1. Complete the Online Diploma Application by the appropriate deadline.
2. Schedule your Dissertation Defense.
- Two weeks prior to your dissertation defense date, complete the PhD Dissertation Certification Request form.
- The Graduate School will send your dissertation committee chair and committee members a copy of the Final Certification Form for their signature. Upon successful completion of your defense, they will sign and return the certification from to the Dean’s Office. This form must be received by the Graduate School by the appropriate deadline in order to graduate.
3. Complete the PhD Application for Admission to Candidacy for Degree [DOCUSIGN] form.
- Please include your dissertation committee chair name and email address as well as your graduate director name and email address prior to starting the form.
- This form requires you to list all of the course work that counted toward your degree. If you need additional space, please attach a supplemental document.
- The electronic form must be completed by the appropriate deadline in order for the Dean’s Office to complete the final review and graduation certification.
- PhD Graduation Application DocuSign Sample
4. Complete the Dissertation Title Page [DOCUSIGN].
- Please include the names and email addresses of your dissertation committee chair, dissertation committee members, and graduate director prior to completing the form.
- Please put your title and name in all caps.
- Please note that this page is modeled on the Rutgers style guidelines for ETD submission, but this signed page cannot be uploaded with your dissertation. Please upload a formatted, unsigned title page (see below).
- A copy of your title page will be automatically sent to your graduate director once it is signed by all of your committee members.
5. Upload your approved dissertation.
- Your final approved dissertation must be uploaded to the Rutgers ETD site by the appropriate deadline. Please be sure to follow all style guidelines outlined in the Dissertation Style Guide. A copy of the unsigned title page must be included with the dissertation as part of the electronic submission.
- Failure to comply with style guide will delay and/or prohibit your certification for graduation.
6. PhD Exit Surveys
- Please remember to complete the PhD Exit Survey prior to graduation by the deadline noted above. Please include the confirmation page in your completed graduation application. If you have trouble logging in, please contact Rutgers-IR_Surveys@irap.rutgers.edu
- Please remember to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates prior to graduation by the deadline noted above. The current questionnaire may be found here: https://sed-ncses.org/GradDateRouter.aspx Please include the confirmation page in your completed graduation application.