Upon completion of the requirements for the Masters degree, the student's thesis committee Chair will submit a recommendation to the department regarding admission to our Ph.D. program. Based upon this recommendation, the Graduate Committee will then decide if the student should be allowed to continue in the Ph.D. program. Even if you were admitted originally as an MA/PhD student, this review must take place and a favorable recommendation made before you are allowed to continue. If you were not admitted to the MA/PhD program when you originally applied to UCSB, you must submit a "Graduate Student Petition" form, available from the Graduate Division (see sample), or you can download a copy at: http://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/pubs/.

The Graduate Committee will meet to decide on transfers just as they decide on regular admissions, and the petition will not be signed until this has been done. When the petition has been signed and approved, it will notify the Graduate Division officially of your acceptance into the Geography Ph.D. program. You should petition to add the Ph.D. at the time you file your thesis with the Department or immediately thereafter; if you wait too long you could be required to apply for reinstatement.

Maximum Time/Normative Time for the MA/PhD Program

The time limit for completion of a doctorate is 7 years, measured from the time a student begins graduate study at any level at UCSB. The time limit for completion of the doctorate differs from normative time. Normative time for completion of the Ph.D degree, when entering the department without a Masters degree, is 6 years (or 18 quarters). If you exceed the 7 year maximum before completion of the Ph.D. degree, you must petition for extension of the deadline.