Pro Forma status is a limited privilege designed, in general, to provide full-time status to doctoral students, especially in the laboratory sciences, who must move a substantial distance away from the Chicago area for specific training and research opportunities or in order to follow their primary faculty advisor who has moved to another institution.
A student’s choice to reside at a substantial distance from the University does not, in and of itself, qualify a student for Pro Forma status.
Applications for Pro Forma status must be recommended by the student's academic department and approved by the area Dean of Students. Normally to be eligible for Pro Forma status, a student will have already been admitted to candidacy.
Doctoral students in Pro Forma must be enrolled for at least 300 units of research or advanced study every quarter. See the Ph.D. Enrollment section below for more information.
The Student Services Fee is not assessed for students registered in Pro Forma status, and students do not have access to student health and counseling services while they are in Pro Forma status.