Commencement Information

Registration Policies:

Students must be registered and enrolled during the quarter the dissertation is filed OR during the quarter previous to filing. Note for clinical students:  Most clinical interns register in the summer while completing their internships. However some students choose to register (and pay full fees) during one or more quarters of the internship year.

Spring Filing: 

Students enrolling for spring quarter will enroll in 4-12 units of 599 (dissertation research) and/or 12 units of 451 (Clinical Internship) + additional 599 units when appropriate.

Summer Filing:

Students may opt to register in the summer. Summer registration begins in February, but you can still register in May or June.  Students who were registered in the spring may be eligible to pay a filing fee in lieu of summer registration. Students who were not registered in the spring must enroll in 4 units of Psychology 599 during Summer Session I.  Obtain Course ID #s from Cheryl Polfus.   Registration and Enrollment details are at http://www.summer.ucla.edu/EnrollRegister/overview.htm

Students who file during the summer will have a Degree Conferred date of mid-September. Students will receive a formal email notification once they complete the electronic filing process. This provides completion documentation. 

Eligibility Requirements:

A.  Participation in the UCLA Graduate Division Hooding Ceremony:

  1. Complete the Graduate Commencement RSVP Form by May 1, 2012. Link: GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT RSVP FORM

  2. Register for Spring Quarter or establish eligibility to pay the Filing Fee.

  3. Digitally file the dissertation officially with the Grad Division by the Spring Quarter filing deadline: June 4, 2012

  4. After you have filed, submit a copy of the formal email notification that you will receive once you have completed the online filing process and provide Steve with a copy.

  5. Provide a printed copy of the dissertation to Steve as soon as your dissertation has been filed. The copy must be bound in a black three ring binder for archiving.  

  6. Clinical students: Note that internship requirements must be completed prior to filing the dissertation. Information for Clinical Students

B.  Participation in and being hooded in the Psychology Dept. Hooding Ceremony

  2. Register in Summer Session A instead of Spring Quarter or establish eligibility to pay the filing fee.

   3. Complete your Final Oral Exam and provide Steve with the printed final copy of your dissertation by Monday, June 4, 2012.

   4. Provide Steve with a email from your committee chair by Monday, June 4, 2012, confirming that the dissertation being provided to Steve is the FINAL version of the dissertation and that it is the same version that will be digitally filed officially with the Grad Division during the summer after you have completed your internship.                                  

   5. After completing your internship and digitally filing your dissertation with the Grad Division in the summer, submit a copy of the formal email notification that you will receive to Steve. 

C. Participation in the Psychology Dept. Hooding Ceremony for students who

         (1) will NOT complete the final oral exam and dissertation prior to June 4, 2012 but

         (2) will complete the final oral exam and file the dissertation during the summer: 

   1. Complete the Graduate Commencement RSVP Form by May 1, 2012. Link: GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT RSVP FORM

   2. Register for Spring Quarter, establish eligibility to pay the Filing Fee in the summer, OR register for 4 units of Psych 599 in Summer Session A.

   3. Sixth year students:  You must have an approved “Six Year Rule” extension petition, signed by your doctoral committee chair, your area chair, the GSCommittee Chair, and the Vice Chair in order to take your final oral exam and file your dissertation in the summer.  Both your committee chair and area chair must confirm that the dissertation will be filed no later than the end of summer.          

  4. Provide Steve with a printed copy of your dissertation after you digitally file a copy with Grad Division in the summer.  Steve's copy must be bound in a black 3 ring binder for archiving.

  5. After digitally filing your dissertation officially with the Grad Division in the summer,  submit a copy of the formal email notification that you will receive and provide it to Steve. 

6. The department cannot hood students who have not officially filed the dissertation with the Grad Division or clinical studets that have provided Steve with the final version of the dissertation by June 4, 2012. The hooding ceremony signifies completion of the Ph.D. degree, which includes the filing of the dissertation.  For students who have not filed the dissertation, a blue and gold mantle will substitute for the doctoral hood.  Students will be called by first and last name during the ceremony, without the “Dr.” prefix. 

  7. Clinical students: Note that internship requirements must be completed before the dissertation can be filed. Information for Clinical Students

Declaring Non-Attendance:

Graduating students enrolled in their final spring or summer quarter, must declare non-attendance via URSA for fall quarter in order to avoid a fee assessment for Fall.

Filing Deadlines and Fees:

UCLA has specified dissertation filing deadlines each quarter. Degrees to be officially conferred during a particular quarter must be filed by the posted filing deadline for that quarter. All students filing a dissertation should request a Certificate of Completion upon submitting the dissertation to Grad Division, to certify the exact date that all work for the Ph.D. was completed.  The Certificate can be obtained from the Registrar’s Office on the same day, and can be used as documentation for starting a post-doc position or employment.  A copy of the certificate must also be provided to Steve Herbert.  

The filing “grace period” begins the day after the official filing deadline and ends prior to the first day of classes in the upcoming quarter. Students who file AFTER the official filing deadline of one quarter but PRIOR to the first day of classes of the upcoming quarter will NOT have to pay additional fees. See information below regarding official degree dates.

IF you file your dissertation by the official filing deadlines listed below, your degree date will be the last day of the quarter in which you filed. If you file your dissertation after the official filing deadline but before the start of the next quarter, your degree date will be the last day of the upcoming quarter.

University Filing Deadline for Spring 2012: June 4, 2012

Fees for 2012: 

•  Summer Session fees                                                                $1,356.00 ($339 x 4 units of Psych 599)

Gengerelli Distinguished Dissertation Award:

A student who is nominated by his/her doctoral committee for the Joseph A. Gengerelli Distinguished Dissertation Award will be considered for this award during the current year ONLY if the dissertation is filed by the official spring quarter filing deadline (June 4, 2012) with the UCLA Archivist/Grad Division. Students who file after this deadline will be considered for this award next year. 

Psychology Dept. Hooding Ceremony Details

The rehearsal for the Psychology Hooding Ceremony will take place immediately before the ceremony on 6/16/12 at 10:00am in Franz 3534. Once the rehearsal is complete, the group will walk over to Schoenberg together.

Commencement Day: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 12noon, Schoenberg Auditorium

Tickets:

Graduates must submit their ticket order through my.UCLA. The first four tickets will be complementary. There will be a $10.00 charge (per ticket) to your BAR account for each additional ticket ordered, regardless of whether or not the tickets get picked up. There are no refunds for guest tickets.

Guest tickets are to be picked up from Steve Herbert in in 3453 Franz Hall.

Regalia:

Graduates may purchase regalia, but orders for full units (the cap, gown, and hood) must be placed at least 10 weeks in advance. Graduates may also rent their caps, gowns, and hoods from "Graduation Etc.," located on the A level of Ackerman. Either way, please bring your hood to Steve Herbert in 3453 Franz Hall, at least one week before the Ceremony as it will be used to hood you. 

Regalia may be picked up from "Graduation Etc.," located on the A level of Ackerman. The start-date for picking up caps, gowns, and hoods is usually around May 10. 

You may return your cap, gown, and hood to Graduation Etc. after our reception or during the week following commencement. 

Children:

We are delighted to have all family members join us.  However, due to occasional disturbances in the past, we ask that children are accompanied by an adult who is willing to escort them out of the auditorium should the children get restless and need some diversion. 

Announcements:

If you would like to order commencement announcements contact Graduation Etc.  You will need to tell them whether you want announcements for the Graduate Division Hooding Ceremony, the Psychology Hooding Ceremony (they call it the psychology graduate ceremony) or some of each.  ORDERS FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS TAKE 2 WEEKS TO FILL (but can be expedited for a $20 fee).

Parking:

The closest parking lot for our hooding ceremony is Lot 2. Parking is $11.00 per vehicle.  If you wish to pre-pay parking for your guests, permits may be purchased in advance either from the UCLA Central Ticket Office (CTO) or from UCLA Transportation Services.

UCLA Graduate Division Hooding Ceremony

Details are on the web at http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gasaa/hooding/commencement.htm.  This  ceremony that typically takes place on the Thursday evening prior to commencement. The university will provide a hood for this event, so do not bring one with you. You are automatically invited by the Grad Division to participate in this event if you file your dissertation by the June 4th deadline. See the UCLA Graduate Division Web page for more information.