Completing your graduate degree requires completing all paperwork before the semester deadlines.
Program requirements vary. It is your responsibility to consult the graduate catalog and meet with your advisor to ensure that you have completed the requirements of your program. Questions about Graduate School requirements not satisfactorily answered on the web site should be addressed to the Graduate School (934-8227)
Application for Admission to Candidacy form. Doctoral students must submit this form before the first day of classes at least two semesters before the semester of intended graduation and be enrolled in research hours during those two semesters. (If you pre-register, this form must be completed before that date.) Master's students must submit this form before the first day of classes at least one semester before the semester of intended graduation and be enrolled in research hours during that semester. Admission to candidacy must be submitted and approved by the Graduate School before you can register for research hours (699 or 799). The graduate study committee must be appointed and approved by the Graduate School dean.
IRB and IACUC Approval. If the research involves human or animal subjects, approval from IRB or IACUC must be documented before admission to candidacy can be approved and must be kept current until the research is completed. The student's name must appear on all IRB Approval Forms. For more information regarding IRB (human subjects) requirements, visit http://main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki=30246. For more information regarding IACUC (animal subjects) requirements, visit http://main.uab.edu/internal/show.asp?durki=34597.
Application for Degree form. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the end of the 3rd week of classes in the semester of intended graduation. The $50 fee will be charged to your student account. This form is your official notification to the Graduate School that you intend to complete graduation requirements that semester. The process of clearing your records for graduation begins with the receipt of this application and your diploma is ordered.
- If your public defense will be held before the 3rd week of classes, you must submit your application for degree earlier. Approval forms, which must be requested 2 weeks before the public defense, cannot be completed until the Application for Degree is processed.
- This application does not carry over into the following semester. Students who do not complete graduation requirements as expected must reapply for the following semester and must register for course hours in that semester. The new application for degree form (approved at the departmental level and submitted to the Graduate School) must be submitted by the posted deadline for that semester. Your records must be checked again, and a new diploma will be ordered. The reorder fee is $25 and will be charged to your student account.
The following requirements and procedures apply only to students who are completing a thesis or dissertation (Plan 1)
Final, public defense. Some programs hold private and public defense meetings; however, the Graduate School is concerned only with the public defense, which must be held no later than 30 days before the date of graduation. An earlier defense date is strongly recommended in order to allow time for completing the final requirements before graduation (i.e., format approval and submission of final document to the Graduate School). Set the date and time of your final defense well in advance and at a time when all committee members can attend. Determine from your committee members how far in advance of your defense date they require a completed copy of your manuscript for review.
Thesis or dissertation approval forms. No later than 2 weeks before your final defense, submit the on-line request for your approval forms. (Approval forms cannot be completed before the Graduate School has received your application for degree). Fill out this form carefully. Be certain to list the correct graduate program name (which often differs from the academic department name). If there have been changes to your committee, these changes must be entered on the Change of Committee Form before your approval forms can be completed. You will be notified via e-mail when your forms are ready to be picked up in the Graduate School office (HUC 511). Check your printed approval forms carefully for accuracy. Your name, the names of your committee members, your program name, and the title of your thesis/dissertation must precisely match your official UAB records.
As soon as possible after your defense, complete any changes or corrections to your manuscript that were requested by your committee and obtain signatures of all committee members and your program director in blue or black ink on your approval form.
No later than 2 weeks following your public defense, your committee approved thesis or dissertation and all applicable forms are due in the Graduate School. Your document will be reviewed for adherence to format requirements and for consistency in format and style. (See the UAB Format Manual). If you are reprinting a published article or previously published illustrations, you must also submit permission to reprint from the copyright holder. (see Publishing Your Thesis or Dissertation and Editing).
Master’s theses are submitted to the Graduate School as a PDF file on a good quality CD. One signed approval form is submitted on paper. The UAB Publication Agreement is submitted online. All applicable forms must be received before the document will be reviewed.
Doctoral Dissertations are submitted online at http://dissertations.umi.com/uab/ Follow the online instructions. One signed approval form and the certificate of completion for the Survey of Earned Doctorates are submitted on paper to the Graduate School. The UAB Publication Agreement is submitted online. All applicable forms must be received before the document will be reviewed.
Clear all outstanding debts with the Student Accounting Office.
After your document has been approved by the Graduate School you may...
- Order bound copies of your thesis or dissertation for your personal use. If you want a copy of your signed approval form to be included in your personal copies, you must make copies after they are signed and place them in the copies you send to be bound. The original form is kept in the Graduate School.
- Request a letter of degree verification if required for employment or a post-doctoral appointment. Your grades and student account will be checked at that time and, if appropriate, a letter indicating that you have completed all degree requirements will be mailed.
Note: Students who leave the Birmingham area before the approval process is complete are STILL responsible for ensuring that their own requirements are met before semester deadlines.
Degree is officially conferred when the final copy of your document has been cleared by the Graduate School office and when all records have been cleared. Grades are not cleared until the end of exams in the semester in which you graduate. Once the degree has been officially awarded, degree verification can be obtained through Student Clearinghouse (http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/). Official transcripts can be requested through the UAB Registrar’s Office (934-822 or http://www.students.uab.edu/transcripts)
Here are additional sources of information about graduation requirements: