Steps to Graduation

Note: These guidelines apply to both M.S. and Ph.D. students

• Click here for handy graduation checklist
  
  
• With permission of your advisory committee, write your thesis
  
  
  • Click for the latest guidelines
  • Note that the term "thesis" is used throughout our guidelines but they apply to both theses and dissertations
  • To find recent GSBS theses and dissertations at the TMC's Digital Commons.
    
    
• When your thesis is written, it's time to defend.  You're required to give a draft of your thesis to your committee members before they sign the Petition for Defense form.
  
  
• Submit Petition for Defense to gsbs.gradteam@uth.tmc.edu along with:
  
  
  • Electronic version of your abstract for distribution in GSBS Essential (the abstract should be in MS Word -- not a PDF)
    
    
  • Electronic version of your thesis for anti-plagiarism check that includes complete thesis/dissertation without the references.
    
    
  • PDF of the draft of your thesis for formatting check – include all pages (i.e., signature page, title page, abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, figures, figure legends, references, vita, etc.)
    
    
  • Exit forms will be sent to you by Bunny Perez once your defense petition is approved (see list of forms below)
    
    
• Defend your thesis
  
  
• M.S. results forms Guidelines for the Master of Science Defense and EVALUATION OF THE M.S. DEFENSE PERFORMANCE
  
  
• Ph.D. results forms Results of the Defense of the Ph.D. Dissertation and EVALUATION OF THE PH.D. DEFENSE PERFORMANCE
  
  
• Submit final thesis (approved by your committee) and exit forms to Academic Affairs
  
  
• Schedule an exit interview with Brenda Gaughan (PhD students) or Kelly Moore (MS students)
  
  
• We'd love to get feedback from you on your GSBS experience
  
  
• We're always trying to think of ways we can improve and who knows better than our graduates?
  
  
• The timing is up to you -- either before or after your defense -- just contact Brenda or Kelly to set up an appointment
  
  
• You don't have to prepare anything ahead of time and meetings usually last 20-30 minutes 

Upcoming Deadlines

A word of advice: Try not to wait until the last possible date to complete your requirements.  The entire process will be less stressful for you and your committee if you give yourself extra time to get things done.

List of exit forms

M.S.

• alumni information (online)
• application for graduation (done online through myUTH)
• exit clearance form
• Digital Commons upload instructions

Ph.D.

• alumni information (online)
• application for graduation (done online through myUTH)
• survey of earned doctorates (online)
• exit clearance form
• Digital Commons Upload instructions