Four Year Doctoral Rule Petition Instructions
Completion of the Doctoral Degree within four years after passing the comprehensive preliminary examination.
The Principle of Petitions:
The University of Wyoming, as a fully-accredited public institution of higher education, must comply with general laws, regulations, and principles of fairness, uniformity and accountability. Exceptions to uniform application of general regulations are justified in extraordinary circumstances, when necessary to prevent or remedy an unfair or unjust consequence.
Steps:
- Take the petition Form to your committee chair. On the petition, you must clearly and concisely print or type the results and exceptions you seek. Present your version of the facts, circumstances and consequences. Give facts, not conclusions. Your adviser may help you with the wording of the petition or may require you to state your case on the petition before he or she confers with you. After the petition is completed, it is to be signed by you and your committee chair. You may download the form from the Office of the Registrar website. Attach additional pages if the information does not fit in the space provided. Be sure to indicate when you project the degree being completed. this petition, if approved, will expire on that date.
- Once you and your committee chair have signed, take the petition to the other officials listed on the front page of the petition to obtain their recommendations, completing the process by returning the Petition to the Office of the Registrar. Any signer may add clarifying or explanatory comments to the Petition.
- After all the signatures have been obtained and submitted to the Registrar's Office, it will be reviewed by the University Registrar. Once a decision has been made, you will receive an email response at your UW email address. If the University Registrar denies the petition, it is your right to refer the matter to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for further consideration.
If you wish to request a review by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, you are responsible for referring the Petition to that office. When a petition is denied, after a reasonable period of time (usually one semester) the Petition will be considered abandoned.
Process and Return Petition Without Unnecessary Delay
