Graduation Deadlines
Advance to Candidacy
You need to be advanced to candidacy the semester before you plan to graduate. This means you need to be in approved status (not provisional), and your program of study and topic proposal need to be approved by the graduate school. Doctoral students also need to complete their comprehensive exams.
When all the above is turned in and approved by the School of Graduate Studies, you will automatically be advanced to candidacy. You can then go online and apply to graduate when you are ready.
2022-23 Graduation Deadlines
All forms are due to the School of Graduate Studies office by the deadlines listed below. DocuSign forms need to be started in advance of these deadlines to ensure all signatures are received in time. Forms received after the deadline may not be processed in time and may cause delays to your graduation timeline.
| Deadlines | Fall 2022 | Spring 2023 | Summer 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
Advance to CandidacyTo 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. |
Sep 2 | Jan 20 | May 26 |
Apply for Graduation |
Sep 30 | Feb 17 | Jun 23 |
Submit to the School of Graduate StudiesPreliminary 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 17 | Apr 13 | Jul 7 |
Last Day to defend Thesis/DissertationForms to be completed after your defense for committee signatures:
|
Dec 2 | Apr 28 | Jul 21 |
Submit Final Reports and Thesis/Dissertation to the School of Graduate Studies |
Dec 8 | May 4 | Jul 27 |
Survey of Earned DoctoratesPhD Students Only: Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates |
Dec 8 | May 4 | Jul 27 |
Submit electronic PDF of Thesis/DissertationSubmit 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 8 | May 4 | Jul 27 |
Graduate Commencement Ceremony |
Dec 15 at 3 p.m. Chester Fritz Auditorium |
May 13 at 9 a.m. Alerus Center |
Aug 4 at 3 p.m. Chester Fritz Auditorium |
Forms and Assistance
All forms are available on the School of Graduate Studies' website. Students are responsible for obtaining the most current version (available on our site), and submitting them with the appropriate signatures. Forms need to be signed and received in the School of Graduate Studies' office by the deadline. Forms received after the deadline may not be processed in time for graduation.
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.
Commencement Program
The UND commencement program lists all the students graduating and where they are from. Write down the name of the town or city that you want listed in program. This is only for the commencement program and does not change your address in CampusConnection.