Forms
GDPE Forms
Course Override Request
A registration override may be obtained from the instructor of the course or their designee in the department once the class schedule is available on the web. It is not necessary to wait for the first day of class.
The option to override students into a course is at the instructor’s discretion. Please only submit the form linked above once you have already received instructor approval.
Make sure to include the registration error message that was received in the “Reason for override” section so that we can provide the correct override. Once your override has been processed, you must register for the course on RAMweb. Depending on what the override is for, you may need to add the class by choosing the “Enter CRNs” tab instead of the “Find Classes” tab. When you enter the CRN, the class should drop to your summary, assuming the correct overrides are in place, and allow you to register.
Late Registration Change Request
This form is required if you want to make registration changes past the registration deadline but within the same semester as the original registration.
Use the Late Registration Request form to:
- Add a course(s) or Continuous Registration after the regular add/drop period ends and prior to 2:00 p.m. the day on which grades are due for the term.
- Increase or decrease the number of credits (but NOT drop/decrease to 0) for a course(s) after the regular add/drop period ends and prior to 2:00 p.m. the day on which grades are due for the term.
Please make sure to gain instructor approval before submitting the form linked above.
Independent Study Application
ECOL695 Independent study credits must be approved prior to students registering. Students interested in this option should have a discrete topic of study, a faculty member willing to oversee your studies, and plan on ~3hrs/week for each credit. Typically, students enroll in 1-2 credits.
Course Substitution Petition
Prior Coursework: If you have taken graduate courses analogous to an ECOL Fundamentals or ECOL Tools course, you may request that this count toward your GDPE requirements. Note, this is not a credit waiver or mechanism for transferring credits. It allows you to take a different course, research credits, etc. instead of the required course.
Alternative Coursework: Under certain circumstances, students may request to substitute a required course for a different course. ECOL Required or ECOL Fundamentals course substitution requests are rarely approved. ECOL Tools course substitutions are much more commonly granted. Feel free to check with Jennifer if you have questions.
Annual Student Progress Report
The successful progress, accomplishments, and goals of students in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology shall be reviewed annually by the student with their advisor and committee before being submitted to the program administration. This report is intended to facilitate those discussions, provide an opportunity for the student to reflect on their professional goals, and develop expectations for the up-coming year. It will also become part of your official GDPE file and may be used for evaluating merit for GDPE awards.
GDPE Exit Survey
This exit survey is used by the administrative staff in order to better understand and improve the services we are providing our students. This form is required in order to meet your graduation requirements.
CSU Graduate School Required Forms
Completing Forms
Please contact GDPE Assistant Director (Jennifer Neuwald) before submitting any forms.
All forms submitted through RamWeb are automatically routed to the appropriate people for signatures. You can always check with the Grad School about the progress of your form if you haven’t received confirmation within a few days.
Graduate School Forms, Instructions, & Deadlines
Here, we provide a brief description of the important forms you may need during your graduate study. The Graduate School Office is responsible for final approval of all forms for your degree.
The GS6 Program of study is a document that outlines the path you will take to complete your degree. You must completed the GDPE Supplemental GS6 and have received official approval to proceed from Assistant Director, Dr. Jennifer Neuwald prior to turning in your GS6.
Your GS6 should be completed in your first year. If you are in your third semester and have not yet completed your GS6 Program of Study, the CSU Graduate School will prevent you from registering for classes in your fourth semester.
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M.S. – GS6 GDPE Program of Study Supplemental
Ph.D. – GS6 GDPE Program of Study Supplemental
Ph.D. HEI Specialization – GS6 GDPE Program of Study Supplemental
What You Will Need to Complete Your GDPE Supplemental GS6
1. Committee membership: (Graduate School guidelines about committee members)
- Advisor: must be GDPE
- Co-advisor: (optional) must be GDPE
- Regular Committee Members: may be GDPE; PhD need 2; MS need 1; co-advisors may fill one of these positions
- Outside Committee Members: may be GDPE, but must not be in advising department; must be regular CSU faculty (no affiliate faculty can be in this role)
- TOTALS: The majority of your committee must be in GDPE. PhD students need 4 members (3+ GDPE). MS Students need 3 members (2+ GDPE).
2. Plan for coursework: GDPE has specific program requirements that serve to provide a breadth and depth of training to our students which promotes a common background in the fundamentals of ecology, while still tailoring the program to their specific ecological subfield of interest. Please refer to:
- Master’s Program: Minimum of 30 credits
- Ph.D. Program: Minimum of 72 credits
- Ph.D., HEI Specialization: Minimum of 72 credits
- GDPE Curriculum Page
Previous MS: If you have completed a MS prior to starting you Ph.D., you can apply 30 credits to you current Ph.D. program. These get transferred in as one “chunk” of credits. They are not itemized. Please make note of this on your supplemental form! If you are interested in applying previous coursework to fulfilling specific GDPE course requirements, please contact Dr. Neuwald.
Note: The requirements for Master’s and Ph.D programs are different! When planning your proposed coursework, make sure to take special note of any credit requirements for maintaining financial aid and GTAs/GRAs!
Protocol for your GDPE Supplemental GS6 and the Official electronic GS6
1 . Download the appropriate Supplemental GS-6 form from the webpage and complete:
Master’s (link)
Ph.D. (link)
Ph.D. with HEI Specialization (link)
Note: The Supplemental GS-6 forms (and course requirements) for Master’s and Ph.D. programs are different!
2. Once you have a draft of your Supplemental GS-6, send it by email to Dr. Jennifer Neuwald with the form attached.
3. Dr. Neuwald will review your Supplemental GS-6 to make sure it complies with GDPE and Graduate School requirements, and then send you an official email with approval to proceed with the electronic filing of your official GS-6. Your GDPE file will be incomplete without Dr. Neuwald’s approval. Here is a link to the Graduate School’s official Program of Study (GS6) instructional website.
AGAIN, DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR GS-6 FORM UNTIL YOU RECEIVE OFFICIAL GDPE APPROVAL!!
4. Once you submit your official GS-6 on-line (without ANY deviations from the approved Supplemental GS-6), you will be directed to a Dynamic Form to submit your signature. The form will then be routed to appropriate parties for the remaining signatures.
The GS7 is a form used only for switching from another program to GDPE, and/or from one degree to another (MS to PhD, for example). Because such changes can also entail changes in expectations or funding, we also ask faculty advisors to work with the Director to provide a new offer letter to the student.
This form is used to make changes to a student’s committee after the GS6 Program of Study has been approved by the Graduate School. A student’s committee must be up-to-date at the time of the preliminary examination (PhD student’s only), final exam/defense, and thesis/dissertation submission. Coordinate with the GDPE Assistant Director to get this form signed.
A preliminary examination shall be administered at least two terms before the final examination/defense to determine whether the student is qualified to continue toward a doctorate. The completed and signed form must be submitted to the Graduate School Office within two working days after the results of the examination are known. Coordinate with the GDPE Program Coordinator to obtain the GDPE Director’s signature.
All PhD students and MS students are required to complete and pass a final examination/defense. The examination must be held by the published deadline of the student’s graduating term. The completed and signed form must be submitted to the Graduate School Office within two working days of the examination.
A student must apply or reapply to graduate by the published deadline of the student’s graduating term. A student applying to graduate will start the process using the “Apply or Reapply to Graduate” link in RAMweb. Coordinate with the GDPE Assistant Director to get this form signed.
Procedures for completing the GS25:
- Review your program of study on RamWeb to make sure that all of the credits you proposed have been taken.
- If there are credits missing, review your unofficial transcript on RamWeb to identify which credits were taken instead.
- Select the “Apply or Reapply to Graduate” link in RAMWeb to begin your GS25. Make sure to drop credits that you did not take and add credits your took instead. Note: if you took additional courses beyond those you proposed on your GS6, you are not required to add them to your GS25.
- DO NOT SUBMIT YET! Save a PDF of your GS25 and email the draft copy to Dr. Neuwald. You will be notified to make corrections, if necessary. (note: the simplest way to do this is from your “print” menu.)
- Once you receive approval from Dr. Neuwald, go back to RamWeb, sign and submit your GS25 on-line.
- Your form will be electronically shuttled to your advisor for their approval before automatically forwarding it to the Graduate School for final approval. Note: if there are errors, your form will be returned to you, thus allowing you to make the appropriate changes and resubmit.
Note: If you are a Non-Thesis Master’s Student (Plan B) you will need to submit the GS-40 form. See details in tab below.
Non-Thesis (Plan B) Master’s Requirement
This form is ONLY for the Plan B Non-Thesis Master’s students to certify that you will not be completing a Master’s Thesis. If you are unsure of whether you are a Plan A or Plan B MS student, please email the Assistant Director, Jennifer Neuwald to confirm.
This letter can be issued to a student who has completed all degree requirements, including the posting of grades. Letters will be issued when the degree is recorded on the student’s official transcripts.
This form is required of all MS and PhD students submitting a thesis or dissertation after the final thesis/dissertation has been reviewed and approved by the student’s committee. The completed and signed form must be submitted to the Graduate School by the published deadline date of the student’s graduating term and before the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation.
This form is required if a student wants to delay the public release of their thesis or dissertation. The completed and signed form must be submitted to the Graduate School along with the GS30 by the published deadline date of the student’s graduating term and before the electronic submission of the thesis or dissertation. Please discuss with your advisor if you should request an embargo
This form can be used by a student’s advisor to indicate how to resolve course discrepancies (if applicable) that were not addressed on the student’s GS25. A memo or email from the student’s advisor can also be submitted to resolve these course discrepancies.