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The UNC Graduate School and You

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School sets overall policy for all PhD and MS degrees at UNC Chapel Hill.  If you want to know all the details, see the online Graduate School handbook at https://handbook.unc.edu.

Grading of Graduate Courses

Graduate courses at UNC are intentionally graded on a scale that cannot be used to calculate a GPA https://handbook.unc.edu/grading.html:

H = High Pass – Clear Excellence
P = Pass – Entirely Satisfactory Graduate Work
L = Low Pass – Inadequate Graduate Work
F = Fail

Graduate School Forms

As explained in separate documents on MCRO PhD or MS requirements, student must meet several degree milestones imposed by the Graduate School.  Student progress is recorded via various forms, the current versions of which are found at https://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/resources/forms.html.  Obtain copies of your form from the Student Services Specialist prior to the corresponding committee meetings, obtain faculty signatures, and return to the Student Services Specialist, who will submit them to the Graduate School.  The Graduate School is working to switch from paper to online forms.

Doctoral Committee and Project

Part I: Report of Doctoral Committee Composition
      Approved by the DGS.  Updated whenever your committee changes.

Part II: Report of Approved Dissertation Project
You provide a working title of your dissertation.  Signed by all members of your dissertation committee.

Doctoral Exam Report Form

Part I – Report of Written Preliminary Exam
      Signed by MCRO preliminary exam coordinator.

Part II – Report of Oral Examination
Signed by Common Reviewer for your oral preliminary exam.

Part III – Report of the Final Oral Examination
Signed by all committee members present at your private defense.

Part IV – Report of the Final Dissertation
Signed by all committee members.  Chair usually withholds signature until requested edit are completed.

Master’s Comprehensive Exam or Substitute Report

Although MCRO requires MS students to form a thesis committee and secure approval of their thesis project, neither is formally reported to the Graduate School.

Part I – Report of Written Preliminary Exam
Part II – Report of Oral Examination
      MS students must pass either a written or oral preliminary exam, most commonly a written exam organized by their research advisor.  The committee chair signs the exam outcome.  If a MS student uses a PhD written or oral preliminary exam to meet this requirement, then the form should be signed by the PhD preliminary exam coordinator (written) or the Common Reviewer (oral).

Part III – Report of the Final Oral Examination
Signed by all committee members present at your private defense.

Part IV – Report of the Final Thesis
Signed by all committee members.  Chair usually withholds signature until requested edit are completed

Program Certification of Degree Requirements

Signed by the DGS after your public seminar, confirming student has completed all requirements for the PhD or MS degree imposed by MCRO.

Dissertation/Thesis

Graduate School resources for formatting and submitting your dissertation or thesis are at https://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/thesis-diss/.

A separate MCRO document provides advice on composition of the dissertation.

Graduate School Funding Opportunities

The Graduate School offers various fellowships and awards to UNC graduate students, summarized at https://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/gradschool/.  The programs most commonly used by MCRO students are:

  • Dissertation Completion Fellowship (spring deadline)
  • Off-Campus Dissertation Research Fellowship (fall and spring deadlines)
  • Impact Award (fall deadline)
  • Distinguished Dissertation Award (fall deadline)
  • Boka W. Hadzija Award (spring deadline)
  • Graduate Student Transportation Grant (anytime)

Except for the Transportation Award, departments are limited in the number of nominations that can be made.  Therefore, there typically is an internal application deadline about two weeks before the Graduate School deadline, to allow ranking of nominees, assistance in improving applications, and composition of nomination statements.  If you wish to be considered for any of fellowships or awards from the Graduate School, please inform the Student Services Specialist.

 

Last updated 2/3/2025.