Graduation Resources
Take the next steps to graduate.
Congratulations on nearing the completion of your degree! This page has resources that will help you prepare for graduation during your final semesters.
Advance to Candidacy
A student must be advanced to candidacy before they will be eligible to apply for graduation. Advancement to candidacy means that you have completed certain requirements with the School of Graduate Studies which indicate that you are ready to move forward with your thesis or dissertation. For more information on these requirements, please see the Guide to Graduation.
| Deadlines | Fall 2025 | Spring 2026 | Summer 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
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1. Advance to Candidacy To be advanced to candidacy, you must be in approved status and have submitted the final applicable forms: Program of Study, Topic Proposal, Doctoral Comp Exam Results. |
Sept 5 | Jan 23 | May 29 |
| Oct 3 | Feb 20 | June 26 | |
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3. Preliminary Approval and Notice of Defense If your defense is scheduled before this deadline, the Preliminary Approval and Notice of Defense must be submitted 2 weeks prior to the Defense. |
Nov 20 | Apr 16 | July 9 |
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4. Last Day to Defend Thesis/Dissertation Forms to be completed after your defense for committee signatures:
|
Dec 5 | May 1 | July 24 |
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5. Submit Final Report |
Dec 11 | May 7 | July 30 |
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6. Survey of Earned Doctorates PhD Students Only |
Dec 11 | May 7 | July 30 |
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7. Submit Electronic PDF of Thesis/Dissertation Submit to UMI/ProQuest Publishing Once you electronically submit your final copy for publishing, no changes are made to the format or content. Therefore, the burden of how the manuscript looks is entirely the responsibility of the student author. |
Dec 11 | May 7 | July 30 |
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Dec 19 at 9 a.m. Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center |
May 16 at 9 a.m. Alerus Center |
Aug 7 at 2 p.m. Chester Fritz Performing Arts Center |
Apply for Graduation
Once you are ready to graduate, you will first need to apply for graduation in Campus Connection. This notifies the graduate school of your intent and starts final processes in our office to ensure you have met all of the graduation requirements so there are no last minute surprises.
Enrollment Requirements
Students must be registered for a minimum of one credit hour for the term in which they graduate. If you have registered for all the courses on your program of study, you may enroll in 996 Continuing Enrollment.
Finish Your Manuscript
There is a lot happening as you finish your manuscript, complete your defense and submit final requirements for graduation. The Thesis and Dissertation page will guide you through all of these final steps from the style and format of your manuscript to the paperwork required to defend and defense tips to submitting your manuscript for publishing.
Commencement
UND celebrates the achievements of our graduates three times a year with commencement ceremonies at the end of the fall, winter and summer terms. Students in on-campus programs are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony in-person. Students in online programs are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony either in-person or virtually. The School of Graduate Studies staff will reach out to online students regarding their options.
The office of Ceremonies & University Events has details on Commencement and information on ordering your academic regalia.
Transcripts
After graduation, you may want a copy of your final transcript with your degree posted. You may order official transcripts through the Office of the Registrar.