Breadcrumb
Congratulations on hitting this major milestone! This page offers basic information on the processes you must complete in order to graduate in your intended semester. More information is available through the Graduate School’s website.
It is your responsibility as a graduate student to satisfy all degree requirements for your program and complete all Graduate School required processes in order to graduate. Work closely with your faculty advisor and the department’s Graduate Program Specialist (ceaegrad.advising@colorado.edu) in order to properly complete and submit paperwork.
Deadlines for these processes can be found on the Graduate School’s webpage for graduating MS Degree Candidates. Deadlines will change depending on the semester so please refer to this webpage for specific dates.
The extent to which you complete the following processes will depend on your degree track – HOWEVER, regardless of your track, all students will complete up to and including the MS Final Exam process. Coursework-Only students are also subject to this requirement. Students completing a thesis will have additional steps described below. If you are a PhD student completing the MS during your program, you will also need to complete the processes described below the semester you are completing the master’s.
Reach out to the Graduate Program Specialist at ceaegrad.advising@colorado.edu with any questions along the way – they are happy to help!
Apply to Graduate
Toward the beginning of their final semester, students will need to apply to graduate online through the Buff Portal using the “apply for graduation” card. This is required whether or not there will be a university-wide ceremony depending on the semester.
Visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester.
Apply for MS Candidacy
Alongside applying to graduate, students must fill out the Candidacy Application Form for their master’s degree. This document allows students to select the coursework they are using to satisfy degree/program requirements. Student should meet with their faculty advisor to confirm their coursework and ensure all requirements have been completed before filling out this form.
The form operates via an online workflow owned by the Graduate School. The submitted form will go to the department’s Graduate Program Specialist for review and approval in coordination with that student’s faculty advisor on record. Once it is approved at the departmental level, the Graduate School will process the form and send the student an email indicating their MS Candidacy has been approved.
Students can find additional resources on how to complete the form through the Candidacy Application Student Guide. Please visit the Graduate School website for deadlines per semester.
Master’s Final Examination
All students within CEAE + EVEN, regardless of your degree track, must complete the MS Final Exam process. This includes completing a MS Exam Form. The Graduate School requires this form to be initiated at minimum two weeks in advance of the exam date. Please visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester for more information on when this form should be started.
NOTICE: Every MS student, regardless of their degree track and whether or not they are sitting or presenting for a final exam MUST complete this process – there are no exceptions. This includes coursework-only students.
The ‘exam’ is as follows per degree track and as applicable for your program. Check with your program and faculty advisor for any additional requirements depending on your research group.
MS Thesis: Presenting and successfully defending your thesis to your exam committee.
MS Report: Presenting and successfully passing your report to your exam committee.
Coursework-Only: Your unofficial transcript is reviewed by your exam committee. Please check with your program for any additional examinations or requirements.
MS students must put together an exam committee that will include a total of three members. Your committee Chair must be a full-time member of CEAE’s resident graduate faculty – typically your faculty advisor. The remaining two members can be any qualifying CEAE faculty who have agreed to sit on your committee. Students will typically ask faculty who they have worked with before, taken a class with, etc. Talk with your faculty advisor if you need help selecting committee members. Coordinate with your committee members to set a time to present if applicable.
The MS Exam Form must be submitted at least two weeks in advance in order for the Graduate School to review/approve your exam committee before your exam date. If your committee is not approved BEFORE the exam takes places, you risk your exam results being invalidated if a member cannot be approved. Once your committee is approved, your form will be sent to your committee members the day of your exam for signatures. The completed form will automatically be sent to the Graduate School for processing.
The MS Exam process can be tricky! Please do not hesitate to reach out to the department’s Graduate Program Specialist at ceaegrad.advising@colorado.edu with questions.
Thesis Approval Form + Submitting Final Manuscript
This step only applies to MS students on the thesis track. After their defense, students will edit their thesis to reflect feedback offered by their exam committee before submitting their final manuscript. Once you are prepared to submit, first complete a Thesis Approval Form (TAF). This will send your manuscript to select exam committee members to collect their approval before taking next steps. Find step-by-step instructions for completing the TAF here.
Once the TAF has been completed with signatures, the next step will be to submit the TAF + final manuscript to the ProQuest/UMI website. The Graduate School will review your uploaded manuscript to check the formatting before signing off on the submission. If they determine your manuscript requires edits, they will send it back to the you in order to make changes. It is not considered officially submitted until it is accepted by the Graduate School – submit 1-2 days before the deadline for safety. Find information for proper formatting here.
Please visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester for more information on when the TAF & ProQuest/UMI upload is due.
Yes! You will need to apply to graduate with the MS, complete the MS Candidacy Application, and prepare an MS Exam Form according to that semester's deadline.
Let's fine out! Reach out to the Graduate Program Specialist at ceaegrad.advising@colorado.edu and they will help you troubleshoot.
If you have completed more than the minimum required number of coursework credits, you are not required to apply the excess to your degree so long as the courses you ARE applying satisfy program and coursework requirements. If you plan to complete another master's degree in the future, the credits you do not apply to your current degree would be available for transfer. Otherwise, there is no harm in applying more than the minimum number of coursework credits on your candidacy application.
No – Students cannot graduate with unused MS Thesis credits on their record. If you have taken thesis credits but have since switched to the MS Report or Coursework-Only track, please connect with the Graduate Program Specialist right away to review.
No - Students cannot take more than six thesis credits. Please connect with the Graduate Program Specialist to review.
No - Transfer credits must be formally processed and posted to your record by the Graduate School in order to be included in the form. They cannot be written-in.
Please make sure to initiate a Transfer of Credit Request form as soon as possible if you have not already by your graduating semester as they may take several months to be processed. Waiting until your final semester may result in your graduation being delayed if you need the transfer credits to satisfy coursework requirements.
Yes! The Graduate School requires that students are enrolled the semester they complete their exam process.
If you have already completed all coursework, MS Report, and/or MS Thesis credits, you can register for an MS Candidate for Degree credit by completing a Course Agreement form with your faculty advisor. This acts as a holdover credit that makes you a full-time student without incurring any additional coursework. The credit is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and cannot be counted toward degree requirements. Connect with the Graduate Program Specialist with any questions and to register after completing the form.
You can still hold your exam when you are able but please be aware that you will be ineligible to graduate that semester. The earliest you would be able to graduate is the following semester.
This depends on when you end up taking your exam. If you hold your exam after the semester deadlines but BEFORE the next semester begins, then you will NOT need to register. If you take your exam AFTER the next semester begins, you WILL need to register.
If you miss deadlines for the semester you originally intended to graduate, the earliest you can graduate will be the following semester. This will require students to apply to graduate for the updated semester accordingly.
Example: If you miss Fall 2024 deadlines but complete your exam BEFORE Spring 2025 begins, the earliest you can graduate is Spring 2025 but you will NOT be required to register. You would need to submit a new graduation application for Spring 2025 as this form does not automatically transfer. If you ended up taking your exam in Spring 2025 however, you WOULD need to register.
Yes - While MS students will typically have committees made of exclusively CEAE or EVEN faculty, students have the option to include a maximum of one outside committee member.
A member is 'outside' when they are a faculty member from another department, university, or a qualifying individual from the industry. Please reach out to the Graduate Program Specialist right away if you plan to include an outside member.
In order to sit on an exam committee, members must hold either a regular or special 'Graduate Faculty Appointment' (GFA). Most CU Boulder faculty will already have one in place - outside members will usually need one to be requested.
If you are going to have someone from outside of CU Boulder serve on your committee, contact the department's Graduate Program Specialist as soon as possible to see whether that individual needs a GFA BEFORE you submit your Final Exam form so that it does not risk being declined. They can help with setting up any necessary GFA requests.
In order to submit a GFA request for a new outside member you will need to provide the Graduate Program Specialist with that individual's up-to-date CV or resume. If that individual does not hold a PhD, we will need a Memo of Support provided by your faculty advisor in coordination with the department's Associate Chair for Graduate Education that outlines why they are specifically qualified to serve on your graduate committee.
Find information for proper formatting here.
Deadlines for these processes can be found on the Graduate School’s webpage for graduating PhD Degree Candidates. Deadlines will change depending on the semester so please refer to this webpage for specific dates.
Graduating PhD students must complete all the processes described below according to their deadlines in order to graduate in their intended semester. Reach out to the Graduate Program Specialist at ceaegrad.advising@colorado.edu with any questions along the way – they are happy to help!
Apply to Graduate
Toward the beginning of their final semester, students will need to apply to graduate online through the Buff Portal using the “apply for graduation” card. This is required whether or not there will be a university-wide ceremony depending on the semester.
Visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester.
Doctoral Final Examination
Doctoral students will complete their final dissertation defense in their final semester. Students must initiate the PhD Exam Form at least two weeks in advance of their dissertation defense in order for their exam committee to be approved by the Graduate School ahead of their exam. This process is nearly identical to the Comprehensive Exam paperwork.
Your committee will consist of five members in total. At least one half of the committee must be resident graduate faculty of CEAE. Your first member and Chair will be your faculty advisor. If the Chair of your exam committee is not a full-time member of CEAE’s resident graduate faculty then a Co-Chair must be appointed. Your committee must include at least one ‘outside’ member. ‘Outside’ is defined as someone from another department at CU Boulder, another university, or someone from a relevant industry.
Speak with your faculty advisor about selecting committee members, then contact them to confirm their participation and coordinate a time to defend. Most PhD students choose the same committee as their comprehensive exam – however, if you have changed your outside member(s) or it has been 3+ years since your comprehensive exam, check-in with the department’s Graduate Faculty Specialist to review.
The PhD Exam Form must be submitted at least two weeks in advance of your defense in order for the Graduate School to review and officially approve your exam committee. If your committee is not approved BEFORE the exam takes place, you risk your exam results being invalidated if a member does not qualify. Once your committee is approved, your form will be sent to your committee members the day of your exam for signatures. The completed form will automatically be sent to the Graduate School for processing.
Please visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester for more information on this process and due dates.
Thesis Approval Form + Submitting Final Manuscript
After your defense, students will edit their dissertation to reflect feedback offered by their exam committee before the final manuscript is submitted. Once you are prepared to submit your final manuscript, first complete a Thesis Approval Form (TAF). This will send your final manuscript to select exam committee members to collect their approval before taking next steps. Find step-by-step instructions for completing the TAF here.
Once the TAF has been completed with signatures, your next step will be to submit the TAF + final manuscript to the ProQuest/UMI website. The Graduate School will review your uploaded manuscript to check the formatting before signing off on the submission to the ProQuest website. If they determine your manuscript requires edits, they will send it back to the you in order to make changes. It is not considered officially submitted until it is accepted by the Graduate School – submit 1-2 days before the deadline for safety. Find information for proper formatting here.
Please visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester for more information on when the TAF & ProQuest/UMI upload is due.
Survey of Earned Doctorates
Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates once you have successfully submitted your final dissertation manuscript. The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual census of individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given year sponsored by NCSES within the National Science Foundation. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees. Learn more about this research and data on their site.
Please visit the Graduate School for deadlines per semester for more information.
The PhD Candidacy Application should have been completed upon passing your comprehensive examination. It does NOT need to be completed a second time in your graduating semester. If you have not already completed this process, connect with the Graduate Program Specialist right away.
Yes! Doctoral students must be enrolled in a minimum of five dissertation credits the semester they defend.
You can still hold your exam when you are able but please be aware that you will be ineligible to graduate that semester. The earliest you would be able to graduate would be the following semester.
This depends on when you end up taking your exam. If you hold your exam after the semester deadlines but BEFORE the next semester begins, then you will NOT need to register. If you take your exam AFTER the next semester begins, you WILL need to register.
If you miss deadlines for the semester you originally intended to graduate, the earliest you can graduate will be the following semester. This will require students to apply to graduate for the updated semester accordingly.
Example: If you miss Fall 2024 deadlines but complete your exam BEFORE Spring 2025 begins, the earliest you can graduate is Spring 2025 but you will NOT be required to register. You would need to submit a new graduation application for Spring 2025 as this form does not automatically transfer. If you ended up taking your exam in Spring 2025 however, you WOULD need to register.
In order to sit on exam committees, faculty and any outside committee members must hold either a regular or special ‘Graduate Faculty Appointment’ (GFA). Most CU Boulder faculty will already have one in place – outside members will usually need one to be requested if they are not already in place. Connect with the Graduate Program Specialist to check.
In order to submit a request for an outside member, you will need to provide the Grad Program Specialist with that individual’s up-to-date CV or resume. If they do not hold a PhD, we will need a Memo of Support provided by your faculty advisor in coordination with the department’s Associate Chair for Graduate Education that outlines why they are specifically qualified to serve on your graduate committee.
Find information for proper formatting here.
Yes - You can order copies of your dissertation or thesis online when you upload your finished work to the ProQuest/UMI website.