Graduate Student Annual Reviews

Annual Reviews

The annual reviews are here to ensure that students get the support and feedback they need to be successful in their pursuit of a PhD. These help students set and refine goals, set faculty expectations, and address issues they need assistance with. For more information on when this became a requirement in our program, see the official annual committee meeting policy (ratified in 2017).

Annual review meetings should be scheduled for 1.5 hours. The format of the meeting should be as follows:

  1. For the first 15 minutes the primary advisor should not be in the room and the student should meet with the other Dissertation Committee members to discuss their working relationship with their advisor. Students who have significant issues or concerns in this area that they feel are inhibiting their progress should use this as an opportunity to inform their other committee members of these issues.
  2. Once the primary advisor arrives, the committee should spend one hour discussing the student’s progress over the past year, challenges they have faced, and goals and timelines for the coming year.
  3. Following this the student should leave the meeting and the committee should spend the last 15 minutes discussing any advising issues that student may have raised or any issues that the primary advisor has identified in their working relationship with the student.

Please note: the final signed version of the student's annual review packet needs to be digitized into a single PDF (including all review items listed on the cover page) and emailed by the student to Monica, the Graduate Program Manager, by the stated deadline.

Annual Review Survey: For students who have passed their qualifying exam, they must also complete the Annual Review Survey as part of their annual review.

Annual Review (First Year Graduate Students) First Year Form [PDF]

Complete and submit this signed report to the first year grad advisor for their review and approval.
The final annual review packet (with all signatures) is due as a single PDF via email to Monica Albe, the Graduate Student Program Manager -- submit it no later than September 15.

Your annual review packet needs to include the following:

  • Annual review form, signed by all of your advisory committee members and your 1st year Graduate Cohort Advisor.
  • Your CV.
  • A list of relevant courses you have taken before coming to Berkeley.
  • A semester-by-semester plan of what classes you'll be taking during your first and second year.
  • A rough outline of the topics you hope to pursue in your dissertation research, and the tools you'll need.

Annual Review (Pre-Advanced to Candidacy Students) Second Year Students Pre-Advanced Form [PDF]

  • Arrange a meeting with your Advisory Committee to discuss your plans and progress.
  • Bring a 2-page dissertation plan to the meeting (optional dissertation template), and other required materials outlined on the 2nd year annual review form.
  • In the meeting, complete your portion of the 2nd year annual review form and get your Mentor's comments.
  • Your 2nd year Graduate Cohort Advisor must review and sign the annual review.
  • The final annual review packet (with all signatures) is due as a single PDF via email to Monica Albe, the Graduate Student Program Manager by October 1.

Annual Review (Advanced to Candidacy) Third Year Students Advanced 3rd Year Form [PDF]

  • Arrange a meeting with your Dissertation Committee to discuss your plans and progress.
  • Create an 8-page dissertation proposal.
    • The proposal should be approximately 8 pages and contain goals, hypotheses, and planned methods of data gathering/analysis for each chapter of your dissertation. You can use this template as a starting point (2-page outline from 2nd year).
    • Send this proposal to your committee members at least one week in advance of your meeting.
  • Complete the IB Annual Review Survey.
  • Download your CalCentral Academic Progress Report (see directions below).
  • Bring your dissertation proposal, annual progress report, and other items outlined in the 3rd year annual review form to your meeting.
  • In the meeting, fill out the 3rd year annual review form with your committee members, collect feedback on your dissertation proposal and progress.
  • Make any necessary updates to the materials, then have your 3rd year Graduate Cohort Advisor review and sign the annual review.
  • The final annual review packet (with all signatures) is due as a single PDF via email to Monica Albe, the Graduate Student Program Manager, by November 15.

Annual Review (Advanced to Candidacy) Fourth Year Students Advanced 4th Year Form [PDF]

  • Arrange a meeting with your Dissertation Committee to discuss your plans and progress.
  • Complete the IB Annual Review Survey.
  • Download your CalCentral Academic Progress Report (see directions below).
  • Bring your updated dissertation proposal, annual progress report, and other items outlined in the 4th year annual review form to your meeting.
  • In the meeting, fill out the 4th year annual review form with your committee members, collect feedback on your dissertation proposal and progress.
  • Your 4th year Graduate Cohort Advisor must review and sign the annual review.
  • The final annual review packet (with all signatures) is due as a single PDF via email to Monica Albe, the Graduate Student Program Manager, by December 1.

Annual Review (Advanced to Candidacy) Fifth Year and Beyond Advanced 5th Year Form [PDF]

  • Arrange a meeting with your Dissertation Committee to discuss your plans and progress.
  • Complete the IB Annual Review Survey.
  • Download your CalCentral Academic Progress Report (see directions below).
  • Bring your updated dissertation proposal, annual progress report, and other items outlined in the 5th year annual review form to your meeting.
  • In the meeting, fill out the 5th+ year annual review form with your committee members, collect feedback on your dissertation proposal and progress.
  • The 5th+ year Graduate Cohort Advisor must review and sign the annual review.
  • The final annual review packet (with all signatures) is due as a single PDF via email to Monica Albe, the Graduate Student Program Manager, by December 1.

Downloading your official CalCentral Academic Progress Report

  1. Sign into CalCentral 
  2. Go to "My Academics"
  3. Find the box labeled "Degree Progress"
  4. At the top of the Degree Progress box, it'll say "View Academic Progress Report"
  5. Click on that link and then "print" your report as a PDF to save to your device