Graduate Studies in Psychology
Current Students and Faculty

Departmental Forms and Completion Guidelines Below you will find a brief list of required Departmental forms that must be completed by students and signed by their advisors and faculty. A fuller description of the forms follows. You are encouraged to print out the Checklist for Departmental Forms and to use this as a guide. All completed forms are to be submitted to Dr. Sharon Danoff-Burg, Director of Graduate Studies. 600 A/B Advisor Notification Form. Students are responsible for consulting with faculty regarding their willingness to supervise the 600 Project. Once an agreement has been obtained, the student is to notify the Graduate Director of his or her advisor with the completion and filing of the APSY 600 Advisor Notification form. This form must be completed and filed by the end of the student’s first semester of graduate study. 600 A/B Approval Form. This form is to be completed and attached to a final copy of the student’s 600 Project prior to the submission of the Project to the student’s advisor and Department Chair for final approval. This form, and a final copy of the student’s 600 Project, must be completed and filed prior to the beginning of the student’s third year of graduate study. Students may not sit for Qualifying Exams until the 600 Project is completed. Research Tool Requirement Form. The student’s advisor must approve the manner in which the research tool requirement is met (i.e., the area of study, work to be completed, and method of evaluation). Once the student has been granted approval and he or she has met the research tool requirement, the student may complete and file this form. If the research tool requirement was met by taking a course, a copy of the student’s most recent transcript must be attached to the form so that course completion can be verified. Any course used toward this requirement may not be included in the student’s four outside-of-area courses. This form is typically completed and filed in the student’s second or third year of graduate study and must be filed prior to the student’s nomination for admission to candidacy. Approval of Outside-of-Area Courses Form. Each specific program may identify particular courses for its students to take; however a student’s advisor ultimately determines whether a specific course meets this requirement. Once the student has satisfactorily completed his or her four outside-of-area courses and obtained approval from his or her advisor, the student may complete and file this form. A copy of the student’s most recent transcript must be attached to the form so that course completion can be verified. Courses used toward this requirement may not be utilized as the student’s research tool. This form is typically completed and filed in the student’s second or third year of graduate study and must be filed prior to the student’s nomination for admission to candidacy. Results of Qualifying Exam Form. The qualifying examination form is completed by the Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee. Students must complete the doctoral qualifying examination before the end of his or her fourth year of graduate study and prior to the student’s nomination for admission to candidacy. Nomination of Student for Admission to Candidacy Form. This form is to be completed and filed by the student only after he or she has: 1) filed the APSY 600 A/B Project Approval Form 2) filed the Research Tool Requirement Form 3) filed the Approval of Outside-of-Area Courses Form 4) completed all required courses for the student’s area of specialization 5) passed his or her qualifying examination 6) met residency requirements This form is typically completed and filed in the student’s fourth year of graduate study and must be filed before the student’s dissertation proposal can be accepted and approved. Doctoral Committee Membership Notification Form. Students are responsible for consulting with faculty regarding their willingness to assume the role of Chair of the student’s doctoral dissertation committee. Once the choice of a committee Chair has been made and has been agreed upon by both, the student and the Chair will decide upon other potential members to be approached and invited to participate. Each committee must have a minimum of three members, although there may be additional members and/or consultants. Once the committee is formed, the student is responsible for notifying the Director of Graduate Studies of the committee membership with the completion and filing of the Doctoral Committee Membership form. Approval of Dissertation Proposal Form. Students must obtain consent from all members of his or her doctoral dissertation committee prior to initiating the doctoral dissertation. Once all committee members have granted consent, the student is responsible for notifying the Director of Graduate Studies with the completion and filing of the Approval of Dissertation Proposal form. Dissertation Submittal and Transmission Form. This form is to be completed after the successful defense of the doctoral dissertation and consent has been granted by all members of the doctoral dissertation committee for acceptance of the dissertation as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The student’s doctoral dissertation must be completed and this form filed within eight years from the date of the student’s enrollment in the doctoral program. Extension of Statute of Limitations Form. This form is to be completed by the student if he or she is unable to complete all of the program requirements within eight years from the date of the student’s enrollment in the doctoral program. A copy of the formal request for an extension of the statute of limitations (i.e., an explanation of extenuating circumstances hindering the student’s progress towards the completion of the program and/or the student’s current progress towards the completion of the program) must be attached prior to the submission of the Extension of Statute of Limitations form. Recommendation of Conferral of Doctoral Degree Form. This form is completed by the Department of Psychology when the student has fulfilled the following requirements: 1. Admission to candidacy 2. Successfully completed internship (if required by the student’s program) 3. Obtained approval of dissertation topic 4. Submitted, read, and obtained approval of the dissertation 5. Satisfactorily defended the dissertation 6. Transmitted the dissertation and abstract to the Office of Graduate Studies (along with the required certifications) This form, and the requirements necessary to file this form, must be completed and filed within eight years from the date of the student’s enrollment in the doctoral program.

Relevant Links University Graduate Bulletin Resources for Graduate Students, University at Albany, SUNY Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines, University at Albany, SUNY