The Master’s degree can be awarded to students admitted to terminal Master’s and M.F.A. degree programs or in some cases to doctoral students whose program also allows a Master’s degree along the way. This is commonly referred to as the Master’s en route.
Within the Master’s degree, there are two options to attain the degree. Plan I, the Thesis option, or Plan II, the Comprehensive Examination option. A program may offer the option of one or both plans with the approval of the Graduate Council. Each of these plans has separate advancement and final degree forms:
- Master’s Advancement to Candidacy Comprehensive Exam Option
- Master’s Advancement to Candidacy Thesis Option
- Master’s Degree/Comprehensive Exam
- Master’s Thesis checklist/final degree paperwork packet
Please make sure to select the correct DocuSign form for submission.
Master’s en route
Please note, not all doctoral programs offer the Master’s en route, be sure to check with your program if interested in this option. Additionally, advancement for your Ph.D. is separate from the Master’s advancement. Also, advancing for the Ph.D. does not mean you have automatically earned the Master’s degree. Each degree requires a separate advancement to candidacy, and separate final degree paperwork.
Doctoral students that decide to leave UCI after earning the Master’s en route should also submit a Change of Degree Level form. Submitting the Change of Degree Level form notifies the program of the students plan to end their doctoral degree status. If the Change of Degree Level form is not submitted the student’s doctoral degree status will lapse the following quarter. Those students continuing towards the doctoral degree do not need to submit the change of degree level form.
Further details on Master’s degree requirements can be found on the Graduate Division Academic Polices webpage.
