PhD students in the Physical Sciences Division complete a fifth-year check-in process in Autumn Quarter of their fifth year of study. This check-in process is designed to ensure that students are on track to complete degree requirements within their registration limits and have a clear plan for completing their dissertation and receiving their degree.
This formal check-in provides an opportunity for meaningful discussion between students and their faculty advisors on how their research is progressing and helps to align goals on a student’s progress towards degree. The goal is for PhD students to be well-supported and prepared to finish their dissertations in a timely manner.
Fifth-year PhD students will be notified in August of their fifth year of study that they should complete the Fifth-Year Check-In form and return it to their Student Affairs Administrator by the end of Autumn Quarter. Some departments may decide to initiate the process in Spring of a student’s fourth year, depending on the curricular needs of their program, but the overall goal of completing the process remains the same: the Fifth-Year Check-In form should be returned to the Student Affairs Administrator anytime before the end of Autumn Quarter of fifth year. Details are provided below.
Registration Limits
The Physical Sciences Division’s PhD registration limits are based on the year that a student matriculated into their PhD program.
- Students who entered their PhD program before Summer Quarter 2016 have a twelve-year registration limit
- Students who entered their PhD program between Summer Quarter 2016 and Spring Quarter 2017 have a nine-year registration limit
- Students who entered their PhD program in Summer Quarter 2017 or later have a seven-year registration limit
More information about the registration limits policy is available online. Please note that for students who entered their PhD program Summer 2016 or later, leaves of absence are not counted against registration limits.
| Start Quarter in PhD Program* | Final Quarter of Registration Permitted |
| Autumn 2017 | Summer 2024 |
| Autumn 2018 | Summer 2025 |
| Autumn 2019 | Summer 2026 |
| Autumn 2020 | Summer 2027 |
| Autumn 2021 | Summer 2028 |
| Autumn 2022 | Summer 2029 |
| Autumn 2023 | Summer 2030 |
| Autumn 2024 | Summer 2031 |
| Autumn 2025 | Summer 2032 |
* Students who arrived on campus in the Summer prior to their first quarter of registering for classes have a "Start Quarter" of Autumn (the first quarter they registered for courses)
Fifth-Year Check-In Process
Fifth-year PhD students should download a copy of the Fifth-Year Check-In Form.
Students should notify their advisor and dissertation committee in September that they need to complete the Fifth-Year Check-In Form by the end of Autumn Quarter.
Section I should be completed and signed by the student. This section asks for information related to your studies and also asks students to list their primary advisor and members of your dissertation committee. The section also asks for a brief description of the thesis topic and a detailed timeline for completing remaining milestones in your degree program.
Section II should be completed and signed by your primary faculty advisor. This section asks the advisor to assess whether a student is on track to complete all degree requirements within the registration limit.
Section III should be completed and signed by the remaining members of your dissertation committee. This section asks the committee to assess whether a student is on track to complete all degree requirements within the registration limit.
Section IV is optional for students. You can use this space to provide feedback on Sections II or III or discuss curricular plans in the coming quarters.
After you receive your signed form back from your faculty advisor and dissertation committee, you should submit your completed form to your Student Affairs Administrator by the end of Autumn Quarter of your fifth year of study.
Fifth-Year Check-In Schedule
| Quarter You Began PhD Program | Fifth-Year Check-In Due |
| Autumn 2023 | End of Autumn Quarter 2027 |
| Autumn 2022 | End of Autumn Quarter 2026 |
| Autumn 2021 | End of Autumn Quarter 2025 |
| Autumn 2020 | End of Autumn Quarter 2024 |
| Autumn 2019 | End of Autumn Quarter 2023 |