For doctoral students planning to graduate soon, here is a handy summary of procedures and deadlines for the current and upcoming semesters. Note that for those graduating in a summer semester the deadline for “first submission” may be earlier than the deadline for applying to graduate.
For more information on dates and deadlines generally for graduate students, see the graduate school academic calendars page. For additional help, see the Graduate School Editorial Office. They should the most up-to-date deadlines on their editorial deadlines page.
Step 1: Apply to Graduate
Deadline if graduating Fall 2023: September 15
Deadline if graduating Spring 2024: February 2nd
Deadline if graduating Summer 2024: July 2nd
- This can be done in ONE.UF.
- If you apply but decide later not to graduate in a given term, we can remove you from the list. So it is best to apply just in case you are able to graduate during the term in question; it would be worse to be ready to graduate but not be able to simply because of a failure to complete the application earlier.
Step 2: First Submission
Deadline if graduating Fall 2023: September 29th
Deadline if graduating Spring 2024: February 7th
Deadline if graduating Summer 2024: June 14th
- Before you submit your first draft, you must request the transmittal letter from Megan Cooper and have it signed by your Committee Chair. Return to Megan for processing. Please allow adequate time for processing before submitting your draft. The transmittal letter is required to be posted before you make any submission.
- Your submission must include at least three chapters that are fully-formatted for review by the Graduate School’s Editorial Office. Your draft dissertation will be submitted via GIMS: https://gradschool.ufl.edu/gimsportal/gatorlink/portal.asp.
- You can find the formatting requirements at: http://graduateschool.ufl.edu/about-us/offices/editorial/format-requirements/.
Step 3: Defend your Dissertation
- Once you have successfully defended your dissertation, your committee will need to sign an Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) form as well as the departmental form to be posted in the Student Information System and GIMS (to show that you completed your dissertation).
- The ETD must be submitted to the Graduate school before final submission.
Step 4: Final Submission:
Deadline if graduating Fall 2023: November 17th
Deadline if graduating Spring 2024: April 5th
Deadline if graduating Summer 2024: July 26th
- You must defend your dissertation before final submission!
- Submit your completed and fully-formatted dissertation.
The “Clear Prior” Option
If you have completed the first three steps, but are not ready for final submission by the deadline, you can be granted “Clear Prior” status from the graduate school, which allows you to finish submitting your final dissertation the next semester.
- In order to be granted Clear Prior, you must have applied to graduate in the previous semester, completed the first submission, and successfully defended your dissertation by the posted deadlines.
- If you have been granted Clear Prior, you are not required to register for the courses for the upcoming semester (so, that means there is no tuition or fees for that semester).