Guidelines for Completing Applications for Candidacy for Doctoral or MFA Degrees
Instructions for filling out this form can be found below and in this illustrated guide.
Please contact Grad Studies (grad@unm.edu, 505-277-1206) with questions about this form, issues with online submission of the electronic form, or to submit the PDF version. Use of the PDF version is limited to dual degree students; submitting it with your UNM email will serve as your signature on the document.
A doctoral student must apply for and be admitted to doctoral candidacy. The Application for Candidacy for the Doctoral or MFA Degree form formally summarizes the program of studies you will be fulfilling for your degree. Your completed form should be forwarded to Graduate Studies 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.
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 Graduate Studies, and another copy returned to your graduate unit. You should contact your graduate unit to verify this approval. If a discrepancy is detected, Graduate Studies 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 Graduate Studies 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 Graduate Studies 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.
Filing Out the Application for Candidacy Form
1. Personal Information: Provide your correct UNM ID number. List your name as it appears on your UNM academic record. 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.
2. Degree(s) Currently Held: List degrees currently held; this 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.
3. UNM Degree Sought: Specify the UNM degree sought, as well as your graduate unit or department as it is appears in the current University Catalog. 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.
4. Concentration: If you are pursing a concentration/emphasis within your major, indicate it here.
5. Minor: If you are pursing a minor, indicate it here. Transcripted minors are only available from graduate programs that have approved minors on file at Graduate Studies. 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 Graduate Studies. The transcripted minor form should accompany the Application for Candidacy for final approval by Graduate Studies.
6. Graduation Date: List the term and year in which you expect to complete all degree requirements. This can be changed later without penalty.
7. Catalog Year: Indicate the catalog year under which you plan to graduate. This will be used to determine whether you meet degree requirements, including those specific to your program. Your selection may be changed only in writing.
Program of Doctoral Study Section
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, signed by your advisor. Please list by term the courses in each section.
8. Doctoral Program Credits: List all major credit hours you will apply toward your doctoral 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: List 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: List 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: List 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: Your Committee Chair must sign this section to verify your language or skill requirement has been met. You must also submit the completed and signed Language/Skill Requirement form along with the Approval for Candidacy form.
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 returned to your department or graduate unit.
15. Approvals (Unit #2-Primary): If you are enrolled in a dual/certificate program, follow the instructions for #14 in this section.
