Special Registration Statuses

Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR)

TGR status is a special enrollment status for graduate students who have completed all departmental and University requirements indicated below. TGR status provides a special tuition rate for approved PhD students that is significantly lower than the standard rate. As coursework is no longer considered necessary during this advanced stage of study, units are no longer counted towards residency but students may enroll in up to 3 units of coursework that is not required for completion of any degree or minor requirements. Enrollment in these additional units will not incur any additional tuition costs while on TGR status. 

Students are eligible to apply for TGR status if they have:

  • Completed 135 units
  • Completed all required courses and degree requirements other than the University oral exam and dissertation
  • Been admitted to candidacy
  • Submitted a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form

To apply for TGR status students must meet the above criteria and complete the following items prior to the preliminary study list deadline of the requesting quarter:

  1. Enroll in <insert departmental TGR course> in the section with their advisor listed as instructor
  2. Submit the Request for TGR Status Eform in Axess for the requested TGR quarter

Students approved for TGR status must enroll in <insert departmental TGR course> each quarter through AXESS until degree conferral. TGR grading is as follows: "N" for satisfactory progress, "N-" for unsatisfactory progress. During the degree conferral process, all “N” grades for TGR courses will be updated to “S” grades to reflect the student’s degree completion. 

Graduation Quarter

Graduation Quarter is the final quarter in a PhD student's career and is the quarter in which they submit their dissertation. Students approved for Graduation Quarter are eligible for a further reduced tuition rate of only $150. Students may only use one Graduation Quarter. In cases where a student uses their Graduation Quarter but does not actually have their degree conferred and must continue enrollment, the program administrator must be contacted to return the student’s tuition status to TGR. Please follow the below steps to apply for Graduation Quarter prior to the preliminary study list deadline of your final quarter. Students on Graduation Quarter are registered at Stanford and, therefore, have the rights and privileges of registered students. Graduation Quarter status is still considered full-time status and does not impact funding or visa status. 

Students are eligible to apply for Graduation Quarter if:

  • All course work, degree requirements, and residency requirements for all graduate degree programs, including joint degree programs, have been completed prior to the start of the requested Graduation Quarter. 
  • The student has only to defend and/or submit the dissertation, project, or master’s thesis by the deadline for submission in the term designated as the graduation quarter. 
  • The student has filed all necessary forms regarding graduation quarter before the first day of the term chosen as graduation quarter

To apply for Graduation Quarter students must complete the following prior to the preliminary study list deadline of the requesting quarter:

  1. Apply to graduate for the requested term in Axess (see here for details)
  2. Enroll in <insert departmental TGR course here> for the requested quarter
  3. Submit the Graduation Quarter Petition eform via Axess (click on the “Student eForms” from the mega menu)
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