During your last semester as a graduate student, you must apply to graduate, in addition to completing other required steps.
Review the information below for Master's and Doctoral students.
Master’s Candidates
Master’s Graduation Application form
If you expect to complete your degree during a given semester, file to graduate by submitting the Master’s Graduation Application form online.
The form must be completed and submitted during the appropriate time period:
- Spring 2025 Graduates: Jan 13, 2025 – Apr 4, 2025
Students who do not submit the form by the deadline will not be eligible to receive their degree until a subsequent semester.
If you find after filing for graduation that you will not complete your degree requirements, contact the Graduate School for instructions for rescheduling your graduation. The Master’s Graduation Application form is valid for one semester only; a new application must be submitted if your semester of graduation changes.
Registration Requirement for Final Semester
All students must be registered in their final graduating semester. Thesis Option students must be registered in 698B and Report Option students must be registered in 398R to submit a graduation application.
Thesis or Report Submission
The university has acquired access to iThenticate by Turnitin that allows you to check your report, thesis, or dissertation to help identify potential textual similarities between your document and other previously published documents.
iThenticate
The Graduate School strongly encourages the use of this tool while preparing drafts of your report, thesis or dissertation, along with discussion of the results of these reviews with your supervisor. You can find information about using this tool at the link above.
Digital Submission Requirement
Graduating students are required to publish their thesis, report, dissertation or treatise digitally by uploading a single PDF to the Texas Digital Library.
Thesis/report options ONLY: Students must upload the thesis or report BEFORE submitting the required pages detailed below. The Graduate School will not accept a paper copy of the thesis or report, although the student’s graduate department or program may require one. There will be a final format check when the required pages (see below) are submitted.
It is critical that your submission be complete and correct. After submission, no revisions or corrections will be allowed except for those required by the graduate dean.
The upload and required pages are due by 3 p.m. CDT on the deadline:
- Spring 2025 Graduates: Apr 25, 2025
Required Pages
Thesis/Report Option students are also required to submit a copy of the following pages to the Graduate School at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu by 3 p.m. CDT on the relevant deadline listed above. All signatures must be on a single form. Incomplete forms or multiple forms will not be accepted.
Please include the following:
Master's Committee Approval Form
A master's committee approval form with signatures of your supervising committee is required. All committee members must sign the master's committee approval form - no proxy signatures are allowed.
Request to Delay Publication
If you wish to request a temporary delay of publication of your thesis, report, dissertation, or treatise, you must make this request before graduation. Review the instructions and form on this linked page.
Doctoral Students
Doctoral Graduation Application Form
If you expect to complete your degree during a given semester, file to graduate by submitting the Doctoral Graduation Application form.
It must be completed and submitted during the appropriate time period:
- Spring 2025 Graduates: Jan 13, 2025 – Apr 4, 2025
Students who do not submit the form by the deadline will not be eligible to receive their degree until the subsequent semester.
Registration Requirement for Final Semester
In your final semester, you must be registered for _99W. (Music majors should check with their graduate adviser for registration requirements.)
Dissertation Defense/Final Oral Examination
Request for Final Oral Examination Instructions
You must schedule your dissertation defense, also known as the final oral examination, at least two weeks prior to the defense date. You must submit your dissertation/treatise to your Dissertation Committee at least four weeks before your defense. A defense cannot be held within two weeks of the last class day of the semester, unless the committee has consented to hold the defense within those last 2 weeks.
The last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense:
- Spring 2025: April 11, 2025
Exit Surveys
It is critically important that all doctoral candidates complete the following surveys:
The Association of American Universities Data Exchange - Doctoral Exit Survey
The Association of American Universities Data Exchange exit survey asks about your experience as a doctoral student. If you have trouble accessing the survey using the link above, please contact IRRISsurveys@austin.utexas.edu.
Survey of Earned Doctorates
The exit survey of earned doctorates is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is completely confidential.
Dissertation Submission
The University has acquired access to iThenticate by Turnitin that allows you to check your report, thesis, or dissertation to help identify potential textual similarities between your document and other previously published documents.
iThenticate
The Graduate School strongly encourages the use of this tool while preparing drafts of your report, thesis, or dissertation, along with discussion of the results of these reviews with your supervisor. You can find information about using this tool at the link above.
Digital Submission Requirement
Graduating students are required to publish their thesis, report, dissertation or treatise digitally by uploading a single PDF to the Texas Digital Library.
Doctoral candidates must upload their dissertation BEFORE submitting the required pages detailed below. The Graduate School will not accept a paper copy of the dissertation, although the student’s graduate department or program may require one. There will be a final format check when the required pages (see below) are submitted.
It is critical that your submission be complete and correct. After submission no revisions or corrections will be allowed except for those required by the graduate dean.
The upload and required pages are due by 3 p.m. CDT on the deadline:
- Spring 2025 Graduates: Apr 25, 2025
Required Pages
Doctoral students are also required to submit a copy of the following pages to the Graduate School at GradStudentSvcs@austin.utexas.edu by 3 p.m. CDT on the relevant deadline listed above. All signatures must be on a single form. Incomplete forms or multiple forms will not be accepted.
Please include the following:
The Report of Dissertation Committee
The Report of Dissertation Committee with signatures of your supervising committee is required - no proxy signatures allowed. All committee members and the GSC Chair (or representative) must sign the report- no proxy signatures allowed. This form will be emailed to you at the time of your defense.
Request to Delay Publication
If you wish to request a temporary delay of publication of your thesis, report, dissertation, or treatise, you must make this request before graduation. Review the instructions and form on this linked page.