»Current Graduate and Professional Students

Learn more about Chapman's graduate and professional programs, relevant university and program policies, and our supports by exploring the options below.


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Graduate Catalog

The university's graduate policies and procedures are found in the student's respective Graduate Catalog. 

  • Beginning with 2019-2020 academic year, catalogs can be found at https://catalog.chapman.edu. Be sure to use the drop-down box in the upper right to choose the 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog.
  • Students are reminded to look at the Degree Requirements for their catalog year. Usually this is the year the student began the graduate degree program, unless there has been a break in enrollment or the student opted to move forward to a later catalog year.
  • The student's Program Evaluation in the Student Center on studentcenter.chapman.edu provides the best representation of what course requirements have been satisfied, and not satisfied, to date.

Graduate Student Handbook

Graduate and professional students at Chapman can use the Graduate Student Handbook from the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education to orient themselves to university-level policies, information, and supports.

If you have a suggestion for a section that should be added, or if you notice an update is needed or broken link, please email us at GradEd@chapman.edu. We welcome your feedback!

Checklist for New Graduate Students

Here is a handy student checklist that will help you to be sure you have taken care of all your "to do" items before arriving at Chapman.

Graduate Student Orientation Videos and Tutorials

Graduate and professional students can choose from several university-level student orientation videos and tutorials relevant to your journey at Chapman. They contain information for all students regardless of degree program or campus.

Choose from the topics below:

Graduate Student Health Insurance & Opting Into Student Health Center Access

Proof of health insurance is required for all Chapman students, including graduate students, and must be submitted each term. Students should monitor their my.chapman.edu Student Center “To Do List” to submit proof of insurance.  All international graduate students and graduate students who do not submit proof of health insurance will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the university’s UnitedHealth Student Health Insurance plan.

Students may visit www.uhcsr.com/chapman to view the full plan description, terms of coverage, and more. The cost of the Student Health Insurance plan for the 2025-2026 academic year is $2,365 ($1,182.50 per fall/spring semester) for students on the Orange Campus and $2,315 for students on the Rinker Health Science Campus ($788.33 per trimester - note the spring semester payment also covers summer). For more information on the Student Health Insurance plan, visit the Student Health Insurance webpage.

Graduate students must additionally opt-in and pay a fee to access the Chapman Student Health Center on the Orange Campus. Health Center access is not included in the cost of attendance for graduate students. Access must be purchased at the beginning of the year/term for an annual cost of $244 ($122 per semester). Students may not pay 'on-demand' for Health Center access at a later date. In addition, proof of insurance or enrollment in the Student Health Insurance plan is required to qualify for Health Center access. Graduate students may sign up and pay for Health Center access via the links in their Student Center on my.chapman.edu. Questions can be directed to osbusn@chapman.edu. 

The Chapman Student Health Center is located at 402 North Glassell Street. The center is available for walk-in visits Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon during regular terms. It is recommended that appointments be made for afternoon hours. Contact the Student Health Center with further questions at (714) 997–6851 or see the Student Health Services webpage.

Current Graduate Program Handbooks

Graduate and professional students can view the Program Handbook for their academic program by clicking on the appropriate link below. If your Program Handbook is not hyperlinked, please contact your Program Director for a copy.

Master's and specialist degree Program Handbooks, in alphabetical order by major area of study:

2025-2026:

Doctoral degree Program Handbooks, in alphabetical order by degree:

Graduate Student Full-Time Enrollment & Continuous Enrollment Policies

Here are the Graduate Student Full-Time Enrollment and Continuous Enrollment Policies and the accompanying Graduate Student Enrollment Exception Form that went into effect August 31, 2020 for all non-Law graduate programs. Please read the policies in their entirety, complete the form (only if applicable), email the completed form or your request for further information on your enrollment status to GradEd@chapman.edu.

International Graduate Student Enrollment Requirements

The SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) enrollment requirements for recognition in a "full course of study" for international graduate students at Chapman are found here. Please contact Graduate Admissions and International Students Services, at iss@chapman.edu, Pavis Ortega at portega@chapman.edu if you have questions.

Graduate Student Fellowships

Fellowships are funding that graduate students can use to help finance their education; they are similar to what most people recognize as 'scholarships' at the undergraduate level. Unlike Graduate Assistantships ("GShips"; see section below), fellowships generally do not require the student to work for the university to receive this funding.

There are two general categories of graduate student fellowship awards: external and internal. Within those categories, fellowships may cover tuition (tuition fellowships), other educational or living expenses (non-tuition fellowships), or a combination of the two.

Internal fellowship awards for graduate students at Chapman are determined by the academic departments/programs. The Graduate Financial Aid Office coordinates tuition fellowships with other types of financial aid including institutional loans. Please contact your program for more information about internal fellowships available.

External fellowship awards for graduate students are provided by government agencies, private foundations, and donors outside of the Chapman community. Graduate students apply for these fellowships on their own and the selection, award, and payment process varies according to the funding source. The AVPGE's Office annually curates a list of publicly-advertised graduate student fellowship opportunities; students may review this list for possible sources of funding. This list is provided as an aid to students, and inclusion on the list does not constitute a recommendation of the fellowship or grantor by Chapman University; students must exercise due diligence and take full responsibility for their role in the application and award process for all external fellowships.

Provost Dissertation Non-Tuition Fellowships

Provost Dissertation Non-Tuition Fellowships are funded by the Office of Associate Vice President for Graduate Education to provide financial support to outstanding, advanced doctoral students working to complete their dissertation. A non-tuition fellowship with a one-semester stipend paid in 4 monthly payments.

Eligible students must have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy and have completed all degree requirements for the Ph.D. other than the publication (if required) and the writing and defense of the dissertation. The student must have committee approval for their dissertation proposal and (as necessary) IRB approval for proposed research. The student must demonstrate scholarly excellence while conducting original research that contributes to their field of study. The student should be in good academic status and continuously enrolled full-time for the duration of the fellowship period. Currently, nominations are sent from the Ph.D. program directors directly to the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education.

Graduate Assistantships (GShips)

Graduate Assistantships (known informally as GShips) are student employment positions where graduate students perform work duties related to their professional development. There are multiple types of Graduate Assistantships (GShips) available at Chapman:

  • Graduate Student Instructor (GSI)
  • Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)
  • Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA)
  • Graduate Writing Assistantship (GWA)

All GShips are governed by the 2025-26 GShip Policies and Procedures Handbook. The Handbook details the GShip categories, duties, eligibility, and how to obtain a GShip. Please contact GradEd@chapman.edu if you have questions.

Principal Investigators who wish to hire GRAs on internal or external research/project/grant funds can find additional GRA hiring guidance here.

GSI (Graduate Student Instructor) and GTA Resources

Chapman University Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) are employed as instructors of record for a course much in the same manner as part-time lecturers (see job description in GShip Handbook). GSIs are hired by each department or academic unit on a term-to-term basis according to their needs and the availability of qualified GSI candidates. Graduate students seeking a GSI position should contact the head of the specific department/program in which they believe they are qualified to teach.

As GSIs, unlike faculty, are not terminal degree holders, they are assigned a Faculty Supervisor for mentorship and guidance in their teaching. The Faculty Supervisor is a full-time faculty member in the department/program in which the GSI is assigned to teach and observes and evaluates the GSI's teaching quality, in addition to the end-of-term course evaluations submitted by students.

Important GSI documents:

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) serve in different instructional support roles at Chapman, including as an assistant to a faculty member in their teaching, evaluating students, and running limited lab or class sessions. GTAs are not considered instructors, do not appear on the class schedule, and do not have instructional responsibility for the course. The faculty member teaching the course is considered the person responsible for planning and delivering the curriculum and overseeing the achievement of Course Objectives and Program Learning Outcomes.

GTAs, at the discretion of the faculty member teaching the course to which they are assigned, may:

  • Be expected to attend class sessions.
  • Help with the preparation or updating of lecture materials.
  • Run lab sessions with the guidance of a faculty member/supervisor.
  • Conduct review sessions with the guidance of the faculty member.
  • Hold office hours to consult with students regarding course requirements. This does not supplant a faculty member’s regular office hours for advising students.
  • Monitor grades.
  • Grade assignments and exams based on established criteria provided by the faculty member.
  • Teach on a limited basis with the support of the faculty member, while the faculty member has primary oversight and responsibility for the course.
  • Utilize the online professional development library available at the CETL website, along with all their other support materials, to prepare for future GSI service.

GTAs should not:

  • Independently design class instruction, assignments, or grading criteria without the direct oversight and guidance of the faculty member for the course.
  • Perform all grading or grade monitoring for the course. The faculty member is expected to be personally involved in student assessment and the monitoring of individual and class-wide student progress.
  • Teach a “lecture” course extensively nor teach on a regular basis without the faculty member present.
    • FAQ: How much teaching is too much? It would be reasonable to expect the GTA to teach 3-4 class sessions (for a course that meets 2-3 times per week for 15 weeks) during a standard term so they have supervised teaching experience and can be given feedback. GTAs assigned to courses that meet only once per week should be expected to be responsible for fewer sessions or only portions of multiple sessions. Such teaching experiences should be planned in advance and the GTA guided by the faculty member on the planned instruction prior.
    • FAQ: Can the GTA “cover” for the faculty member and teach if the faculty member is absent? Yes, but this should occur no more than twice per term, and should be included in the GTA’s total teaching time. In addition, it is suggested that the GTA use the Swivl video recording systems available from CETL, or another video recording device, so they can review their teaching performance if the faculty member is not present.
    • FAQ: Can the faculty member have the GTA independently run a discussion section every week on one of the regular class days (i.e., for a MWF course, the faculty member teaches M/W and GTA runs a discussion session on Fridays without the faculty member)? No. The faculty member is expected to be present whenever possible and receives full load for teaching the course. Such a lecture/discussion combination would represent the GTA being responsible for 1/3 of total class time. A more reasonable solution would be for the GTA and faculty member to split the class into two groups on Fridays and alternate facilitating the discussion groups, so the GTA has faculty oversight/support and all students receive equal time with the faculty member and GTA in discussion.

Graduate Student Tuition Support Policy

The policy outlines the implementation procedures for tuition support for graduate students appointed to eligible research and teaching positions (Graduate Assistantships), which is a significant contribution by the university to their education and is regulated by internal policies in accordance with federal and state laws.

Graduate Forms

To find forms such as the Graduate Change of Program form, as well as other forms and additional information, please refer to the Office of the Registrar’s forms webpage.

Submit a petition

Fill out the Graduate form and email it to graded@chapman.edu.
Graduate students: Graduate Petition Form

Submit an enrollment exception

Fill out the Graduate form and email it to graded@chapman.edu.
Graduate students: Graduate Student Enrollment Exception Form

Canvas Support (FOR FACULTY ONLY)

Fill out the form to add a Graduate student to Canvas. The purpose of this form is to submit a request to the AVP of Graduate Education to approve adding graduate student(s) to Canvas, as an Observer, for some special use case where the student is not being hired as a Graduate Assistant or Instructor.
Faculty only: Add Graduate Student to Canvas Request

Master's Comprehensive Exams Calendar

Dates for comprehensive exams and deadlines to register are listed here:

Thesis and Dissertation Supports

There are a number of resources and guidance documents available to graduate students completing their research-based theses and dissertations at Chapman University. Please consult your Program Handbook as well as the Graduate Catalog for specific policies and timelines in addition to the materials below. University deadlines for thesis/dissertation submission as related to degree conferral are hyperlinked in the callout box to the left on this page.

  • Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects research: The IRB is Chapman University's authorized regulatory committee that reviews, approves, denies and provides ongoing oversight of all research - including thesis and dissertation research - involving human subjects in accordance with OHRP and FDA regulations. It is the responsibility of the student to submit and obtain IRB approval (or documented exemption) prior to commencing any research with human subjects.
  • Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for animal subjects research: Chapman University's IACUC is charged with evaluating the ethical and scientific merit of research investigations - including thesis and dissertation research - and teaching activities that involve animal subjects. It is the responsibility of the student to submit and obtain IACUC approval (or documented exemption) prior to commencing any research with animal subjects.
  • Additional policy guidance for research-related endeavors: The Office of Research's Policies and Guidance page provides information for graduate students on a variety of research-related endeavors applicable to work on theses and dissertations, including the following:
    • Guidelines for Authorship in Scientific or Scholarly Publications policy: Applies to all forms of publication and provides guidance in the event of disagreement between students and/or faculty.
    • Animal Care and Use Policy
    • Human Subjects Protection Policy
    • Integrity in Research Policy
  • External Thesis/Dissertation Committee Members: External thesis/dissertation committee members volunteer their service and must complete this Volunteer External Thesis Dissertation Committee Member Form. The purpose of this agreement is to provide information about the volunteer experience and important University policies that apply to volunteers.

Graduate students are responsible for adhering to all university policies, as well as additional policies set forth by externally-funded grant agencies or sponsors, applicable to their thesis or dissertation work. Students should actively seek guidance from their thesis/dissertation advisor, related faculty researchers or Principal Investigators, and/or the Office of Research & Graduate Education if they have questions.

Survey of Earned Doctorates - Ph.D. Graduates Only

After library dissertation submission is complete, Ph.D. graduates must participate in the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), which collects data on the number and characteristics of individuals receiving research doctoral degrees from all accredited U.S. institutions. The results of this annual survey, established more than fifty years ago, are used to assess characteristics and trends in doctorate education and degrees. This information is vital for education and labor force planners and researchers in the federal government and in academia, and it influences federal decisions regarding financial support for Ph.D. students in years to come. The estimated time to complete the survey is no more than 20 minutes.

Your Ph.D. diploma will be released after you have submitted the SED's "Certificate of Completion" to Chapman via email. Please forward the certificate with your name and ID# to aps@chapman.edu.

Please note, responses to all questions other than the first section where graduates are asked for their name, doctoral degree, institution, and graduation month/year are completely voluntary, and opting to not complete any portion of the survey thereafter is not required by Chapman University and will not prevent the student being issued a Certificate of Completion by the SED. Specifically, the National Science Foundation's Program Officer for the SED (Kelly Kang) confirms (3/23/21 via email to Chapman University),

"The SED respondents’ nonresponse to any survey questions once they provide their personal verification information such as their name, doctoral degree, institution, and graduation month/year in the beginning of the survey, does not affect their SED completion and they should be able to obtain the Certificate of Completion." 

Questions about the SED content, data storage, or other aspects of the survey can be directed to sed@rti.org.

Graduate Student Grievance/Complaint Procedures

Graduate students who have concerns about campus academic policies, procedures, other policies, treatment by faculty or other campus employees or concerns about college operations are encouraged to bring those concerns or complaints to the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education after first reviewing the respective sections of the Graduate Catalog for relevant procedures to follow.

In general, for academic matters, the complaint process normally begins with the faculty member involved. Appeals typically go to the department chair, the academic dean, the Graduate Academic Council, and then the Associate Vice President for Graduate Education (who will act on the matter or refer it to the Provost). For non-academic matters (issues related to departments such as residence life, facilities management, business office, etc.), students should first discuss the matter with the head of the appropriate department with appeals to the appropriate supervisor. Students wishing to discuss or report concerns about harassment should contact the Vice President for Student Affairs.

The Grade Reviews section in the Graduate Catalog specifically addresses the process for challenging a grade received.

The Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Harassment section in the Graduate Catalog provides further information on lodging and complaint and contact persons.

Additional situations that may necessitate filing a complaint are addressed in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the Graduate Catalog.

Housing for Graduate Students

As part of a pilot program for the 2024-25 year, Chapman is offering limited university housing near our Orange Campus to incoming graduate students. Graduate students interested in living in Chapman housing should contact their program directly and visit the Grad Housing website to learn more. Note that space is on a first come, first serve basis, but we strongly encourage you to apply! For additional housing options, we suggest all incoming and current students use the Off-campus Housing website. Here you can connect with other Grad and Undergrad students also looking for housing or roommates!

Upcoming Thesis and Dissertation Deadlines


Need the complete list of thesis/dissertation-related degree conferral deadlines? See here:

2025-26 Graduate Degree Conferral Deadlines and Late Thesis/Dissertation Submission w/o Continuous Enrollment

As per Graduate Catalog policy, students must successfully defend their thesis/dissertation prior to commencement to participate in May commencement ceremonies.