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Graduate School

Graduate School Candidacy FormsUsing Softdocs Etrieve to Complete the Candidacy Form

Degree Candiadcy Form Instructions

REMINDER: All degree seeking students or students completing a graduate certificate must "Apply to Graduate" (located in the MyMemphis portal) AND must also submit candidacy forms.

Failure to complete both the graduation application and a candidacy form will delay your graduation until the next semester.

Please read instructions carefully

  1. When filing for graduation, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 on all graduate work undertaken at The University of Memphis whether or not the courses are listed on the degree candidacy form.
  2. A minimum of 70% of the total required hours for a master's degree program must be 7000-level courses.
  3. No more than 12 hours of workshop courses and independent study courses may be applied to a master's degree.
  4. No more than seven (7) hours of C, C+, or C- grades will be counted toward degree requirements. Grades of D or F are not accepted for credit for graduation purposes, but the grades are computed in the overall cumulative GPA.
  5. Do NOT include undergraduate level courses, courses completed for "Audit" credit, or courses dropped or withdrawn.
  6. If another course was substituted for a required course or for an elective, your major advisor must complete an Approved Course Substitution Form and submit to the Graduate School.
  7. If transfer credit has already been posted to your U of M record, complete an Approved Transfer Credit form to the candidacy form and submit to the Graduate School.
    • If you have transfer credit from another graduate institution that has NOT been posted to your U of M record, complete  an Evaluation of Transfer Credit Form to the candidacy form and submit to the Graduate School.
    • Failure to submit the correct form will delay processing of your application, so please be sure the correct form is attached to your degree candidacy form.
  8. If you have previously completed a Credit by Examination/Course Validation Examination or are planning to complete either type of examination in your intended term of graduation, indicate the type of credit on your candidacy form in parentheses AFTER you have listed the course title, e.g., LDPS 7130, Microcomputer Application (CBE) or ICL 7001, Fundamentals of Curriculum (CBV).
  9. If you are completing a doctoral dissertation, please list only the maximum number of hours allowed for the thesis, i.e., 3 or 6 hrs. It is NOT necessary to list all semesters you have enrolled in thesis credit. One entry is sufficient.
    • If you do not complete your dissertation in your intended term of graduation, your graduation application in your MyMemphis portal will be updated by the Graduate School.
  10. List information about your bachelors and master's degrees including the type of degree (BS, BA, BBA, etc.), the year you earned it, and the name of the institution where you earned it. Do not list the degree you are currently applying to graduate with. This information goes in the Commencement program.


Students will be certified for graduation only when all requirements are met, including the removal of all I grades from a previous semester.

If you have questions concerning the completion of the candidacy form, contact the Graduation Analyst in the Graduate School for further information.

  • Before starting on your candidacy form, log into MyMemphis and obtain an unofficial copy of your transcript. This will help with completing your list of courses.

The candidacy forms are routed to your department electronically using Softdocs Etrieve. Instead of getting signatures in person or over email, Softdocs will route your form to the individuals you select in the department. Before clicking the link to the appropriate candidacy form below, review these instructions:

  • MAKE SURE TO SELECT THE CORRECT INDIVIDUALS. If not, this can cause your graduation to be delayed.
  • All fields, including the course listing, are required. A list of courses you have taken will automatically populate, select the courses that are applicable to the degree you are seeking. 
  • When you are finished, click the "Submit" button. This will route your form to the first recipient you selected, which is your advisor or major professor. Once your advisor signs, the form will automatically go to the Graduate Studies and finally to the Graduation Analyst.
  • You will receive an email when the candidacy form has been completed.
  • CHECK ON THE STATUS OF YOUR FORM. YOU WILL NOT BE APPROVED FOR GRADUATION UNTIL THE FORM HAS ALL SIGNATURES.

 

Begin a New Candidacy Form >

 

NOTE: All graduate students submitting candidacy forms MUST also "Apply to Graduate" in their MyMemphis Portal.

Questions about the Graduate School candidacy forms? Contact Graduate School Graduation Analyst.