Exit Interview

Resignation of Appointment

If you work until the end of your appointment period (e.g. December 31, May 15, or the end of a summer appointment), no formal resignation is needed. Students with assistantship appointments (RA, TA, GA, PPGA) are eligible to hold their assistantships through the end of the semester in which they deposit if the end date of the appointment, when offered and accepted, was the same or later than the deposit date. For example, a student with a spring appointment processed to end May 15 may hold the assistantship through May 15, even if the student deposited the thesis anytime between January 1 and May 15. This does not obligate the student to continue the assistantship, and the campus policy permits students to resign their assistantships and retain their waivers, if they complete all degree requirements for graduation within seven calendar days of the reignation.

DO NOT resign your appointment until you are ready to deposit your thesis.

If you resign your appointment before working for at least three-fourths of the term (91 days during the fall and spring terms; 41 days during summer term), you will be assessed tuition and fees, unless you withdraw from the University or turn in the Ph.D. thesis to the Graduate College within seven days following the date of resignation. A term is defined as the period starting on the first day of classes and ending on the last day of final examinations.

When Must You Be Registered as a Student?

A student must be registered during the term in which the thesis defense is taken.

You need not be a registered student simply to deposit your thesis. Other academic activities (e.g. thesis defense, having a payroll appointment) require registration as a student in that semester.

Exit Interview with the Associate Head for Graduate Programs

The following items are required for the exit interview. Please bring them with you:
Departmental Resignation Form (Note: only required if you plan to resign your appointment.  To avoid the possibility of losing your tuition waiver for the term, please make careful note of the "Resignation of Appointment" information above, and consult with the Assoc Head for Grad Programs if you have any questions about the resignation policy!!).
Evaluation
Contact Information, Mailbox Info and Key Form (This is very important)!
Request for Certification of Degree Letter (This Request for Certification of Degree form is optional. Most students do not need it. You only need to fill it out if you will need an official letter from the Graduate College verifying the completion of your degree for visa or employment purposes only). It typically takes 5-7 business days for the letter to be generated by the Graduate College, so if you need this type of letter, please plan ahead!

*Please be sure to update your mailing address in the UI-Integrate Web Self Service System. Diplomas will be mailed out approximately eight weeks after the date of degree conferral. In addition, please update your mailing address with anyone you receive postal mail from so that your mail does not arrive at Loomis Lab after you depart.

It is your responsibility to meet the thesis format requirements of the Graduate College Thesis Office; however, the Physics Department Graduate Office will check that your thesis meets the physics departmental formatting requirements and that you have acknowledged the funding sources for your research before submitting the Department Format Approval to the Graduate College.  

Depositing Your Thesis

"Depositing your thesis" means submitting the thesis and other mandatory documents to the Graduate College. You will not receive your Ph.D. from the University of Illinois without complying with the detailed instructions for depositing your thesis.

Join the Alumni Association to Maintain Your Contact with the Department

Membership in the University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA) provides you with a lifelong connection to the Department of Physics and a wide variety of member benefits, such as a free lifetime email address, and services of the Alumni Career Center. Part of your membership dues goes directly to support activities in Physics- the departmental newsletter and regional alumni reunions, etc. Join today!