- Apply for Degree by the deadline posted at here.
- Enroll in the required number of credits for the semester your degree will be certified.
- Hold the exam well in advance of the deadline.
- Dissertation and Thesis Students: Form your committee to coordinate a suitable defense date. Defend successfully.
- Non-Thesis Students: Coordinate the final exam date with your Advisor, or Graduate Program Director, or Department Head as the case may be.
- Confirm submission of final documents: Coordinate with your Dean's Representative (for Thesis and Dissertation students) for submission of Report of Results for Doctoral Comprehensive or Final Examination Form or Report of Results for Master’s Thesis Final Examination Form. In case of Master's non-Thesis students, the Graduate Program Director or Department Head or Dean's Representative will need to submit the Assessment Results for Master’s Non-Thesis Students Form to the Graduate School by the deadline indicated here. Please see link to the Graduate Forms.
- Thesis and dissertation students must submit their thesis or dissertation to Graduate School before deadline for format review and ADA compliance (effective April 24, 2026).
Please refer to the Graduate Calendar for deadlines.
Application for Degree
- To Apply for degree: Login to your Student Profile and select "Apply to Graduate" under Additional Links. Complete the Application for Degree for the semester you are planning to graduate by the posted deadline.
- Why is Application for Degree important? The Application for Degree indicates that you are planning and ready to graduate and that an initial review (pre-certification) needs to be performed. A folder is created and verification of completion of program requirements begins.
- Fees: University Student Records handles the applications for degree and there is a fee charged.
- What if I Missed the Deadline to Graduate: You may continue to complete the program requirements by the semester you intended to originally graduate, but you will have to submit an Application for Degree for the next semester by the deadline. You may also need to enroll in 1 credit for the next semester. The degree will be awarded the next semester.
- What if I Failed to Graduate: If you were unable to graduate the semester you originally applied for, you will now have to postpone your graduation to a future semester. You will need to submit a new Application for Degree for a future semester. Your degree application will not automatically move to a different semester. Your fees may be waived for the second Appliction for Degree.
Exam Enrollment Requirements
Masters students pursuing option thesis option must be enrolled in 1 credit hour the semester they are graduating.
Doctoral students completing their final exams must be enrolled in 1 credit hour the semester they are graduating.
Planning for your exam
Meet with your advisor to:
a. Plan exam
b. Reserve location for exam through your department
c. Ensure your Dean’s Representative or Program Director has submitted the Report of the Final Examination to the Graduate School. While early submission is encouraged, the report must be received by the Graduate School within 10 business days after the scheduled exam is held.
d. Refer to Graduate Calendar for deadlines
Committee for Masters Exams (Total of at least three members)
- The committee chair and one other member must be from the student’s home department.
- The dean’s representative cannot be a member of the student’s home department.
- All committee members must have graduate faculty status.
Committee for Doctoral Exams (Total of at least four members)
- The committee chair and one other member must be from the student’s home department.
- Must have an additional member (can be from the home department or any other department).
- The dean’s representative cannot be a member of the student’s home department.
- All committee members must have graduate faculty status.
