Timeline for Master's/Specialist Candidates
To see all required steps to earn your degree, please visit Steps To Your Degree.
| EVENT | DEADLINE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit Masters/Specialist Plan of Study. There are fees associated with this form. | Second semester in program or by your departmental deadline, if earlier. | ||||||||||
| Submit Master's/Specialist Committee Appointment Form in GradPath. | As soon as the Plan of Study has been approved. This form is required whether or not you formed a committee, unless your program has waived the requirement for this form (the form will not show up as an option in GradPath if this is the case). | ||||||||||
Last date to submit thesis to the Graduate College. Please note that all coursework, reports & all other degree requirements must be completed by the conferral date for the term.
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Timeline for Doctoral Candidates
To see all required steps to earn your degree, please visit Steps To Your Degree.
| EVENT | DEADLINE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit Plan Of Study in GradPath. | Generally by the 3rd semester, or your departmental deadline - if earlier. | ||||||||||
| Submit Comp Exam Committee Appointment Form in GradPath. | As soon as you have determined who will serve on your comprehensive exam committee, and before you begin the written comprehensive exams. | ||||||||||
| Submit Announcement of Doctoral Comprehensive Exam form in GradPath. | The Announcement should be submitted before your oral exam once you set the date, time and room with your committee. (Written and oral comprehensive exam results are reported together by the committee chair following the oral exam.) | ||||||||||
| Submit Announcement of Final Oral Defense in GradPath. | Submit the Announcement of your Final Oral Examination at least 10 business days before the exam date, once the date, time, and room are confirmed with your committee. | ||||||||||
Complete the Final Oral Examination/Defense. Dates for the Final Oral Examination are the latest dates recommended in order to meet the Dissertation/disciplinary doctoral project* submission deadline (below). Defending after this date leaves less time for final revisions before the submission can be made.
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Last day to Submit Dissertations/Disciplinary Doctoral Project* to the Graduate College.
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Commencement
The University holds its Commencement ceremony once a year in May. Students graduating in August or December may be included in the Commencement Program in the preceding May by special request. Please contact your Degree Auditor to make the request. Each college also holds a convocation ceremony each December and May to honor its graduates. Information about Commencement and college convocations is available at http://commencement.arizona.edu/.
Each student's degree is posted to the student record once the Graduate College confirms that all degree requirements have been completed. Once awarded, the degree information on the transcript will include the official degree award date for the graduation term as shown below:
| TERM | DEGREE AWARD DATE |
|---|---|
| Summer 2025 | Saturday, August 23, 2025 |
| Fall 2025 | Friday, December 19, 2025 |
| Winter 2025 | Wednesday, January 14, 2026 |
| Spring 2026 | Friday, May 15, 2026 |