Transferring Between Degree Programs

You may realize during your degree program that a different graduate degree within our department is better suited to your interests and career goals. To transfer between degree programs:

Admission into the Ph.D. program after completion of an M.S. degree (plan A)

  1. Request the transfer within one semester of degree completion.
  2. Receive a positive recommendation from your thesis committee.
  3. Identify a Ph.D. advisor in the department
  4. Provide written notification to the education committee of your committee recommendation and advisor name.
  5. Education committee will make a recommendation to the department head, who makes the final decision.

Transfer from an M.S. plan A program to a Ph.D. program without completing the M.S. degree

  1. Receive a positive recommendation from your thesis committee.
  2. Identify a Ph.D. advisor
  3. Provide written notification to the education committee of your committee recommendation and advisor name.
  4. Education committee will make a recommendation to the department head, who makes the final decision.
  5. Petition the CSU Graduate School for a transfer by completion of the GS 7 form http://graduateschool.colostate.edu/policies-and-procedures/forms/

Transfer from a Ph.D. program to an M.S. program

  1. Receive a positive recommendation from your thesis committee.
  2. Confirm that whether or not you will remain with the same major advisor. If you plan to switch advisors, details on this process are here (link). Confirm whether your GRA or other funding source will be available if you switch degrees. Some types of fellowships only support Ph.D. students.
  3. Confirm who will be on your M.S. graduate committee. You will need three instead of four committee members as an M.S. student
  4. Provide written notification to the education committee of your committee recommendations.
  5. Education committee will make a recommendation to the department head, who makes the final decision.
  6. Petition the CSU Graduate School for a transfer by completion of the GS 7 form http://graduateschool.colostate.edu/policies-and-procedures/forms/
  7. You will need to submit a new GS-6 form to reflect a different plan for your courses and different committee members.

Admission into the Ph.D. program after acceptance into and/or completion of the Pest Management M.S. degree (plan B)

Because the Pest Management M.S. is not a research-based degree, if you enter the department as student in the Pest Management program, you must reapply to graduate school if you wish to earn a Ph.D.