Procedural Steps to Graduate Degree | Department of Anthropology

Procedural Steps for Leave, Committee Formation, General Exams, Degree Requests, Defense, and Dissertation Submission

This page is a list of necessary administrative actions graduate students must do to complete milestones related to your graduate degree. Please follow these instructions carefully to avoid lengthy delays and stressful complications. These instructions are based on the Graduate School's policy documents.

Before sending your requests or questions to the department's advising staff at agp-advisor@uw.edu, you must meet with your faculty advisor and review the relevant department and Graduate School policies together, e.g. Anthropology PhD programs webpages, Graduate School policy pages (Doctoral Students, Masters Students) and the Graduate School Student Handbook.

When writing to the advising staff, always cc your advisor, and please quote text from, and link to, the Graduate School or Department policy relevant to your request. This means your request gets processed quickly and correctly the first time, and you develop the policy literacy that will serve you well throughout your career. Please plan well ahead with your requests, allow at least three weeks for a response. Last-minute requests are difficult to process well, and carry high risk of delay.

How to submit a Masters Degree Request?

The Masters Degree corresponds to the completion of different events (in conjunction with the fulfillment of all UW and departmental requirements) depending on the sub-discipline. You must submit a Masters Degree request in MyGrad in conjunction with the scheduling or completion of certain assignments. For the Archaeology PhD it is the Comprehensive Examination; for the Archaeology MA it is the Thesis Project; for Biological Anthropology it is the Comprehensive (Written) Examination; and for Sociocultural it is the Research Competency Paper.

Steps to Submit the Masters Degree Request:

Consult with your advisor. Discuss your intention to submit a degree request with your advisor. Confirm with your advisor the exact requirements you need to meet; they vary from program to program within the department. Confirm if your program requires a committee to be formed. Review the deadlines to ensure you submit your request in time to be processed.
Confirm your enrollment. You can only submit a Masters Degree Request during the quarter in which you intend to complete your Masters degree. For example, if it's currently Spring quarter and you intend to complete your degree in Autumn, wait until Autumn to submit the Masters Degree Request. You must be registered for at least 2 credits when your submit a Degree Request. If you hold an ASE appointment you must maintain full time registration, this is 10 credits during Autumn, Winter and Spring quarter or 2 credits during Summer quarter.
Submit your request. You submit a Masters Degree request by logging into MyGrad, going to REQUEST DEGREE > Masters > and entering the appropriate information for a non-thesis master’s degree. A degree audit is run as part of your Master's request process. This will note any progress toward your degree and anything that needs attention. You must review your audit and address any issues with your faculty advisor. We encourage you to contact us the department's advising office with any questions about your degree audit. Continue on through your degree request and submit it.
Request your Committee Signature Form. Once you have submitted your Masters Degree request, MyGrad will generate a Committee Signature Form for the Master's Degree. You write to agp-advisor@uw.edu to request a copy of this from the department's advising staff.
Request your committee members' signatures. Once you obtain the Committee Signature Form, you request that your advisor/chair or committee members sign the Committee Signature Form to certify you have completed the exam/paper/thesis project to their satisfaction. Your committee members can either physically sign the hard copy of the Form, or you can email the Form to them, and they then confirm their decision to you by email, without physically signing the paper Form.
Submit your Committee Signature Form. Once you have received signatures or email confirmations, you email these to agp-advisor@uw.edu. Once you have informed the advising staff that this requirement has been fulfilled, and that you have fulfilled all additional degree requirements, the advising staff will approve the Masters Degree request in MyGrad.

How to register a PhD Supervisory Committee?

Consult with your advisor. Discuss your intention to form a committee with your advisor. You must assemble a Supervisory Committee in consultation with your faculty advisor/chair prior to your General Exams. The Graduate School recommends that your doctoral supervisory committee be established at least four months prior to the intended date of your General Exam (Policy 4.2.2.1). The exact required timing for committee formation varies between our three PhD programs, you should check your program requirements in case it requires committee formation earlier than the Graduate School suggests.
Select committee members. Graduate School Policy 4.2: Supervisory Committee for Graduate Students lists the committee composition requirements. You must have a minimum of four members, at least three of whom (including one Chair and the GSR) must be members of the Graduate Faculty with an endorsement to chair doctoral committees (search for graduate faculty). The chair of the committee must be a Graduate Faculty member of the Anthropology Department. The GSR must be external to the department with no conflicts of interest (check eligibility, search for a GSR).
Register your committee with the Graduate School. You must email the department advising office at agp-advisor@uw.edu with the names and email addresses of your committee members. In your email you must identify which person is the chair and which person is the GSR. You must cc all committee members in this email. The advising staff will submit your request to the Graduate School via MyGrad to formally establish the Supervisory and Reading Committees. You can check the status of your committee at any time on MyGrad. You can update your committee composition by writing to agp-advisor@uw.edu at any time.

How to submit a General Exam (Candidacy) Request?

The PhD Candidacy corresponds to the completion of different events (in conjunction with the fulfillment of all UW and departmental requirements) depending on the sub-discipline. You must submit a Doctoral (General Exam) request in MyGrad in conjunction with the scheduling of certain assignments. In Archaeology this is the General Examination; for Biological Anthropology it is the General (Oral) Examination; and for Sociocultural it is the General Exam.

Steps to Submit the Doctoral (General Exam) Request:

Consult with your advisor. Discuss your intention to submit a General Exam request with your advisor. Ask your advisor to explain to you the typical process and format of the exam in your sub-discipline, as it varies across the department. Learn from your advisor the exact requirements you need to meet to complete the exam; they vary from program to program within the department. Review the deadlines to ensure you submit your request in time to be processed.
Confirm your committee. Check MyGrad to confirm you have an advisor and committee registered. If you don't see them on MyGrad, you must email the department advising office at agp-advisor@uw.edu with the names and email addresses of your committee members. In your email you must identify which person is the chair and which person is the GSR. You cannot schedule your general exam until a supervisory committee has been established on MyGrad.
Confirm your enrollment. You can only submit a General Exam Request during the quarter in which you intend to complete your General Exam For example, if it's currently Spring quarter and you intend to complete your General Exam in Autumn, wait until Autumn to submit the General Exam Request. You must be registered for at least 2 credits when your submit a General Exam Request. If you hold an ASE appointment you must maintain full time registration, this is 10 credits during Autumn, Winter and Spring quarter or 2 credits during Summer quarter.
Confirm the date, time and location of your exam. Before submitting your General Exam request, confirm with your advisor and committee members the specific date, time and room of your General Exam (for the oral exam component only, if your program has a written component, the scheduling of that is between you and your committee). Submit your request to book a room for your oral exam to anthinfo@uw.edu and wait for confirmation before proceeding. Arrange accommodations for disabled or remote participants. You must have the specific details of your oral exam confirmed to request a General Exam. The exam may be held with all or some participants joining via online video. If you plan to use online video, please study the Graduate School's requirements.
Submit your request. Once you have confirmed a registered committee and confirmed the date, time and room of your oral exam, submit your exam request by logging into MyGrad, and going to REQUEST DEGREE > Doctoral (General Exam). A degree audit is run as part of your General Exam request process. This will note any progress toward your degree and anything that needs attention. You must review your audit and address any issues with your faculty advisor. We encourage you to contact the department's advising office with any questions about your degree audit. Continue on through your General Exam request and submit it.
Request your Committee Signature Form. Once you have submitted your General Exam request, MyGrad will generate a Committee Signature Form. You write to agp-advisor@uw.edu to request a copy of this from the department's advising staff. It is a good practice for you to bring a hard copy of this Form to your oral exam.
Request your committee members' signatures. At the conclusion of your General Exam (oral exam), you request that your Supervisory Committee members sign the Committee Signature Form to certify the outcome of the exam. Your committee members can either physically sign the hard copy of the Form, or you can email the Form to them, and they then confirm their decision to you by email, without physically signing the paper Form. You should ask remote participants to email you a statement confirming their participation and their decision about the outcome of the exam. What if a committee member does not show up for the exam?
Submit your Committee Signature Form. When you have all the signatures, and emails from any remote participants, email these to agp-advisor@uw.edu. Once you have informed the advising staff that this requirement has been fulfilled, and that you have fulfilled all additional degree requirements, the advising staff will approve your request in MyGrad.

How to submit a Final Examination: Dissertation Defense Request?

The requirements for the final exam are documented Graduate School's Guidance Final Examination: Dissertation Defense. Our specific program requirements vary between programs: Archaeology: Final Examination; Biological Anthropology: Seminar & Final Examination; Sociocultural: Oral Defense (Final Exam).

Steps to Submit the Doctoral (Final Exam) Request:

Consult with your advisor. Discuss your intention to submit a Final Exam request with your advisor. Confirm with your advisor the exact requirements you need to meet; they vary from program to program within the department. You can schedule your Final Exam only if you passed your General Examination in a previous quarter (not the same quarter that you plan to do your Final Exam); your reading committee is officially established with the Graduate School; your reading committee has read an entire draft of the dissertation and; your entire supervisory committee has agreed that the you are prepared and has approved you to schedule a Final Exam (Graduate School Policy 1.1.4.4). Review the deadlines to ensure you submit your request in time to be processed.
Confirm your committee. Check MyGrad to confirm you have an advisor and committee registered. If you don't see them on MyGrad, you must email the department advising office at agp-advisor@uw.edu with the names and email addresses of your committee members. In your email you must identify which person is the chair and which person is the GSR.
Confirm the date, time and location of your exam. Before submitting your Final Exam request, confirm with your advisor and committee members the specific date, time and room of your Final Exam. Submit your request to book a room to anthinfo@uw.edu and wait for confirmation before proceeding. Arrange accommodations for disabled or remote participants. You must have the specific details of your Final Exam confirmed to request a Final Exam. The exam may be held with all or some participants joining via online video. If you plan to use online video, please study the Graduate School's requirements.
Submit your request. Once you have confirmed a registered committee and confirmed the date, time and room of your Final Exam, submit your exam request by logging into MyGrad, and going to REQUEST DEGREE > Doctoral (Final Exam). This will note any progress toward your degree and anything that needs attention. You must review your audit and address any issues with your faculty advisor. We encourage you to contact us the department's advising office with any questions about your degree audit. Continue on through your General Exam request and submit it.
Request your Committee Signature Form. Once you have submitted your Final Exam request, MyGrad will generate a Committee Signature Form. You write to agp-advisor@uw.edu to request a copy of this from the department's advising staff. It is a good practice for you to bring a hard copy of this Form to your exam.
Request your committee members' signatures. At the conclusion of your Final Exam, you request that your Supervisory Committee members sign the Committee Signature Form to certify the outcome of the exam. Your committee members can either physically sign the hard copy of the Form, or you can email the Form to them, and they then confirm their decision to you by email, without physically signing the paper Form. You should ask remote participants should email you a statement confirming their participation and their decision about the outcome of the exam. What if a committee member does not show up for the exam?
Submit your Committee Signature Form. When you have all the signatures, and emails from any remote participants, email these to agp-advisor@uw.edu. Once you have informed the advising staff that this requirement has been fulfilled, and that you have fulfilled all additional degree requirements, the advising staff will approve your request in MyGrad.
Prepare for graduation. Study the graduation timelines, checklists and frequently asked questions for graduate students on the Graduation Requirements page.

How to submit a PhD Dissertation?

Please review the Graduate School's policy and process on dissertation submission by visiting the Dissertation Submission page and the Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs): Overview. You should submit your dissertation (ETD) through the UW ETD Administrator Site by the last of day of the Final Examination Week of the quarter your expect to graduate.

Scheduled Final Exams include a link to the Electronic Doctoral Dissertation Approval form for the Reading Committee to approve your dissertation in MyGrad. It is your responsibility to ensure your committee signs their Electronic Doctoral Dissertation Approval. Reading Committee Dissertation Approval Instructions.
All signatures should be received by the First day grades are posted to transcript and GPAs are available on MyUW. This is a hard deadline; your must request the signatures from your committee by an earlier date. You will receive email notices when online approvals are entered. You can also check the status of approvals by logging into MyGrad Program.
You will receive word from the Graduate School once their dissertation has been reviewed. Unfortunately, the Graduate School's process for approving/denying dissertations is not something the department is able to monitor.

How to request On-Leave Status?

Consult with your advisor. Your must maintain active student status or will be considered to have withdrawn from the University. To maintain active status without registering for courses, a you can request to go on-leave. This prevents loss of student status and avoids the reinstatement/re-entry process. Leave requests are required for Autumn, Winter, and Spring, but not summer. Discuss your intention to go on leave and your plans to complete your degree with your advisor before submitting your request. Review the deadlines to ensure you submit your request in time to be processed.
Confirm eligibility. Review the Graduate School's policies on Enrollment and On-Leave Status to confirm you are eligible to request on-leave status.
Submit your request. Log into MyGrad and submit your on-leave request. Requests need to be in to the Graduate School a week before the last day of the quarter, you should submit yours much earlier to allow time for your advisor to approve and the department's advising staff to approve.
Request your advisor's approval. Once you have submitted your on-leave request, you must write to agp-advisor@uw.edu and cc your advisor to request their approval of your request. Your request will not be processed until your advisor has sent their approval to agp-advisor@uw.edu. If your advisor hasn't responded within a few days, a gentle reminder from you directly is the right next step before contacting the advising office.
Pay the fee. Once your advisor has approved by email and the advising staff have approved your request on MyGrad, you must Log into MyGrad and pay the fee. Payments are due by the last day of the quarter.

Summer Graduation

Full-term registration is recommended if you intend to graduate during summer quarter since degrees are conferred at the end of summer, regardless of A or B term. If no additional courses are needed to fulfill degree requirements, consider registering for an independent study, masters thesis, or doctoral dissertation course since these courses are usually full term (no A or B sections). Registering for 2 credits in summer quarter is considered full time. If you'd like to know the out of pocket cost associated with summer tuition, please visit the Graduate and Professional Tuition Dashboard - Quarterly.

Summer’s degree conferral date is the Last Day of Instruction (Full-term), formal diplomas are mailed approximately 3-4 months post-conferral date.

Helpful Links:

Preparing to Graduate: This page provides graduation timelines, checklists and frequently asked questions for all students, as well as information specific to those submitting an electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD).
Policy 1.1: Graduate Degree Requirements: If the Final Examination is satisfactory, the supervisory committee members who participate at the examination sign the committee signature form (formerly called a warrant) and return it to the GPA by the last day of the quarter (last day of finals week)
Electronic Theses & Dissertations with the UW Libraries: The University Libraries welcomes you to this self-guided course on electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) at the UW. In this five-part learning experience, you will learn a lot about the ETD process including how the submission process works, how to give and receive recognition for your work, how to find and interpret publisher policies and how to read and inspect publishing contracts.