Dissertation Defense Preparation

Make an appointment with the International Office (preferably three to six months in advance) to start appropriate administrative action to keep you in compliance with visa regulations after your defense, as well as apply for the EAD card for Optional Practical Training, if necessary.

If you plan to submit your dissertation in the “grace period,” which is eight weeks after the start of the Fall semester or four weeks after the start of the Spring semester, you can apply to waive payment of your tuition. Simply complete the Final Semester Tuition Waiver for either Fall or Spring, as appropriate.

If you complete your requirements during the Fall or Spring semester, you must be registered for at least one course. Register for either 520.801 (Fall) or 520.802 (Spring) Dissertation Research and this will complete that requirement.

If you complete your degree during the summer and submit your dissertation before the first day of class of the Fall semester, you will not have to register for a Fall semester course.

Before you submit your dissertation for your advisor’s and readers’ review, please ensure that your dissertation format meets the University’s guidelines for style and format.

Visit the Graduate Board website to ensure that you are meeting the required dissertation submission deadlines.

After your defense and dissertation submission, if you are being hired as a postdoc in our department, please have your advisor contact Nicole Aaron, Departmental Administrator, right away to arrange the hire.

You must check your grades on SIS to make sure that you have no “Incomplete” or “Missing Record” notations. If you are missing grades, please contact Ashley Moriarty.

Select a date and time for your defense. You will need about two hours. Contact Ashley Moriarty to reserve a room. Make sure let her know what you need in the room and for how many people.

Submit a hard copy of your dissertation, the readers’ letter, and the names of the Dissertation Committee on the Dissertation Defense Reporting Form to Ashley Moriarty at least three weeks before the dissertation defense date. Refer to the Graduate Advising Manual for more information.

Please e-mail Ashley Moriarty the following about 10 days before the defense date: (1) the title of your dissertation, (2) a copy of your abstract, (3) your list of committee members and their primary department affiliation and (4) a headshot of yourself.

We will announce your defense via e-mail to the department.

Dissertations will be submitted only by electronic media. Hardbound books will not be printed on campus, but information will be provided on where dissertations can be printed and bound. The library’s Electronic Theses and Dissertations page is a great resource which details the whole new electronic submission process.

If you have additional questions, email [email protected] for the fastest response.

Upon approval, students will receive a confirmation email. You must submit a copy of the confirmation email you receive after submission (receipt), along with your Dissertation title, to Christine Kavanagh and copy Ashley Moriarty.

Include your exact degree, department, and expected conferral semester in the body of the e‐mail.

You must include the title of your dissertation/essay typed in the body of the email in title case format with correct spelling and punctuation ‐‐ Please do not use all upper case or all lower case letters.

The ETD approval date is considered your completion date, not the date that you submitted your dissertation to the ETD system.

Graduate student salary can be continued for both international and domestic students through the conferral date of the semester or period in which the student completes his or her degree requirements.

This means that even after submitting one’s dissertation for binding, the salary can continue.

Please email Ashley Moriarty at least 3 weeks before your final pay check to make sure everything is submitted correctly. If notification is received less than three weeks before the intended final pay day, your advisor may be required to pay you beyond the intended final pay day or you may be required through collection action to refund salary paid beyond the final pay day.

Make sure that your financial obligations are paid, such as library fines or other bills owed. Your diploma will be withheld until your obligations are resolved.

You will be able to apply for graduation online though your SIS account. If you are unable to because of technical or administrative difficulties, Ashley will give you an “Application for Graduation” that needs to be completed and returned to her. She will submit it to the appropriate offices.

The Registrar will contact you about commencement arrangements and ordering your diploma.

Please contact Ashley Moriarty, Sr. Academic Program Administrator, with any questions regarding the process.