Academic Forms

For PhD Art History students (VA76), competency in reading, understanding, and interpreting texts in two languages other than English is required before advancement to candidacy (Qualifying Exam stage), and competency in at least one language is expected at the time of application to the program. Art Practice Concentration students (VA77), will be required to satisfy competency in one language other than English before advancement to candidacy. The student and their Advisor will jointly determine examination languages. 

Options to Satisfy Language Requirement

1. Passing the department’s in-house Language Exam  
2. Passing one approved graduate-level language course 
3. Passing two approved upper-division undergraduate language courses 
4. Passing a two-year sequence of approved lower-division undergraduate language courses in a single language  

Required Paperwork

For each language exam (or course sequence completed) a Language Completion form must be completed by the student and faculty proctor/instructor. The form will automatically route to the Student Affairs Manager for processing.

This review takes place in the third quarter in residence. Students make a formal presentation of their work to a faculty committee and their Advisor; this includes a position paper and an oral examination. This presentation is considered a departmental examination, and if at its conclusion the student’s work is judged to be inadequate, the student may be dismissed regardless of GPA, or may be reviewed again in the fourth quarter.

Process

1. Student works with faculty and cohort to complete a First Year Group Exhibition, typically Week 1 of Spring Quarter.
2. Student and Advisor work with the First Year Review Committee to book a time for oral exam and studio visit, typically Week 8 of Spring Quarter.
3. Position paper is circulated to the Advisor at least 7 days prior to the meeting date.
4. Student completes First Year Review form. 
5. Form will be routed to Faculty Advisor and Student Affairs Manager for processing.
6. If there are concerns regarding the progress of the work, the Advisor notes concerns on form and works with the student to identify their next steps. 

MFA Committee Constitution

The membership of a committee must be approved prior to the Second Year Drifting Crit, completed Winter Quarter of year two in the program.  Each student must submit the Committee Constitution form for review and approval. The Graduate Division website has additional information about committees and a Committee Membership Table which may be helpful in determining what role a faculty member may serve on a committee. The committee must consist of 4 members:

• 3 Visual Arts Faculty (including the Chair/Co-Chair)
• 1 UCSD tenured or emeritus faculty from outside the Department of Visual Arts

PhD Committee Constitution

The membership of a committee must be approved by Week 5 the quarter prior to the Qualifying Exam.  Each student must submit the Committee Constitution form for review and approval. The Graduate Division website has additional information about committees and a Committee Membership Table which may be helpful in determining what role a faculty member may serve on a committee. Students with a specialization may have additional committee requirements they need to be aware of prior to form submission. The committee must consist of 4 members:

• 3 Visual Arts Faculty (including the Chair/Co-Chair); one may be non-PhD Faculty
• 1 UCSD tenured or emeritus faculty from outside the Department of Visual Arts

Submitting Your Committee

The completed committee form must be electronically submitted to the Graduate Division by the Student Affairs Manager. Please complete the Committee Constitution form which will be routed to the Student Affairs Manager for official processing with the Graduate Division. Non-UCSD members may be approved by exception as a 5th committee member with justification and additional supporting materials. The necessity of a 5th member needs to be discussed with the Committee Chair prior to submission of the form. 

Changing Committee Constitution

There are times when committee membership must change after the intial review and approval. All changes to committee membership need to be approved by the Department and then Graduate Division. Committee reconstitution must be completely reviewed and approved by Week 5, the quarter PRIOR to MFA Thesis or PhD QE/Defense. When changing committee membership:

1. Review the Committee Membership requirements 
2. Discuss the change in committee membership with the Committee Chair/Co-chairs
3. Discuss the change in committee with impacted committee members
4. Complete the Committee Reconstitution form which will be routed to the Student Affairs Manager for processing.

A petition form is to be used for any changes to your degree requirements or campus policies. Depending on the request, petitions may require multiple review stages within the Department and Graduate Division. 

All requests must include:

• General Petition form (you must select the form appropriate for your program)

• Supporting Documentation (attached to the petition form), this can include:

Process

1. Gather materials and discuss with Advisor/Committee Chair (prior to submission)
2. Complete General Petition form via DocuSign
3. Faculty Advisor will review
4. Faculty Program Director will review
5. Student Affairs Manager will review and process (some forms may be routed to Department Chair or Graduate Division for further review before a final decision is made)
6. Student will be notified of the decision via the Virtual Advising Center (vac.ucsd.edu)
7. If approved, Graduate Coordinator will update advising record as necessary