Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona
We are pleased that you will soon complete degree requirements and hope that the education, experience, challenges, and
inspiration you have found in HWR will have a positive effect on your professional career. The information provided below
will help you complete the final phase of your degree program: ending your academic residency and beginning your
professional career. Click on a Topic for more information:

Current Enrollment Status

After the Final Oral Exam

Contact Information and UA Email Account

Archiving Your Thesis or Dissertation

Change of Degree Program from MS to PHD

Housekeeping: Office, Keys, Equipment, Borrowed Materials

Before Leaving Tucson
Current Enrollment Status

Find Help Here
In most cases, you must be enrolled during the semesters or sessions you have formal
Academic Advisor
exams* AND continuously during major semesters until you complete your degree. If you
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are not enrolled in graded courses (audits do not count), you may enroll for additional
HWRS 900, 910, or 920 units, although they may not be included in your Plan of Study if
you have already met or exceeded the maximum for your degree program (i.e. 4 units of
910 for Master’s students, 18 units of 920 for Doctoral students).
*Formal Exams include the MS Final Oral Exam, the PHD Oral Qualifying Exam, the PHD
Oral Comprehensive Exam, and the PHD Final Oral Exam.


Refer to the Graduate College Continuous Enrollment policy at
Academic Advisor
http://grad.arizona.edu/academics/policies/enrollment-policies/continuous-
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enrollment. Policies differ for Master’s students and Doctoral students.

Students receiving financial support (e.g. graduate assistantship-associateship,
fellowship stipend, scholarship stipend) must continue to enroll for12 graduate
units (a departmental requirement).

Summer Sessions: In most cases, if you will complete degree requirements for the
August diploma period and you will use facilities or faculty time, you must enroll
for at least 1 unit during one of the summer sessions. (Refer to details provided in
the Graduate College Policy link above.) Choose the session for enrollment based
on your financial situation (when you want to pay fees), regardless of when you
have scheduled your exam or when you submit your final approved thesis or
dissertation manuscript and signature.

If you hold a visa, you must obtain special permission to register for less than the
International Student
minimum number of units required to maintain your visa (e.g. typically 9 or 12 units to
Programs and Services
maintain full-time status). Your faculty advisor must approve and sign the request form.
(ISPS)
You may be required to submit a letter from the department confirming your Expected
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Date of Completion; if so, request the letter from the Academic Advisor. Read about the
requirement at the ISPS site: http://www.internationalstudents.arizona.edu (Back To Top)
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Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona
After the Final Oral Exam

Confirm your final approved Title for the MS thesis or PHD dissertation manuscript with
Academic Advisor
the Academic Advisor so she can update this information in your file and in the HWR and
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Graduate College databases. List your thesis or dissertation title under the section
“Research: Theses, Dissertations, and Report.” Contact the HWR webmaster for details.

Commencement Program and Thesis or Dissertation Title: If you have a title change, it
Graduate College
may be possible to revise what will be listed in the Commencement Program. Look for the
website: Degree
List of Graduating Master’s or Doctoral Students in the (current) Commencement Program.
Certification section
Go to the Graduate College website http://grad.arizona.edu/academics/degreecertification/commencement and click on Tentative Commencement Program Listing. You
can report changes in the title to the HWR Academic Advisor, and she will inform the
Graduate Degree Certification office on your behalf.

Has your final Change of Grade form for all 910 Thesis or 920 Dissertation units been
Academic Advisor
signed by your faculty advisor and submitted to the Graduate Degree Certification office?
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Note: If you previously enrolled for 930 Supplementary Registration units (in most cases,
prior to Fall 2010), they will never be graded and will remain as K on your transcripts.
Students who matriculated at the University of Arizona after Fall 2010 will not have 930
units on their transcripts.

PHD Students Has your dissertation director provided the second signature on the back of
Academic Advisor
the Notice of Completion form to confirm acceptance of your final dissertation revisions?
and
This form was originally signed by all members of your exam committee confirming that
Dissertation Director
you passed the final oral exam. (Back to Top)
Contact Information
Keep your LOCAL and PERMANENT mailing addresses and telephone numbers up-to-date.

UAccess
The Degree Certification office relies on UAccess information to verify their records and
may need to contact you before and possibly after you leave Tucson.
Specify a DIPLOMA address. Please note that the diploma ordered by Degree Certification


UAccess
will not be mailed until after all degrees are posted for your diploma period.
Keep Your UA EMAIL: The University of Arizona allows you to keep your UA email account
At UITS website: Click
indefinitely. You can read about this policy here:
on “Email,” then
http://uits.arizona.edu/services/email/alumni. If you wish, you can direct your UA email
“Email For Alumni”
to another email address. This makes it easier for the Graduate College or the College of
Science to contact you regarding degree completion, job opportunities, HWR performance
surveys, and alumni newsletters.
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Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona
Non-UA forwarding email address: If you do not wish to continue using your UA Email

Account or use the Forwarding option, please provide the department with a new email
address (personal or business, either is okay). There are several reasons why we may
Academic Advisor
need to contact you:
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and
If there is a problem with your diploma processing, the Degree Certification will
Admin Associate
ask us to contact you. (They will not write you a letter.) Your official diploma
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could be delayed or canceled if you cannot be reached to resolve the issue. If
canceled, you would be required to maintain continuing enrollment until
remaining issues were resolved.
We will send you the HWR Alumni Newsletter (Tom Meixner, Editor) and
occasionally ask you to participate in surveys about program performance,
student outcome, etc., with the latest HWRSA T-shirts (FREE!) as an incentive!
(Back To Top)
Archiving Your MS Thesis or PHD Dissertation

Find Help Here
Beginning with Fall 2008, MS and PHD students no longer need to submit a printed hard
Faculty Advisor and
copy of the thesis or dissertation manuscript to the department.
Committee Members

Your faculty advisor and committee members may require a copy. Ask each
individual which medium he or she would prefer (e.g. hard copy, CD, or both) and
if the hard copy should be unbound (loose in a box) or bound (e.g. spiral binding).

After completing the Format Check Process with the Graduate Degree Certification office
Details below for
(http://grad.arizona.edu/academics/degree-certification/diss-theses/format-check-
Master of Science and
process), you must submit your manuscript in electronic format (PDF file) to the ProQuest
Doctor of Philosophy
UMI Archive: http://www.etdadmin.com/cgi-bin/school?siteId=63. UMI has been the
primary U.S. archive for all Master’s theses and Doctoral dissertations completed at topranked universities since 1938.

The Graduate Degree Certification Auditor for our students is Mike Renning. He is a very
Our Degree Auditor:
knowledgeable and experienced auditor. You may contact him by telephone at 520-621-
Mike Renning
9227 or by email at mrenning@grad.arizona.edu. Give Mike as much lead time as
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possible when submitting your manuscript or required forms. He audits hundreds of
 Email address
students from dozens of departments, so we are not his only students.

Master of Science Degree Refer to the document “From Submission to Approval: Checklist
Refer to “Checklist for
for Finishing Your Master’s Requirements” for instructions about (1) electronic submission
Finishing Master’s
of the master’s thesis manuscript and (2) completion of other MS-required forms: (a) the
Requirements”
Statement of Author Pages (“Page 2s”) and (b) the Distribution Rights Form.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Refer to the document “From Submission to Approval:
Refer to “Checklist for
Checklist for Finishing Your Doctoral Requirements” for instructions about (1) electronic
Finishing Doctoral
submission of the dissertation and (2) completion of other PHD-required forms: (a)
Requirements”
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Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona
Approval Pages (“Page 2s”), (b) Distribution Rights Form, and (c) Survey of Earned
Doctorates. Your degree will not be posted until these forms have been completed and
submitted. (Back To Top)
Change of Degree Program from MS to PHD

To continue as a PHD student in HWR, refer to the information you received at your final
Academic Advisor
exam (page 2 of the Exam Worksheet). Have you passed the Doctoral Oral Qualifying
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Exam?

If you scheduled (with prior approval by academic advising office) and passed the
Oral Qualifying exam on the same day or within the same semester you passed
your Master’s Final Oral Exam, you are not required to submit faculty letters of
recommendation.

If not, have you requested 3 faculty letters of recommendation for admission to
the PHD program?

If not, have you selected your 3 areas of examination so that the department head
can assign your Qualifying Exam committee?

If not, have you scheduled the Doctoral Oral Qualifying Exam next semester
(day/time/location) with the Academic Advisor?

Have you completed and signed the Graduate College form, “Change of Degree Program,”
My GradColl
regardless of whether you have passed the Doctoral Oral Qualifying Exam? Go to the
Click on Forms
Graduate College Forms page (http://www.grad.arizona.edu/academics/degreecertification/forms) and logon to My GradColl. Look for the Change of Program form.
Complete and sign the form, then submit it to the HWR Academic Advisor for processing.
(Back To Top)
Housekeeping: Office, Keys, Equipment, Materials

Find Help Here
Have you returned copies of theses/dissertations checked out from the HWR Library? Your
Admin Associate
diploma will not be posted until you have done so.
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Have you cleared out your office area and desk?
Admin Associate
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
Please dispose of unwanted papers, journals, and printed material in the Recycle
Bins in the building. Do not leave unwanted paper materials on conference room
tables or desks.

Ask permission from the Main office if you with to donate current issues of a
journal to the student library.
Have you returned borrowed books, materials, and/or equipment to your faculty advisors

Faculty, Students
and fellow students?
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Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona
Have you returned borrowed equipment or supplies to your laboratory? Have you

Your Lab Manager
returned any user, reference, or safety manuals or similar materials for continuing
students to use?

Have you returned all office, desk, and building keys to the Admin Associate? Your
Admin Associate
diploma will not be posted until you have done so (Graduate College will confirm with us).
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(Back To Top)
Before Leaving Tucson

Have you had an exit interview with the department head to discuss your experience
Admin Associate
during academic residency? The Admin Associate in the Main office can schedule an
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appointment for you. We welcome your feedback!


Have you completed the online Graduate College Exit Survey here:
Graduate College
http://grad.arizona.edu/node/513? It’s fast and easy. They welcome your feedback!
website
Have you informed the department about your post-graduate activity? It is very important
Academic Advisor
that we document your graduation outcome and your post-graduation plans. We like to
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stay in touch with HWR alumni and encourage you to continue your support of the
department as an Alum-To-Student mentor. (Check out the Alumni section of the HWR
website for additional information.)
The employment aggregate information is used by the department in its Annual Review to
the College Dean and in its full Academic Program Review for the University President and
Provost (every 5-7 years). The College of Science also uses this information as one of the
hallmarks of program excellence.

Will you be employed with a private company, a government or tribal agency, a
national laboratory, an NGO (non-governmental agency), or begin your own
business?

Will you pursue further graduate education (e.g. law degree, PHD degree)?

Will you begin a postdoctoral appointment or join a university faculty?
Have updated your Resume or Curriculum Vitae to include your current degree

completion? (Do this sooner, rather than later, when the details may have faded from
memory.)

Have you included your current degree completion and cumulative GPA?

Have you included awards and honors you received while a student here? If you
need specific details (e.g. the name of an award, the date or period the award was
active), contact the appropriate staff person—the Academic Advisor, the Business
Manager, or the Administrative Associate.

Have you included community services and volunteer efforts you provided while a
student here?
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Ending Academic Residency in Hydrology and Water Resources and
Beginning Your Professional Career
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© Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at The University of Arizona

Have you included any elected or appointed student offices you held while a
student here (e.g. President of HWRSA, student representative to the College of
Science, department representative to GPSC)? (Back To Top)
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