Graduate Studies - Electronic Documents (Students)

In an effort to reduce paper use, we strongly encourage students and advisors  to submit documents via email, if possible. Below you will find instructions to sign documents electronically and where to submit them after they have been signed.

Electronic Signature Instructions for Students

1. Locate and download your form. You must download the form. You cannot complete the form inside an internet browser. When opening the document, be sure to open it in Adobe Acrobat or Reader. (You cannot complete the form in Previewer, which is the default program for PDFs for many Apple users. Additional information is available for Apple users.
2. Fill in the appropriate information on the form.
3. Click on the "Student Signature" field.
4. A pop-up will ask you to select a digital ID if you already have one created. If you already have a digital ID, skip to step 15.
5. If you do not have one created, the pop-up screen will give you an option to sign the document using “A new digital ID that I want to create now.”
6. Select this option and click “Next”
7. Select New PKCS#12 Digital ID File, and click “Next”
8. Type your name, email address, and select your country/region. The organizational unit and organization name is not required for the creation of your digital ID. When you certify or sign a document, the name appears in the Signatures panel and in the signature field.
9. Optional: To use Unicode values for extended characters (i.e. #, &, ^, etc.), select “Enable Unicode Support,” and then specify the Unicode values in the appropriate boxes that appear next to the first set of boxes.
10. From the Key Algorithm menu, choose 1024-bit RSA
11. From the Use Digital ID For menu, choose Digital Signatures and Data Encryption. Click “Next”
12. Specify a filename and location for the digital ID file
13. Type a password; passwords are case-sensitive, must contain at least six characters, and may not contain double quotation marks or the following characters: ! @ # $ % ^ & * , | \ ; < > _. Type the same password in both the Password and Confirm Password boxes.
14. Click “Finish”
15. Save a copy of the form and send it to your graduate advisor, if necessary. (Most forms require an advisor signature.)

Important: Make a backup copy of your digital ID file. If your digital ID file is lost or corrupted, or if you forget your password, you cannot use that profile to add or validate signatures.

For additional help on creating a self-signed digital ID, a video is available here.

 

Submitting Electronic Documents

Most forms will need to go to your advisor for advisor approval prior to coming to Graduate Studies for final approval.

Form	To whom document should be sent
Course Change	Your Advisor
Program of Study	Your Advisor
Graduate Assistantship Application	Program Coordinator or Dept. Head
Graduate Assistantship Continuation	Program Coordinator or Dept. Head
Graduate Certificate Form	Your Advisor
Graduate Teaching Associate Application	Your Department Head
UG Enrollment in GR Courses	Your Advisor