Academic Progress

Psychology Good Standing Policy

Defines "good standing" for the department, college, and university and informs students of the timeline for degree milestones. Links to administrative forms are included; see the handbook for probation and dismissal procedures.

Psychology Student Learning Outcomes

An overview of goals for PhD training in the Department of Psychology - research excellence; teaching and mentoring; service, engagement, and leadership; and professional ethics.

University-Wide Policies on Academic Progress for MA and PhD Students

• Doctoral: Performance Standards and Academic Progress: Policy and FAQ
• Master’s: Performance Standards and Academic Progress: Policy and FAQ

Graduate Student Services and Progress (GSSP) manages the electronic workflows and paperwork steps that all graduate students must complete to obtain their degree. 
Access to the electronic workflows, and guidance on the timing for when steps should be completed, are maintained in the following overviews:

• PhD Degree Completion Steps
• Plan A MA (with thesis) Degree Completion Steps
• Plan B MA (capstone) Degree Completion Steps

GSSP’s guidance is general; you must consult these documents in combination with the Graduate Student Handbook and your area handbook to make sure you are completing all steps when required by your program, including departmental scheduling requirements for preliminary and final exams. Students completing a predoctoral internship may also typically have a different timeline for their final steps to graduate.

The Graduate School requires all master’s and doctoral students to be reviewed annually and notified of whether or not they are meeting progress standards. 

• See the Graduate Student Handbook section titled “Satisfactory Progress and Annual Review” for:
  • APR timeline and steps.
  • APR outcomes and follow-up procedures.
• Review the Annual Progress Report (APR): Workflow Mockup to what the electronic form will include.
• Use the Annual Progress Report - Draft Answers Template to prepare draft answers to share with your advisor(s) and identify the details you need to include in your answers to the APR questions.
• Consult the Extenuating Circumstances Statement Guidelines if you are considering uploading a statement to your APR.
• For Spring 2024 APRs, follow these instructions and deadlines (email release on April 17, 2024).

If you are experiencing extenuating circumstances, or if other factors are impacting your timeline for degree progress steps, please reach out proactively. More options for support are typically available with advance notice, and before a determination of unsatisfactory progress is made.

Your advisor(s), the DGS, and the ADGS are all available for consultation and to help you plan for adjustments to your timeline, as appropriate to your situation.