The Application to Candidacy (available at http://www.grad.buffalo.edu/) is filed with the Graduate School and indicates that the student is entering the final stages of degree completion. Normally students should expect to file an Application to Candidacy after three semesters of full-time enrollment toward the master’s degree, or after six semesters of full-time enrollment for the doctoral degree.
Review and approval of Applications to Candidacy are the responsibility of the student’s department, Dean and Divisional or Area Committee in that order. Once admitted to candidacy, a student may not need to enroll for 12 credits (9 credits for graduate, teaching and research assistants) to be certified as full-time for tuition scholarship or student loan purposes.
Primary responsibility for evaluation of student applications rests with the student’s department and major advisor.
The department or program is responsible for ensuring that Applications to Candidacy are complete prior to submission to the Academic Dean. The Academic Dean forwards the Application to Candidacy to the appropriate Divisional or Area committee. Those Committees are responsible for reviewing and approving or disapproving applications. If subsequently approved, applications are then forwarded to the Graduate School.
Candidates must file their Application to Candidacy by the specified deadlines. Note that the review committees cannot receive applications immediately prior to the expected graduation date. Once the Graduate School approves the application, notification of approval will be sent to the student. Allow two to three months for candidacy approval.
Minor amendments in the Application to Candidacy which become necessary through changes in registration (e.g., adding or deleting anticipated courses or credits) must be formalized through Graduate Student Petition. The Graduate Student Petition is available at http://www.grad.buffalo.edu/. This form must be endorsed by the director of graduate studies or chair of the student’s department. These amendments are then reviewed by the Graduate School.