Graduation Deadlines and Checklist

Apply for Graduation

Discuss the prospects for graduating with your graduate advisor. If you both agree that you are in a position to graduate during the next graduation cycle (May, August, December), please have your department notify the Assistant Director for the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, Kerri Bennett. Following your department's notification, our office will give you access to apply for graduation on my.smu.  From the Student Homepage --> Academic Records tile --> Apply for Graduation link. 

If you or your advisor conclude at any point that your graduation needs to be postponed, please immediately notify Kerri Bennett. You will apply for graduation separately for the next attempt.

Deadlines to Apply for Graduation:

Submit Dissertation/Thesis for Optional Format Review

If you would like to have an early format check for your dissertation or thesis, you can submit your in-progress work to Kerri Bennett.  She will provide feedback and direction that can be incorporated in your work as you continue to finish the thesis/dissertation.  If you would like to participate in this optional format review, please submit a copy of your dissertation through the online form available here (select "First Format Check" under Submission Type). 

Deadlines for Optional Thesis/Dissertation Check:

Submit Establishment of Examination Committee Form

Once your dissertation/thesis examination committee is finalized, you must submit the member names to the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.  You can submit this information online here.  If at anytime your a member of your committee changes, you will need to submit another form online.

Deadline for Establishment of Examination Committee Form Submission:

Submit Dissertation Defense Scheduler Form (Ph.D. candidates only)

Once your dissertation defense is scheduled, you must submit the Dissertation Defense Scheduler form to the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.  You can submit the online form here.  Should your defense date change, you will need to submit another form online in addition to emailing Jean Nixon.

Deadline for the Dissertation Defense Scheduler Form Submission:

Submit Thesis/Dissertation for Mandatory Format Check

You must submit a first draft of your dissertation or thesis for a mandatory format check.  Please submit a copy in PDF format through the form available here (select "First Format Check" under Submission Type).  You will receive comments on your dissertation or thesis within approximately one week of submission.  

Deadline for Mandatory Thesis/Dissertation Format Check:

Submit Corrected Dissertation/Thesis for Final Format Review

After you have made the required corrections to your dissertation or thesis, you must submit it for a final format check by the Moody School.  You may submit the corrected version through the form available here (select "Corrected Thesis/Dissertation (Revisions)" under Submission Type).  

Complete Oral/Written Comprehensive Exams

As required by your department, you must successfully complete your oral or written examinations with sufficient time to process your graduation.

Last Day to Take Oral/Written Comprehensive Exams:  

Submit Examination Report

After you have completed your written or oral examination, the signed examination report must be submitted to the Moody School.  The DocuSign form should be initiated by the student 24-48hrs prior to their scheduled defense; therefore, the defense should be scheduled before the Exam Report deadline listed below.  Originals are no longer required.

Deadlines for Examination Report Submission:

Submit Final Version of Dissertation/Thesis Online and Deposit Agreement

Once all revisions have been made to your dissertation and thesis, both formatting and content, all Master's and Ph.D. candidates must submit a final copy of their dissertation or thesis to SMU Scholar, the university's ETD platform. No final paper copies required by SMU.  During this process, you will need to upload your signed Deposit Agreement to SMU Scholar, look for the option under the Supplemental Content section.  

Submit Electronically to SMU Scholar          Instructions for uploading to SMU Scholar and Deposit Agreement          

Deadlines for Final Thesis/Dissertation Submission:

Complete Exit Survey

The final step to receive your diploma is to complete an exit survey with the Moody School.  All graduates are required to take this survey; submissions will not be reviewed until after your degree is conferred.  In addition to the Moody School survey, Ph.D. candidates are requested to participate in the National Science Foundation's Survey of Earned Doctorates. Only Ph.D. graduates should submit the SED Survey.

1. Take SED Survey (Ph.D. only)


2. Take the Moody School Exit Survey

Off-campus login to ORGS requires the following format:
smu\XXXXXXXX  (replace X's with your SMU ID)
Your SMU Password

Also, please check and update demographic information on My.SMU.

Exit Survey Deadlines:

Degrees Conferred