To be eligible to earn an advanced degree, students must fulfill appropriate requirements as established by their major department and the Graduate School, and have an approved Candidacy Application.  Procedures and final deadlines required by the Graduate School are described below.  Note: Please submit paperwork first to your department and allow time for review before Graduate School deadlines.

Commencement Dates & Requirements​

    For August 24, 2023*

    • April 1, 2023
      • Graduate students who plan to have their degrees awarded in August but would like to participate in a May commencement ceremony and be listed in the commencement program must apply online to graduate through buff portal on the “apply for graduation” card.  PhD students must also enter their dissertation title as part of the graduation application.  Though you plan to participate in a May ceremony, please select August as the semester of graduation if that is when your degree will be awarded.
    • June 15, 2023
      • Doctoral students who have not already done so must apply online to graduate through buff portal on the “apply for graduation” card in order to have the degree awarded in August. This is required even though there is no university-wide ceremony.  PhD students must enter their dissertation title as part of the online graduation application; you may update the title through the portal until this date.  This title will appear on your transcript after your degree is awarded. 

      • July 25, 2023

        • Doctoral students must complete the PhD dissertation defense or final examination by this date.  Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the doctoral final examination form two weeks before the exam.
      • August 1, 2023
        • PhD students must submit the dissertation with Thesis Approval Form to ProQuest by this deadline. The dissertation must be submitted electronically for review and approval by Gradaute School staff by the end of the business day. The single-page Thesis Approval Form (TAF) must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.
      • August 1, 2023
      • August 7, 2023
        • Grade changes must be submitted for incomplete courses taken during previous or current semesters

      For December 21, 2023*

      • October 1, 2023
        • Doctoral students must apply online to graduate through buff portal on the “apply for graduation” card in order to have the degree awarded in December. This is required even though there is no university-wide ceremony.  PhD students must enter their dissertation title as part of the online graduation application; you may update the title through the portal until this date.  This title will appear on your transcript after your degree is awarded. 
      • November 16, 2023
        • Doctoral students must complete the PhD dissertation defense or final examination by this date.  Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the doctoral final examination form two weeks before the exam.
      • November 28, 2023
        • PhD students must submit the dissertation with Thesis Approval Form to ProQuest by this deadline. The dissertation must be submitted electronically for review and approval by Gradaute School staff by the end of the business day. The single-page Thesis Approval Form (TAF) must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.
      • November 28, 2023
      • December 4, 2023
        • Grade changes must be submitted for incomplete courses taken during previous or current semesters

      *Note: although there is no campus-wide ceremony, students may have degrees awarded in August and December.