Please note these buttons above are to be used in conjunction with your department-specific graduate student handbook (if applicable) and guidelines listed on your program website.
Please see additional academic policies detailed on the button below.
ph.d. faculty research advisor verification
Ph.D. students should have a research advisor at all times throughout their graduate study in order to fulfill the requirement of making satisfactory progress towards their degree. However, as matching with a Ph.D. advisor can take some time, the following guidelines have been put in place:
- In order to remain in good academic standing, newly admitted students must be matched with a faculty research advisor no later than 12 months after the student’s first quarter of Ph.D. study.
- In order to remain in good academic standing, continuing students who are switching advisors (for whatever reason) must match with a new faculty research advisor no later than by the end of the subsequent quarter (excluding summer term).
Once you have matched with a faculty research advisor, please submit the Ph.D. Faculty Research Advisor Verification Form. Please note that matching with a faculty research advisor is independent of locating funding for a student’s studies.
annual review policy and procedures
Doctoral students will be required to complete the Engineering Individual Development Plan (E-IDP) on an annual basis in consultation with their faculty advisor. This will help graduate students to structure their goals, identify skills and competencies that need to be developed, maintain a record of their achievements, and start conversations with their advisor about career goals.
normative and maximum time to degree
| Samueli School of Engineering | PhD Advancement | PhD Degree Completion | PhD Maximum | MS Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | 3(3) | 5(4) | 7 | 3 |
| Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | NA |
| Civil and Environmental Engineering | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | NA |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | 4 |
| Material Science and Engineering | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | N/A |
| Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | N/A |
| Materials and Manufacturing Technology | 3(2) | 5(4) | 7 | N/A |
enrolling in undergraduate courses
Graduate students are restricted from enrolling in undergraduate courses using WebReg. As such, if you would like to enroll in an Engineering undergraduate course, please follow these directions:
- Contact the professor of the Engineering course, stating that you are a graduate student wishing to enroll in their undergraduate course and asking whether or not they approve of this request.
- If the professor approves, forward the email to the Curriculum Office at casa@eng.uci.edu. In the email, please also include your full name, your student ID number, the course number, and the 5-digit course code for your request. If there is a lab or discussion, then be sure to include the 5-digit course code for the preferred day and time.
- You will be notified over email when you are able to enroll in the course using WebReg (typically 3-5 business days after the request is submitted).
As a reminder, only upper division undergraduate courses (100-189) have the potential to count toward your MS degree requirements so students should check with the appropriate Graduate Advisor for approval. Lower division courses (1-89) cannot be applied to your graduate degree.
Please note that we can authorize students to enroll in courses offered within the Samueli School of Engineering ONLY. Students interested in taking non-Engineering courses must contact the faculty of that course and must abide by that School’s course enrollment policies.