Physics & Astronomy graduate student forms sequence (v. 2025 January; more online forms to come soon)

Meeting these deadlines is expected if a student is to be considered "making satisfactory progress"

General note: you must register for at least 9 credits each semester and 1 credit in summer to be a full-time student.

You may take up to 12 credits without an exception from theDepartment Head or your advisor (someone has to pay that extra tuition!).

Prior to passing the preliminary oral exam to candidacy you should take 5960 Thesis credits or independent study credits if you are taking reseach credits.

5980 Dissertation Credits are for AFTER you pass the preliminary exam.

You need 30 credits of formal coursework for a masters.

You need 42 credits of formal coursework for a PhD, plus 30 credits of thesis/dissertation credits for a total of 72 credits. In your final three semesters you should use the optional fee petition package to be eligible to register for only 2 credits and still be a full-time student. Don't take more than 72 if you can help it.

First year students, by end of spring semester

Change of major form, online

Check "Add a dual degree"
Select "Current Degree" as "Other"
enter "Current Major" as "PhD"
Select "Proposed Degree" as "Other"
List proposed major as 'PhD + MS' so that you can file for a masters at the end of your coursework
Department Head and College Dean will sign online

Second year students, by start of spring semester

master's comittee assignment form online (even if you are doing a PhD, file for your masters)

must have 3 members; one must be from outside department

Program of study for MS (PDF)

submit this AFTER Committee Assignment has been approved
If Plan A Masters (thesis option), take exactly 4 credits of 5960 Thesis Research and include at least 26 credits of official coursework (real classes but including journal club)
If Plan B Masters (non-thesis option), do not take Thesis credits but include at least 30 credits of official coursework (journal club may be included)

Second year students, 2 weeks prior to END of spring semester

Anticipated Date of Graduation form (via wyoweb)

Declare your graduation date at least three weeks ahead of graduation

Report of final examination (PDF)

To be signed after thesis defense (plan A) or near end of semester (Plan B)

Third year students, by END of fall semester

PhD Committee Assignment Form (PDF)

Must have 5 members. One member from outside department. One of the 4 remaining (or a 6th) may be from outside UW.
signatures are done online

Program of Study for PhD (PDF)

Complete AFTER committee assignemtn form is approved
Must have (at least) 42 credits of official coursework plus credits of 5960/5980 Thesis/Dissertation that add up to 30 hours
Research credits are typically 9 per semester (1 in the summer) in order to be a full time student, but you don't need to list these per semester, just as a lump sum
Have signed by Head and College Dean

Third year students, BEFORE start of year 4

Report of Preliminary Exam to PhD candidacy (PDF)

Submit AFTER program of study has been approved
have signed by committee member and Head and College Dean
a collection of some past thesis proposals can be found here for example

Fourth or Fifth year students within 3 semesters of graduation

Optional student fee package petition

use this to take as few as 2 credits in your final three semesters so that you can be considered a full-time student but reduce the number of credits that your advisor/department needs to pay for

Fifth/Sixth year students near graduation

Anticipated Date of Graduation form (via wyoweb)

Declare your graduation date at least three weeks ahead of graduation

Report of Final PhD Examination

To be completed within 4 years of preliminary exam
have signed by committee, Depatment Head, and College Dean

Additional Forms you may need

anytime you need to change a committee

Graduate committee change form (PDF)

use this if you need to make a change in your committee

anytime you need to change a program of study

program of study change form (PDF)

use this to change coursework on your approved program of study

Other forms

other forms at the Graduate School you may need