Knowing the deadlines for submitting forms to the Graduate School can help to avoid delays in graduation. Review the Steps to Graduation to find out each of the steps
and the necessary forms. The following are the specific deadlines for each type of degree and term.
Doctoral Programs
- August 19
- If you are in a PhD program, submit your PhD Committee Form to the Graduate School. If you are in a non-PhD doctoral program (DSW, DrPH, DNP, EdD), submit your Doctoral (Non-PhD) Committee Form to the Graduate School.
- August 19
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- August 19
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $75 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- September 26
- Submit a preliminary draft of your dissertation online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your dissertation not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your dissertation please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- October 28
- Submit your Scheduling of Defense of Dissertation form to the Graduate School.
- November 4
- Defend your dissertation.
- November 18
- Your dissertation must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Dissertations are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services. Survey of Earned Doctorates certificate of completion must also be submitted by this date.
- November 18
- Submit your Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form and Dissertation Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- December 2
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Dissertation Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular fall deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in spring 2023 without being required to register for dissertation credit in spring 2023.
- November 28
- This is the last day to schedule a defense of dissertation, if applicable.
- December 6
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- December 6
- This is the last day to pass your dissertation defense. Scheduling of your defense and all other procedures listed must be successfully completed before this date. A new graduation application must be submitted for spring graduation.
- January 20, 2023
- If the dissertation, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate spring 2023, but will not be required to register for dissertation credit in spring 2023.
- January 13
- If you are in a PhD program, submit your PhD Committee Form to the Graduate School. If you are in a non-PhD doctoral program (DSW, DrPH, DNP, EdD), submit your Doctoral (Non-PhD) Committee Form to the Graduate School.
- January 13
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- January 13
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $75 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- February 24
- Submit a preliminary draft of your dissertation online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your dissertation not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your dissertation please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- April 6
- Submit your Scheduling of Defense of Dissertation form to the Graduate School.
- April 14
- Defend your dissertation.
- April 28
- Your dissertation must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Dissertations are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services. Survey of Earned Doctorates certificate of completion must also be submitted by this date.
- April 28
- Submit your Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form and Dissertation Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- May 5
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Dissertation Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular spring deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in summer 2023 without being required to register for dissertation credit in summer 2023.
- May 5
- This is the last day to schedule a defense of dissertation, if applicable.
- May 12
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- May 12
- This is the last day to pass your dissertation defense. Scheduling of your defense and all other procedures listed must be successfully completed before this date. A new graduation application must be submitted for summer graduation.
- June 2
- If the dissertation, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate summer 2023, but will not be required to register for dissertation credit in summer 2023.
- May 26
- If you are in a PhD program, submit your PhD Committee Form to the Graduate School. If you are in a non-PhD doctoral program (DSW, DrPH, DNP, EdD), submit your Doctoral (Non-PhD) Committee Form to the Graduate School.
- May 26
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- May 26
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $75 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- June 23
- Submit a preliminary draft of your dissertation online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your dissertation not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your dissertation please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- July 14
- Submit your Scheduling of Defense of Dissertation form to the Graduate School.
- July 21
- Defend your dissertation.
- August 4
- Your dissertation must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Dissertations are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services. Survey of Earned Doctorates certificate of completion must also be submitted by this date.
- August 4
- Submit your Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form and Dissertation Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- July 31
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Dissertation Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular summer deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in fall 2023 without being required to register for dissertation credit in fall 2023.
- July 28
- This is the last day to schedule a defense of dissertation, if applicable.
- August 4
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- August 4
- This is the last day to pass your dissertation defense. Scheduling of your defense and all other procedures listed must be successfully completed before this date. A new graduation application must be submitted for fall graduation.
- August 18
- If the dissertation, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate fall 2023, but will not be required to register for dissertation credit in fall 2023.
Master’s/EdS Thesis Programs
These deadlines are for Master’s or Specialist in Education programs that include a thesis requirement.
- August 19
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- August 19
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $30 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- September 26
- Submit a preliminary draft of your thesis online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your thesis not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your thesis please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- November 4
- Defend your thesis.
- November 18
- Your thesis must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Theses are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services.
- November 18
- Submit your Report of Final Examination/Defense of Thesis (Pass/Fail) form and Thesis Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- December 2
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Thesis Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular fall deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in spring 2023 without being required to register for thesis credit in spring 2023.
- December 6
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- December 6
- This is the last day to pass your thesis defense. All other procedures listed must be successfully completed before final submission of thesis. A new graduation application must be submitted for spring graduation.
- January 20, 2023
- If the thesis, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate spring 2023, but will not be required to register for thesis credit in spring 2023.
- January 13
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- January 13
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $30 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- February 24
- Submit a preliminary draft of your thesis online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your thesis not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your thesis please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- April 14
- Defend your thesis.
- April 28
- Your thesis must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Theses are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services.
- April 28
- Submit your Report of Final Examination/Defense of Thesis (Pass/Fail) form and Thesis Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- May 5
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Thesis Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular spring deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in summer 2023 without being required to register for thesis credit in summer 2023.
- May 12
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- May 12
- This is the last day to pass your thesis defense. All other procedures listed must be successfully completed before final submission of thesis. A new graduation application must be submitted for summer graduation.
- June 2
- If the thesis, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate summer 2023, but will not be required to register for thesis credit in summer 2023.
- May 26
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- May 26
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee of $30 will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- June 23
- Submit a preliminary draft of your thesis online in TRACE for review by the Coordinator of Student Services. Preliminary drafts do not need to be complete. Failure to submit a preliminary draft by the deadline may result in your thesis not being reviewed prior to the final deadline for acceptance in TRACE. For instructions on submitting your thesis please visit the submission page. If you have questions about the submission process please contact thesis@utk.edu.
- July 21
- Defend your thesis.
- August 4
- Your thesis must be accepted in TRACE by 5:00 p.m. Failure to have your document accepted by this date can result in postponement of your graduation. Theses are approved and accepted by the Coordinator of Student Services.
- August 4
- Submit your Report of Final Examination/Defense of Thesis (Pass/Fail) form and Thesis Approval Form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- July 31
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Second Deadline for Thesis Submission
These deadlines are for students who cannot meet the regular summer deadline dates. Fulfilling these obligations will allow you to graduate in fall 2023 without being required to register for thesis credit in fall 2023.
- August 4
- This is the last day to submit your application for the Second Deadline.
- August 4
- This is the last day to pass your thesis defense. All other procedures listed must be successfully completed before final submission of thesis. A new graduation application must be submitted for fall graduation.
- August 18
- If the thesis, approval sheet, and pass/fail form are submitted and accepted by 5:00 p.m. on this date, you may graduate fall 2023, but will not be required to register for thesis credit in fall 2023.
Master’s/EdS Non-Thesis Programs
These deadlines are for candidates in the Specialist in Education Program, or any other degree program that does not have a thesis requirement.
- August 19
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- August 19
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee ($30 for Master’s and $45 for EdS) will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- November 18
- Submit Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- December 2
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
- January 13
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- January 13
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee ($30 for Master’s and $45 for EdS) will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- April 28
- Submit Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- May 5
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
- May 26
- Submit your Admission to Candidacy form to the Graduate School, if this is the first semester to apply.
- May 26
- Submit your Graduation Application on line at MyUTK. A non-refundable graduation fee ($30 for Master’s and $45 for EdS) will be charged upon submission and must be paid at MyUTK.
- August 4
- Submit Report of Final Examination (Pass/Fail) form by 5:00 p.m. to the Graduate School.
- July 31
- Verify the removal of incompletes and NR grades for graduation with your graduation specialist.
Graduate Certificate Programs
- August 19
- Submit Graduate Certificate Course Verification form to the Graduate School.
- August 19
- Submit Graduation Application online at MyUTK.
- January 13
- Submit Graduate Certificate Course Verification form to the Graduate School.
- January 13
- Submit Graduation Application online at MyUTK.
- May 26
- Submit Graduate Certificate Course Verification form to the Graduate School.
- May 26
- Submit Graduation Application online at MyUTK.