Students who have completed all degree requirements in both their program and their school and who have observed the rules and regulations of the University, including the Honor Code, may graduate only after applying for and receiving approval for the degree sought. A transcript of the applicant's previous academic record, detailing the content of his or her baccalaureate degree, must be on file with the Office of Enrolled Students.
Candidates who do not receive a degree in the semester for which their application has been approved must renew their application in proper form at the beginning of the semester in which candidacy for the degree is desired. Candidates who find that they will not be able to receive their degree in the semester for which their application was approved must remove their name from the degree list by May 1 for spring graduation, August 1 for summer graduation and December 1 for fall graduation.
Students must be enrolled or on affiliated status during the semester in which they plan to graduate. Before completing the application for the degree, students should check their transcripts for errors, as errors will not be corrected after a degree has been conferred. Please follow the steps below, following the deadline for the desired term of graduation. Please also note that the following are standard requirements and procedures for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Individual departments may maintain additional requirements and procedures.
Doctoral Degree
Step One: Degree Application in SIS
Doctoral students must apply for their degrees online in SIS by the deadline for the term in which they plan to graduate:
- Fall - September 30
- Spring- January 31
- Summer - June 30
Doctoral students applying for a master’s degree en route MUST email by attachment the Master's Degree Request Form to the Enrolled Students Office prior to the deadline (see below instructions).
Doctoral students that miss the degree application deadline in SIS must have their defense scheduled in order to be added to the graduation roles. A departmental email with the defense date or a completed final exam form can be used for approval.
Step Two: Verify Requirements and UVa Transcripts
Students must verify in SIS that the academic requirements for their program have been fulfilled. Students are also responsible for verifying the accuracy of their current University of Virginia transcripts before degree conferral. Errors identified after graduation will not be corrected.
Step Three: Dissertation Title
Fall - Doctoral students who are graduating in the fall term must submit the title of their dissertation with the final exam form.
Spring - Doctoral students who are graduating in the spring term must submit the titles of their dissertations to their departments by May 1.
Summer - Doctoral students who are graduating in the summer term must submit the title of their dissertation with the final exam form.
Step Four: Final Examination Form
Doctoral students must obtain a signed final examination form at the conclusion of their defense, submit this form to their departmental graduate administrator, and proceed with the steps below.
- Fall - November 30
- Spring- April 30
- Summer - July 31
Step Five: Survey of Earned Doctorates
Doctoral students must complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates online in advance of submitting the dissertation. The survey may be completed at any time during the term in which the student will graduate.
Step Six: Upload Thesis to Digital Repository
Doctoral students must upload the final, approved version of the dissertation to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the following deadlines:
- Fall - November 30
- Spring - April 30
- Summer - July 31
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the dissertation should be formatted according to the template approved by GSAS. Signatures of the dissertation committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department in step three above will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student's transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document of any size. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files.
Formatting Requirements
There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from Printing and Copying Services.
En Route Master’s Degree for Doctoral Students
Step One: Submit Master’s Degree Request Form
Doctoral Students applying for a master’s degree en route MUST email by attachment the Master's Degree Request Form to the Enrolled Students Office prior to the deadline.
The Enrolled student Office will put the student in applied to graduate status.
- Fall - September 30
- Spring- January 31
- Summer - June 30
Step Two: Verify Requirements
Students must verify in SIS that the academic requirements for the master’s degree have been fulfilled.
Step Three: Final Examination Form
Master's students whose degree requires the submission of a thesis must obtain a signed final examination form at the conclusion of their defense, submit this form to their departmental graduate administrator by the date listed, and proceed with the steps below.
Master's students for whom a thesis is not required must obtain a signed final examination form and submit this form to their departmental graduate administrator by the date listed or to the GSAS Registrar via email. No further steps are required for the degree application.
- Fall - November 30
- Spring- April 30
- Summer - July 31
Step Four: Upload Thesis to Digital Repository
Required Upload
Master's students whose degree requires the submission of a thesis must upload the final, approved version of the thesis to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the following deadlines:
- Fall - November 30
- Spring - April 30
- Summer - July 31
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the thesis should be formatted according to the template approved by GSAS. Signatures of the thesis committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department on the final exam form will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student's transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document of any size. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files. There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from Printing and Copying Services.
Optional Upload
Master's students whose degree does not require the submission of a thesis may upload the final, approved version of the thesis to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the following deadlines:
- Fall - November 30
- Spring - April 30
- Summer - July 31
The student must inform their department that they want to upload their thesis to LIBRA so that the optional upload may be activated for the student.
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the thesis should be formatted according to the template approved by GSAS. Signatures of the thesis committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department on the final exam form will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student's transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document of any size. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files. There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from Printing and Copying Services.
Terminal Master’s Degree Students
Step One: Degree Application in SIS
Master’s degree students must apply for their degrees online in SIS by the deadline for the term in which they plan to graduate:
- Fall - September 30
- Spring- January 31
- Summer - June 30
Doctoral Students applying for a master’s degree MUST email by attachment the Master's Degree Request Form to the Enrolled Students Office prior to the deadline (see En Route MA for Doctoral Students above).
Step Two: Verify Requirements and UVa Transcripts
Students must verify in SIS that the academic requirements for their program have been fulfilled. Students are also responsible for verifying the accuracy of their current University of Virginia transcripts before degree conferral. Errors identified after graduation will not be corrected.
Step Three: Final Examination Form
Master's students whose degree requires the submission of a thesis must obtain a signed final examination form at the conclusion of their defense, submit this form to their departmental graduate administrator by the date listed, and proceed with the steps below.
Master's students for whom a thesis is not required must obtain a signed final examination form and submit this form to their departmental graduate administrator by the date listed or to the GSAS Registrar. No further steps are required for the degree application.
- Fall - November 30
- Spring- April 30
- Summer - July 31
Step Four: Upload Thesis to Digital Repository
Required Upload
Master's students whose degree requires the submission of a thesis must upload the final, approved version of the thesis to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the following deadlines:
- Fall - November 30
- Spring - April 30
- Summer - July 31
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the thesis should be formatted according to the template approved by GSAS. Signatures of the thesis committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department on the final exam form will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student's transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document of any size. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files. There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from Printing and Copying Services.
Optional Upload:
Master's students whose degree does not require the submission of a thesis may upload the final, approved version of the thesis to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the following deadlines:
- Fall - November 30
- Spring - April 30
- Summer - July 31
The student must inform their department that they want to upload their thesis to LIBRA so that the optional upload may be activated for the student.
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the thesis should be formatted according to the template approved by GSAS. Signatures of the thesis committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department on the final exam form will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student's transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document of any size. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files. There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from Printing and Copying Services.