Graduating Doctoral Candidates:
Step 1: If you intend to complete your doctoral degree this semester, apply to graduate through the Graduate School online application by November 14, 2025. Students who do not submit a Doctoral Degree Candidate Form by this date will not be eligible to receive their degree this semester.
You must be registered in C E x99W – DISSERTATION during the semester of graduation. A minimum of 6 hours CE X99W Dissertation is required over the course of your degree in order to apply for graduation.
Graduate School online application and instructions: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/graduation/deadlines-and-submission-instructions#Doctoral
Step 2: Graduating students should circulate a draft of the dissertation to their committee about 1 month prior to the final defense meeting.
Step 3: Final Defense meeting:
Officially schedule your Final Defense meeting: the form must be uploaded to the Graduate School form submission portal.
Reserve a conference room or classroom on campus where the public may view your presentation. While you may hold the defense virtually, you are required to provide a computer and a room where anyone can come to UT campus and see the defense.
To reserve a room, contact CAEE Administration caee-admin@utexas.edu.
Students must submit the Request for Final Oral Defense to the Graduate School via email at least 2 weeks in advance of the defense.
You will also submit a copy of your dissertation title page.
Please note Docusign is not routed to the Graduate School, and you will need to upload the form.
Graduate Student Form Submission
Access the form system
All of the following materials should be submitted to the Graduate School via the Graduate Student Form Submission:
Request for Final Oral Examination
Change in Committee Request
Report of Dissertation Committee (Ph.D.)
Co-Author Permission
Request for Delay of Publication
Target deadline for scheduling the dissertation defense: November 11, 2025.
Last day to hold a dissertation defense: November 21, 2025
Final defense Oral Examinations
Upcoming Final defense meetings at UT Austin.
The Graduate School will acknowledge the date of the defense and will follow up with an email including the final committee signature page, also known as The Report of the Dissertation Committee.
All required forms and final dissertation upload MUST be submitted to the Graduate School by December 5, 2025 before 3:00 pm Central time for graduation.
Format and dissertation template:
https://gradschool.utexas.edu/navigating/graduation/digital-submission
Co-Author Permission form
Request to Delay Publication of a thesis or dissertation
Please see the Graduate School’s website for Template, instructions, and more information on the process and deadlines:
https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/graduation/deadlines-and-submission-instructions
PhD Graduation Letter for CPT, OPT or employers before the diploma is sent, this DocuSign form routes to the Graduate Coordinator.
International Students: if you are graduating at the end of the spring semester, you will be billed for summer insurance. You may choose to waive enrollment in the summer student health insurance plan coverage using the Spring Graduate Insurance Waiver (PDF) request form.
In Absentia (Summer only) - https://gradschool.utexas.edu/academics/policies/in-absentia-registration.
Students in this special status cannot receive a fellowship, or work as a TA, GRA, or grader.