Dissertation Defense and Graduation Instructions

• Check committee membership.
• Make an appointment with the Graduate Advising Team to discuss paperwork and plan.
• If your dissertation committee has changed, submit a Request for Change in Doctoral Committee Form to the Graduate School and contact the ECE Grad Advising Team.
• Resolving committee changes should be completed at least 30 days before you defend. If you are within 30 days of your defense, please complete page 2 of the form as well.
• More information is provided about committee changes elsewhere in the handbook.

• The Graduate School has critical information regarding deadlines, paperwork, and scheduling. Review this at least one semester before your defense.  Note that you must accumulate at least 6 or more hours of Dissertation course credits, including the hours of Dissertation you take in the final semester of defense, in order to graduate with your PhD degree.

• Discuss your plan to defend and any important requirements/expectations for your defense.

• Submit the application to graduate at the beginning of your last semester. The application is available on the first day of classes each semester. 
• Failure to submit the application by the deadline means you cannot graduate that semester. 
• If you submit the application and end up not defending, there is no penalty. Your application will be cancelled and you may submit a new one during the next semester. 

• You must defend at least two weeks prior to the submission deadline in your final semester. 
• All committee members should be present, but exceptions are given in the event of scheduling emergencies. Required participation is N-1. If a member does not attend, they still must sign the final Report of Dissertation Committee form and approve your dissertation.
• Members may participate virtually or in person. 
• Make use of services such as Doodle or When 2 Meet 
• Use the UT Room Reservation System to reserve your space. If defending in person, reserve the space at least 30 minutes in advance for set up time and about two hours for the defense.

Send your dissertation to your committee

Due at least four weeks prior to your defense

• Once your supervisor approves, send your dissertation to the rest of your committee at least 4 weeks prior to your final oral exam

Submit the Request for Final Oral Exam form - this formally schedules your defense with the Graduate School

Due at least two weeks prior to your defense

• Fill out the form by that is available via DocuSign HERE. When the DocuSign process is complete, you will receive a fully signed copy of the form.
• Email the fully signed form to gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu, including the required pages listed on page 1 of the form.
• In addition to submitting the required pages with your Request for Final Oral form, it is recommended to submit the dissertation abstract, title page, doctoral committee membership page, a table of contents, and lists of tables and figures to Bob Penman at the Graduate School for a format check.

• Most candidates will use PowerPoint or a similar program to present. Discuss format and style with your supervisor.

• There is only one form you need to have signed at your defense - the Report of Dissertation Committee form. You have two options for collecting signatures on this form:
  • The form will be emailed to you, pre-populated, by the Graduate School about one week prior to your defense. Download this form and circulate it for digital or physical signatures. 
  • OR use the DocuSign version of the report of dissertation committee form to collect signatures. Three steps are required for this form:
    • On the first page, you need to designate signers, including your advisor, all committee members, and the GSC Chair Dr. Vijay Garg.
    • On the second page, fill in your EID and dissertation title and any other required fields, and click Submit. 
    • IMPORTANT: We recommend releasing the form either right before or right after your defense so your committee can easily find the request in their inboxes.

• This form is required if your dissertation includes multi-author work. This form can be accessed at the following DocuSign link HERE.

• Be sure to confirm your committee's attendance and send a reminder at least a few days in advance. Committee participation is set by the Graduate School at N-1. The Graduate School does not distinguish between virtual and in-person participation. 

• Set up the room and media, and greet your committee and attendees.

• Distribute immediately after your defense.

• The process can take up to a few hours, including the presentation, questions, and deliberation.

• If completing paperwork by DocuSign, you will receive an email notification with a link to download the completed form. Download and save a copy.
• If your form is not signed in a timely manner, contact the Graduate Coordinator. 

• To request a delay of publication, you and your supervisor must sign and submit a form to gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu 

• You must upload your dissertation to the Texas Digital Library by the Graduate School's deadline. Your dissertation must be uploaded prior to submitting final paperwork to the Graduate School.

• Submit the Report of Dissertation Committee form and the Request for Delay of Publication form (if applicable) to gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu by 3 PM on the submission deadline