Graduate

Graduation Information

General Information

Congratulations! You have made it to the end of your graduate student career. Please click on the tab that applies to you so that we can help you navigate your graduation process.

We encourage you to celebrate your hard work and dedication in earning your degree by participating in the University of South Florida's Commencement Ceremony. In order to do this you'll need to register here during the semester you plan on graduating. This page has information about how to include your faculty member in the ceremony, guest information, regalia, and event details. See below for additional information based on degree program.

Students doing a Thesis or Dissertation must attend an ETD Workshop.

Doctoral Students

The Semester Before You Plan To Graduate

Schedule a meeting with your major professor to discuss your plans and verify that you have completed your degree requirements. Let the Graduate Program Coordinator know that you are planning on graduating the following semester through email.

The Semester in Which You Plan To Graduate

Once you and your major professor have determined that you have a dissertation that is ready to be defended, be sure that your committee has been notified of your plans. It is important to provide everyone on your committee a final draft of your dissertation at least 3-4 weeks before your defense date to allow your committee time to review the document and to avoid any delays in your graduation.

During the semester you plan on graduating, you must register for at least 2 credit hours of dissertation. If you are on federal financial aid, please check with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to stay in deferment status. If you are an international student, please check with International Student Services to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to maintain your visa.

Confirm with the Graduate Program Coordinator that you indeed will be defending your dissertation and graduating during this semester through email.

Dissertation Defense Information

Prior to Defending

Please review the Forms page for information and submit required forms at least two weeks before your defense.

You will need to work with your major professor to select a Chairperson of your defense. This person can be an external committee member from outside the Department, School, or equivalent, hosting the doctoral major, but may be within the academic discipline or they can be a non-committee member (a.k.a. Outside Chair). If the Chair is from another institution, this individual must be approved for Affiliate Graduate Faculty status (contact the Academic Program Specialist for help with this approval).

The purpose of an external Defense Chairperson is to be an impartial moderator of your final defense. Their information (email, name, address, department) will need to be listed on your Request for Dissertation Defense form so the College can follow-up with this individual prior to your defense date. The College and Grad School enforce this criteria, so please be sure to choose someone that meets the above criteria. If you turn in a form with an individual that does not meet the criteria the form will not be accepted.

After Dissertation Defense

Please review the Forms page for information on required forms due after your defense.

  • Once the committee has deliberated and voted, turn in the signed Successful Defense form to the Academic Program Specialist in CHE 205.
  • Complete the NORC Survey of Earned Doctorates.
  • Turn in a signed Thesis/Dissertation Certificate of Approval form to the Office of Graduate Studies in ALN 226.
  • Upload your dissertation to canvas so your major professor can complete the plagiarism check requirement.
    • Note if you are graduating in Summer, the Chair of the Department will be responsible for completing the plagiarism check.
  • Most importantly, be sure to upload your final/approved dissertation through ProQuest. Send the Gradaute Program Coordinator a copy of the email from Graduate Studies confirming submission of your Dissertation.

Please be sure to not miss any deadlines because you will not be allowed to graduate and will need to wait until the following semester. Further, you must receive a final approval by the clearance deadline on the ETD site.

Master of Science Students

The Semester Before you Plan To Graduate

  • Schedule a meeting with your major professor to discuss your plans.
  • Let the Academic Program Specialist know that you are planning on graduating the following semester through email
  • Check in Student Self-Service to make sure that you have a minimum total of 30 credit hours. 20 of those credit hours must be formally graded courses with passing grades of A, B or C. All graduate students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B).
  • Verify that you have completed your degree requirements

The Semester in Which You Plan To Gradaute

Once you and your major professor have determined that you have a dissertation that is ready to be defended, be sure that your committee has been notified of your plans. It is important to provide everyone on your committee a final draft of your dissertation at least 3-4 weeks before your defense date to allow your committee time to review the document and to avoid any delays in your graduation.

During the semester you plan on graduating, you must register for at least 2 credit hours.. If you are on federal financial aid, please check with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to stay in deferment status. If you are an international student, please check with International Student Services to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to maintain your visa.

Confirm with the Graduate Program Coordinator that you indeed will be defending your thesis and  graduating during this semester through email.

Please review the Forms page for information on required forms. Turn in a signed copy of your review cover-sheet that verifies that your committee and major professor has approved your document.

Thesis Defense Information

Prior to Defending
Please review the Forms page for information and submit required forms due at least two weeks before your defense.

After You Defend Your Thesis

Please review the Forms page for information on required forms due after your defense.

  • Once the committee has deliberated and voted, please return the signed Successful Defense form to the Graduate Program Coordinator in CHE 205. 
  • Turn in a signed Thesis/Dissertation Certificate of Approval form to the Office of Graduate Studies in ALN 226
  • Upload your thesis to canvas so your major professor can complete the plagiarism check requirement.
    • Note if you are graduating in Summer, the Chair of the Department will be responsible for completing the plagiarism check
  • Most importantly, be sure to upload your final/approved thesis through ProQuest. Send the Academic Program Specialist a copy of the email from Graduate Studies confirming submission of your thesis.

Please be sure to not miss any deadlines because you will not be allowed to graduate and will need to wait until the following semester. Further, you must receive a final approval by the clearance deadline on the ETD site.

 Master of Arts Students

The Semester Before You Plan To Graduate

  • Schedule a meeting with your major professor to discuss your plans.
  • Let the Graduate Program Coordinator know that you are planning on graduating the following semester through email
  • Check in Student Self-Service to make sure that you have a minimum total of 30 credit hours. 26 of those credit hours must be formally graded courses with passing grades of A, B or C. All graduate students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B)
  • Verify that you have completed your degree requirements

The Semester in Which You Plan To Gradaute

Once you and your major professor have determined that you have a dissertation that is ready to be defended, be sure that your committee has been notified of your plans. It is important to provide everyone on your committee a final draft of your dissertation at least 3-4 weeks before your defense date to allow your committee time to review the document and to avoid any delays in your graduation.

During the semester you plan on graduating, you must register for at least 2 credit hours.. If you are on federal financial aid, please check with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to stay in deferment status. If you are an international student, please check with International Student Services to determine how many credits you'll need to register for to maintain your visa.

Confirm with the Graduate Program Coordinator that you indeed will be graduating during this semester through email.

Please review the Forms page for information on required forms. Turn in a signed copy of your review cover-sheet that verifies that your committee and major professor has approved your document.