those admitted prior to Sept. 2001, and 135 units for those admitted in or after Sept. 2001. Have your advisor sign the form and return it to Tara. She will check the form for accuracy and obtain the Chair's signature. Waivers or substitutions for the required courses must be documented in writing and approved by your advisor and Norm Sleep. After obtaining the signatures, give the memo to Tara for filing in your student record.

Prior to your university oral defense, you must find a Reading Committee made up of your advisor and at least two other readers. They are all required to sign this form. Next, have the Dept. Chair sign and then return it to Tara.

Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) means you have completed all the course requirements for your degree and are very close to graduating. It also saves a lot of money for your advisor on tuition costs. In order to qualify for TGR, review your record with your advisor to be certain you satisfied all requirements. Those students admitted prior to Sept. 2001 must have earned at least 10.5 "residency quarter credits" and must have submitted their Reading Committee form. (The University grants 1.0 residency credit after each full-tuition paid quarter and .62 residency credit after each 8-9-10-unit tuition paid quarer. ) Those admitted in or after Sept. 2001 must have completed 135 total units, and must have submitted their Reading Committee form in order to qualify.

When all this is done, have your advisor sign the TGR form and return it to Tara. After review, the Reg. Office will adjust your tuition to the TGR rate. Once the adjustment is done, you can register for the GP802 course in Axess.

This form is due 2 weeks before the "University Oral Examination Schedule" form--1 month before your defense date. You must submit a complete draft (including figures and appendices)to the members of your Reading Committee who must verify to the Department that your thesis is ready for defense. Return it to Tara.

This form is due 2 weeks before your defense. You will need to determine time, place, and your committee members. You are required to have at least 4 committee members plus a committee chair from a department other than Geophysics. No more than 1 of the 4 committee members can be a "non-academic" faculty member (such as a consulting faculty). The form must be returned to Tara, so she can update your on-line student record.

Thesis Preparation

Grade Change Card

See Tara in order to change a grade or an incomplete card in your academic record. After it's completed and signed by your instructor she will see that it gets to the Registrar's Office.

Adding Masters Program to PhD

If you are already in the PhD program and also want to obtain your masters degree, let Tara know and fill out the required Program Proposal for Masters Degree form (PDF form). Tara will notify the Registrar's Office. Once you have met the Masters degree requirements, file your intent to graduate in Axess.

From Masters to PhD

Your advisor must formally request to the Department Admissions Chair that you be considered for the PhD program. Your academic progress will be reviewed by the entire Geophysics faculty and is subject to their approval. Once approved, you will need to complete the Graduate Program Authorization Petition form (PDF form), give a copy to Tara, and submit the original to the Registrar's Office/Degree Progress in Old Union Bldg.

With your advisor's approval, you may take up to one year's leave of absence. Summer quarters are exempt. Process the form through Tara as she must track your leave and adjust your funding.

Department of Geophysics

Administrative Requirements for Degrees in Geophysics

The Basics