General Dissertation Information
The dissertation demonstrates a student’s knowledge of a broad field of learning and contains an original contribution to the chosen field of study. It must be creative and independent work that can stand the test of peer review; thus, students will participate in a public seminar to present and defend the dissertation followed by a closed examination by the student’s dissertation committee.
In preparation for the defense, the student must provide a copy of the dissertation to each member of the committee at least four weeks in advance of the desired defense date. Once the committee agrees that the dissertation is ready to be defended, the defense date may be scheduled.
The student will be evaluated on the substance of the written dissertation and the student’s performance on the exam. A majority of the committee must vote that the student’s work is of satisfactory quality to earn a University of California Ph.D. degree. Should the student not pass, they may repeat the defense once no earlier than one month and no later than twelve months from the date of the first defense.
After the committee has approved the finalized manuscript, the student then submits the dissertation online by the end of the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. After submission, dissertation manuscripts automatically become available for public access and circulation as part of UC Merced’s Library Collections.
For any additional information, please refer to the following:
- UC Merced Dissertation guidelines
- Dissertation submission guidelines
- UC Merced Electronic Theses and Dissertations
- Dissertation announcements
Graduation Instructions, Required Paperwork, and Deadlines
Below is the list of instructions we provide our graduating students, and this version currently holds the information for Fall 2025 PhD degree graduates. Questions should be directed to qsb@ucmerced.edu .
You are receiving this email because you have previously indicated you are graduating this Fall 2025. Please schedule your defense date for this Fall semester and provide the date to QSB staff as soon as you can. If these plans have changed, please notify QSB staff as soon as possible.
Here is a list of all of the graduation forms that need to be completed this semester. Dates and deadlines are included, but keep in mind that earlier is always recommended:
- The following item must be completed 2 weeks before your defense date:
- Request a Defense Announcement . QSB Staff will make a flyer and calendar invite based on your submission, and you will need to approve it before we can advertise your defense.
- The following items must be completed by December 1st:
- Complete a Graduation Application for Fall 2025
- OPTIONAL Register for the Fall commencement ceremony
- The following items must be completed by December 12th:
- Confirm your degree requirements are complete on MyDegreePath. If you can’t request an audit or if you see a mistake, please contact QSB Staff ASAP.
- Complete your dissertation defense.
- Complete a Report on Final Examination for the PhD Degree form & send to gradservices@ucmerced.edu – please CC qsb@ucmerced.edu on this submission.
- Submit your dissertation to ProQuest.
- Dissertation submission guidelines can be found here
- Complete the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates – Certificate of Completion
You will need to complete all items relating to your graduation by December 12th to receive a Fall Ph.D. All dates and deadlines can be found here. Please let us know if you have any questions, and we will be happy to assist you.
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