Doctoral Deadlines & Submission Instructions
Doctoral Graduation Checklist
The checklist provides a step-by-step guide to help doctoral students navigate the graduation process. It outlines key requirements for completing your doctoral degree, as well as the timeline for diploma and transcript availability.
Dissertation Defense Guidelines
This guide provides key steps and deadlines for doctoral students preparing to defend their dissertation in the spring semester. It covers graduation application, committee requirements, defense scheduling, formatting checks and final submission.
Doctor of Musical Arts Checklist
This guide provides key steps and deadlines for doctoral students preparing to defend their dissertation in the spring semester. It covers graduation application, committee requirements, defense scheduling, formatting checks and final submission.
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)
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 online.
It must be completed and submitted during the appropriate time period:
- Summer 2026 Graduates: June 4, 2026 – July 31, 2026
- Fall 2026 Graduates: Aug 24, 2026 – Nov 13, 2026
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 Doctoral Graduation Application form is valid for one semester only; a new application must be submitted if your semester of graduation changes.
Dissertation Defense/Final Oral Examination
Timeline:
- At least 4 weeks prior to your defense date - submit your defense to your Dissertation Committee
- At least 2 weeks prior to your defense date - submit your Request for Final Oral Examination to the Graduate School
- The last day a doctoral candidate may hold a dissertation defense, unless your committee has consented to hold the defense within those last 2 weeks:
- Summer 2026 Graduates: July 31, 2026
- Fall 2026 Graduates: Nov 20, 2026
Please note, the Request for Final Oral Examination web application cannot currently accept requests for committees with members outside of UT Austin. If your committee has such members, please use the PDF version here.
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.
Texas Digital Library Submission
Graduating students are required to publish their thesis, report, dissertation or treatise digitally by uploading a single PDF to the Texas Digital Library.
Dissertation Submission
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.
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:
- Summer 2026 Graduates: August 14, 2026
- Fall 2026 Graduates: Dec. 4, 2026
Required Pages
Thesis/Report Option students are also required to submit a copy of the following pages through the Graduate Student Submission Portal 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.
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.
Once your defense has been scheduled by the Graduate School, this form will be emailed to you prior to your defense.
Request to Delay Publication (if applicable)
If you wish to request a temporary delay of publication of your thesis, report, dissertation, or treatise, you must make this request when you submit your committee approval form. Review the instructions and form on this linked page.
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 (SED) is completely confidential and gathers information annually from new research doctorate graduates regarding educational histories, funding sources and postdoctoral plans.
The University of Texas at Austin is committed to maintaining both high-quality graduate programs and student experiences. Your responses to this survey will be used to assess and improve the graduate education experience at UT and beyond.