Degree Conferral and Applying for Graduation
Graduate degrees are conferred in May, August, and December.
In order to receive a degree, a student must apply to be on the degree list for the intended graduation date using the Self-Service system. Deadlines for applying for graduation are noted on the Graduate College Academic Calendar. Applying for graduation is not the same as applying to participate in departmental or campus commencement ceremonies.
Academic record. A student may not receive a degree with a grade of I, NR, or DFR in any course on their graduate record, except in cases where the DFR grade has been successfully petitioned to remain.
Theses and Dissertations
A thesis or dissertation is an original, significant contribution to the scholarly literature of an academic discipline.
In this section, “thesis” refers to both master’s theses and doctoral dissertations.
All graduate students whose programs require the completion of a thesis must deposit their manuscript electronically in the Graduate College.
Faculty and departmental approval. The student's adviser (for master’s students) or final exam committee (for doctoral students) as well as the department head (or authorized signatory) must recommend that the thesis be accepted for deposit before it can be deposited with the Graduate College. In the case of a doctoral student who passed the final exam with one dissenting vote, the dissenting member may, but is not required to, recommend the thesis for deposit.
Format. Only theses that meet the formatting and accessibility requirements set forth by the Graduate College will be accepted.
Deposit. The Graduate College does not require students to be registered at the time of deposit, but some departments may, so students should consult with their department before depositing. A thesis will not be accepted for deposit until all required materials have been submitted and all corrections requested by the Graduate College Thesis Office have been made. Deposit must be completed by the appropriate master’s or doctoral deposit deadlines set for each term. Upon deposit, the thesis becomes part of the student’s academic record. No changes may be made to a thesis after it has been deposited by the Graduate College.
Dissemination. Theses that are deposited as a requirement for the awarding of a degree are considered to be publications. Copyrightable works prepared by students as part of the requirements for a university degree program are deemed to be the property of the student.
As a condition of degree award, the university has the royalty-free right to retain, use, and distribute a limited number of copies of the thesis, together with the right to require its publication for archival use (see Article III Section 4, University of Illinois Board of Trustees’ General Rules).
In order to best disseminate and archive the significant work of University of Illinois graduates, the Graduate College requires that every thesis and the abstract be published. The Graduate College will determine the method of publication that most effectively secures the existence of the thesis in perpetuity. The theses will be available to the public through the University Library.
Permissions for previously published work included in the thesis. Prior publication of parts of the thesis is increasingly common. If the copyright to the published work has been transferred to the publisher (or to any other party), the student should secure written permission from the current owner of the copyright to include the previously published material in the thesis to be submitted for deposit. Copies of these copyright permissions should be included with the student’s deposit materials.
Patent review. If a student’s thesis contains potentially patentable information, a student may wish to have the thesis held by the Graduate College Thesis Office while patentability is assessed. Holding a thesis does not postpone degree conferral or graduation. A student wishing to have a thesis held during the patent review process must contact the Office of Technology Management (OTM) prior to deposit. OTM will review the student’s request and notify the Graduate College if a thesis is to be held.
Request for Degree Certification Letter
A student who has fulfilled all of the degree requirements before the next conferral date may need certification for employment or to meet visa requirements. To request a degree certification letter, the student should use the Degree Certification Letter Request form, found on the Graduate College website. A student who has not deposited their thesis with the Graduate College (when deposit is required) or who is enrolled in any course other than research credit is not eligible to receive a degree certification letter.
Commencement
Commencement is a celebratory event, not a degree requirement. For details about participation, see the Commencement Office website.