The Admission to Candidacy application is a contract between a student and the university, establishing the coursework required to graduate with a degree in their chosen program. Once the application has been submitted and approved, any later changes to the degree requirements for a program will not apply to the candidate. If for any reason (class unavailability, etc.), a course listed on this application cannot be completed, the candidate may submit a Revised Admission to Candidacy form. These revisions will need to be approved by the candidate’s major professor.

You may submit this application after completing nine hours of graduate coursework with a 3.0 average or better. You must submit the application no later than the last day of classes preceding the term in which you expect to graduate (see current deadline dates).

Note that the Admission to Candidacy application must be submitted before you will be allowed to complete your final examination.

If you are in a program that is course-only and does not require a comprehensive exam, please use the Admission to Candidacy—Master’s or Specialist Degree (Course-Only, No Comprehensive Exam) form.

Download the Form

Instructions

• Fill out the identifying information (name, email, major, degree, etc.).
• List in chronological order the graduate coursework you will apply toward your degree, paying close attention to the requirements for your major. Check the current Graduate Catalog and consult your major professor to ensure that you meet the requirements for your degree.
• You will need to get your own signature and the signatures of your committee members and the Director of Graduate Studies for your program. To use electronic signatures, use Adobe Acrobat Reader to apply your signature and then send to each person in turn to have them apply their electronic signature and return it to you.
• Once all signatures have been collected, a departmental representative must email the signed form to the Graduate School at gradspec@utk.edu. The signed form cannot be accepted by the Graduate School if it is sent from a student email account.

If you are having difficulty getting signatures, please contact the Graduate School at 865-974-2475 (gradschool@utk.edu), and we can help find a solution.