Update as of 5/1/2020: All Final Oral Examinations will be held remotely in the summer semester. The Office of Graduate Education has put in place procedures to ensure that students are able to defend their dissertations. Please see the FAQs for information about how to request a Final Oral Examination and the procedure for holding it. We will post on our page and reach out to our graduate students with any updated information.
Update as of 6/2/2020: Fall 2020 deadlines have been added with the new addition of Priority Deadlines, replacing the In Absentia option for doctoral and master’s candidates. Priority Deadlines allow more time for candidates to complete all dissertation or thesis requirements without enrolling in courses. Please see the FAQs for more information about these priority deadlines. If you have any questions regarding this or your defense, please email [email protected].
| September 4, 2020 | Graduation Application Deadline for Fall 2020 |
| September 8, 2020 | Last day to request a final oral exam ** |
| September 22, 2020 | Last day to hold a final oral exam* |
| September 29, 2020 | Last day to upload dissertation for final review |
| October 6, 2020 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your dissertation approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| September 4, 2020 | Graduation Application Deadline for Fall 2020 |
| September 22, 2020 | Last day to upload thesis for review by Graduate Education Office |
| October 6, 2020 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your thesis approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| September 4, 2020 | Graduation Application Deadline for Fall 2020 |
| October 27, 2020 | Last day to request a final oral exam ** |
| November 10, 2020 | Last day to hold a final oral exam* |
| November 17, 2020 | Last day to upload dissertation for final review |
| December 3, 2020 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your dissertation approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| September 4, 2020 | Graduation Application Deadline for Fall 2020 |
| November 19, 2020 | Last day to upload thesis for review by Graduate Education Office |
| December 3, 2020 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your thesis approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
Black out dates are dates when PhD defenses cannot be held. Black out dates between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021: Dec. 12 - Jan. 10, with the earliest defense date on Jan. 11, the first day of classes for Spring 2021. All submissions for defenses held Jan. 11-15 must be submitted no later than Dec. 11, 2020.
| February 4, 2021 | Graduation Application Deadline for Spring 2021 |
| February 2, 2021 | Last day to request a final oral exam ** |
| February 16, 2021 | Last day to hold a final oral exam * |
| February 23, 2021 | Last day to upload dissertation for final review |
| March 2, 2021 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your dissertation approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| February 4, 2021 | Graduation Application Deadline for Spring 2021 |
| February 16, 2021 | Last day to upload thesis for review by Graduate Education Office |
| March 2, 2021 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your thesis approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| February 4, 2021 | Graduation Application Deadline for Spring 2021 |
| March 23, 2021 | Last day to request a final oral exam ** |
| April 6, 2021 | Last day to hold a final oral exam* |
| April 13, 2021 | Last day to upload dissertation for final review |
| April 27, 2021 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your dissertation approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
| February 4, 2021 | Graduation Application Deadline for Spring 2021 |
| April 15, 2021 | Last day to upload thesis for review by Graduate Education Office |
| April 29, 2021 - 12pm NOON | Last day to have your thesis approved by the Office of Graduate Education |
For University deadline dates, please refer to the Academic Calendar.
*May NOT conduct Final Oral Exam when the University is closed for business. It also may not start after 4:00pm.
**All requests for Final Oral Exam must be submitted two weeks prior to the scheduled defense date.
What does graduating following the Priority Deadlines mean?
Starting Fall 2020, a Priority Deadline schedule will replace the In Absentia option for doctoral and master’s candidates. Priority Deadlines allow more time for candidates to complete all dissertation or thesis requirements without enrolling in courses.
Students who apply to graduate before the graduation application deadline may elect not to enroll in any semester credit hours. Ordinarily, students must be registered for the semester in which they graduate. The Priority Deadlines allow candidates to apply to graduate without formally enrolling in courses.
Why graduate following the Priority Deadlines?
Doctoral and master’s candidates who do not make the semester deadlines for finalizing their dissertation or thesis and need additional time to complete requirements may benefit from the Priority Deadlines. Also, students who wish to graduate early in their intended graduation semester have the option to graduate following the Priority Deadlines.
PhD Candidates who follow the Priority Deadlines can request an immediate Certification Letter from the Office of Graduate Education after meeting all dissertation requirements. Both master’s students and PhD candidates can also receive a guaranteed one-on-one formatting session with a Graduate Reader prior to the Initial Submission Deadline, upon request.
Who is eligible to graduate following the Priority Deadline schedule?
This is an option available to both doctoral and master’s candidates. Students following the Priority Deadlines must meet the following criteria:
What happens if I don’t meet the Priority Deadlines?
When will I receive my diploma?
What is the procedure to graduate following the Priority Deadlines?
For more information on Priority Deadline Graduation for international students, please visit the International Student Services Office.