Navigating Your Degree Program

Graduation Deadlines and Checklists

Congratulations on reaching this major milestone in your academic journey! To ensure a seamless graduation experience, here you will find information on how to apply for graduation, important graduation deadlines, commencement and regalia information, and other frequently asked questions.

Apply to Graduate

  • Students must submit an application for graduation through Joe'SS within the first four weeks of the semester (two weeks for the summer session) in which they plan to complete all degree requirements. A separate application for each degree program and/or certificate is required.
  • Please note: Thesis and dissertation students must meet the Graduate Education deadlines to graduate in a given term. These deadlines occur before the semester officially ends and are published prior to the start of the term.
  • Submitting an application is required for your name to appear on the official graduation list and for your degree to be awarded—even if you do not plan to attend commencement.
  • A $75 graduation fee (or $25 completion fee for certificates) will be charged to your student account once your application is submitted. If you miss the deadline and are removed from the graduation list, you will need to reapply, but you will not be charged the fee again.

Review Your Degree Audit

A degree audit is your tool for confirming you are on track to graduate. Follow these steps:

  1. Request your degree audit in Joe’SS.
    You can do this at any time to review your progress toward degree completion.
  2. Review the audit carefully.
    • Look for any “unmet requirements.”
    • Confirm that all coursework, GPA, and program requirements are showing as in progress or satisfied.
    • Be aware of additional requirements that may not be not flagged in the audit.
      • Some items are not captured in the audit, such as:
        • Time limit issues
        • Incomplete grades
        • Certificate Program Courses Form
        • Other special program requirements
        In these cases, the Graduate Education office will notify your department if your audit shows issues that may prevent your degree from being awarded.
  3. Resolve all issues.
    • Work with your department and/or graduate specialist to clear any discrepancies.
    • It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make sure all issues are resolved before commencement.
    • Failure to resolve issues will delay your degree to a future term.

Submit Any Necessary Forms

  • Depending on your program, you may need to complete and submit forms such as:
    • Form 1/1A – Plan of Study / Revised Plan of Study
    • Form 1B – Appointment of Committee for Non-Thesis Comprehensive Exam *
    • Form 3 – Report on Non-Thesis Comprehensive Examination *
    • Form 5A – Revised Plan of Study
    • Certificate Program Courses Form
    • Substitution for Required Certificate Course(s) Form
  • These forms must be submitted and fully approved by Graduate Education before the close of the semester or session in which the degree will be awarded.
  • Deadlines for the Form 2 (Master’s Thesis/Dissertation Defense Results) and Form 7 (Doctoral Defense Results) are included in the Thesis/Dissertation Deadlines.
  • Forms 1B and 3 are required only for non-thesis students in Biological Sciences.

Thesis and Dissertation Deadlines

We are currently transitioning our final semester processes. If you are graduating in the fall, some required tasks may not be included. You are only responsible for meeting the deadlines that are listed.

Select the appropriate term to view the required tasks and deadlines. To have your degree awarded in a given semester/session, you must meet all deadlines for either intersession or regular semester/session. If you finish during an intersession, you are not required to enroll in the following term; however, your degree will not be officially awarded until that term has closed. All posted deadlines are firm and must be met for graduation.

Intersession completion means finishing all requirements between terms, before the next semester/session begins. For information on confirming degree completion before the official award date, see the section on After Graduation below.

Semester Dates: August 25, 2025 – December 19, 2025

If you meet all deadlines for Fall 2025 (Intersession or Regular Semester), your degree will be awarded in December 2025. You may choose to participate in the December 2025 or May 2026 commencement ceremony.

Fall 2025 Printable Deadlines

Your Graduation To-Do List

Type to filter table rows. Use arrow keys to navigate table after searching.
Your Graduation To-Do List data table with ID: 414063

Semester Dates: January 20, 2026 – May 15, 2026

If you meet all deadlines for Spring 2026 (Intersession or Regular Semester), your degree will be awarded in May 2026. You may choose to participate in the May 2026 or December 2026 commencement ceremony.

Spring 2026 Intersession Deadlines (PDF)

Spring 2026 Regular Semester Deadlines (PDF)

Your Graduation To-Do List

Type to filter table rows. Use arrow keys to navigate table after searching.
Your Graduation To-Do List data table with ID: 414076

Session Dates: June 1, 2026 – July 24, 2026

If you meet all deadlines for Summer 2026 (Intersession or Regular Session), your degree will be awarded in July 2026. You may choose to participate in the December 2026 or May 2027 commencement ceremony.

Summer 2026 Intersession Deadlines (PDF)

Summer 2026 Regular Session Deadlines (PDF)

Your Graduation To-Do List

Type to filter table rows. Use arrow keys to navigate table after searching.
Your Graduation To-Do List data table with ID: 414079

Understanding Thesis/Dissertation Deadlines

  • Early Draft
  • Pre-Defense Draft
  • Final Defense
  • Form 2/7
  • Post-Defense Draft
  • Final Draft

Early Draft

Turn in a complete copy of your thesis or dissertation — from the title page through the vita — to Graduate Education for the first format check. All sections, references, and appendices must be included. You can continue to update the content, but this step helps catch formatting problems early so you have plenty of time to fix them.

Pre-Defense Draft

Submit your second, updated draft to your format checker once your final defense has been scheduled. This draft must include all sections and be polished enough for your committee to review, though minor edits may still be made afterward.

Doctoral students must also submit the Final Doctoral Defense Notification Form so Graduate Education can publicize the defense. This form is due at least 7 days before the defense, so plan to submit it 10–14 days in advance. If your defense is not publicized at least 7 days in advance, you will need to reschedule.

Final Defense

Your final defense is a formal presentation of your research to your committee. You’ll explain your work, respond to their questions, and incorporate their feedback. Successfully completing the defense allows you to move forward with the final steps toward graduation.

Form 2/7

Submit Form 2 (Master’s) or Form 7 (Doctoral) to record the results of your defense. Graduate Education must receive this form by the posted deadline.

Please note that Forms 2 and 7 serve two purposes: first to report the outcome of your defense, and second to record final approval of your thesis or dissertation. Because of this, the form will not receive full approval from Graduate Education until your final draft has been submitted and accepted.

Post-Defense Draft

Once you’ve made all revisions required by your committee and your Form 2/7 has been submitted to Graduate Education, send your updated draft to your format checker for a third review. This is your final format check before the final draft review. Be sure every correction has been made and double-check all formatting — any issues left unresolved at this stage can delay acceptance of your final draft and your graduation.

Final Draft

Submit the corrected, fully formatted version of your thesis or dissertation to Graduate Education by the posted deadline. Your format checker will use the release information on your Form 2/7 to send you instructions for final submission. This submission becomes the archived copy in the official university record. Missing this deadline means your degree cannot be awarded.

Deadlines are firm and required for graduation. If you miss the Regular Semester/Session deadlines, your degree cannot be awarded in that term and your name will be removed from the graduation list. This also means you will not be eligible to participate in commencement for that semester (fall and spring only; no commencement ceremony is held in summer).

If you are concerned about meeting a deadline, contact your graduate specialist immediately. They will explain how this impacts your graduation timeline and assist you with reapplying for a future term.

Attending the Commencement Ceremony

Your hard work has led to this moment—celebration time! Check out Your Guide to Commencement for everything you need to know: ceremony schedules, regalia, FAQs, and tips to make the most of your graduation day.

After Graduation

Degrees are conferred approximately 3–4 weeks after the close of the semester or session, after final grades are posted and all graduation requirements have been verified.

Doctoral candidates receive their diplomas during the commencement ceremony. Diplomas for master’s degrees are mailed approximately 6–8 weeks after commencement. Questions regarding diploma delivery should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Students who require documentation prior to the official conferral may request a degree completion letter from their graduate specialist. This letter is a standard template and may be used for employment, licensure, or visa purposes until the degree appears on the official transcript or the diploma has been issued. Once the degree has been awarded, students who need proof of degree completion must request an official certification letter from the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Checklists

Designed specifically for our graduate students completing a thesis or dissertation, our completion checklists provide a step-by-step guide to help you navigate your final milestones with ease.