Thesis, Defense, & Graduation Resources

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:

As of April 2026, all electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) must conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 to ensure that your ETDs are accessible to individuals with disabilities, including visual disabilities” (from the UCM Grad Div website). This means that you must be compliant with the new regulations beginning this semester. 

To assist you with this requirement, Graduate Division has linked two dissertation templates on their website. One is for Microsoft Word and the other for Latex. Please use one of these templates for your dissertation: https://graduatedivision.ucmerced.edu/current-students/dissertationthesis-submission. If you use an older template, it will not conform to the requirements and will be rejected when you submit your dissertation to the university. 

Graduation Instructions, Required Paperwork, and Deadlines

Below is the list of instructions and required paperwork for Fall 2026 MS & PhD graduates. Questions should be directed to QSB Staff (qsb@ucmerced.edu). The instructions below highlight the paperwork and deadlines collated from Graduate Division's website. 

You are receiving this email because you have previously indicated you are graduating this Fall 2026. Please schedule your defense date 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. Do not schedule your defense after December 7th - you will not have enough time to prepare and turn in the required paperwork for a Fall degree. 

Depending on your degree, please refer to the Master's Checklist and PhD Checklist for all required paperwork. The table below is a summary of those checklists and applicable deadlines for Fall 2026.

Deadline

Master's Degree Completion
(Thesis-based)

 Master's Degree Completion
(Course-based)		 PhD Degree Completion
As soon as you know you're graduating
  • Complete the MS Advancement to Candidacy form
  • Email QSB Staff with the date, time, and location of your thesis defense date, so we can send out a calendar invite for your defense. 
  • To book a room, visit the room reservation website or contact QSB Staff for assistance.
  • Confirm your degree requirements and unit counts are complete on MyDegreePath. If you can’t request an audit or if you see a mistake, please contact QSB Staff ASAP.
    • Please refer to the Master's Degree webpage for differentiation between the course-based and thesis-based Master's plans. 
  • Complete the MS Advancement to Candidacy form
  • Email QSB Staff with the date, time, and location of your exam. The exam is not public, but this helps QSB Staff to know your intent to graduate. 
  • To book a room, visit the room reservation website or contact QSB Staff for assistance.
  • Confirm your degree requirements and unit counts are complete on MyDegreePath. If you can’t request an audit or if you see a mistake, please contact QSB Staff ASAP.
    • Please refer to the Master's Degree webpage for differentiation between the course-based and thesis-based Master's plans. 
  • Email QSB Staff with the date, time, and location of your defense date, so we can send out a calendar invite for your defense. 
  • To book a room, visit the room reservation website or contact QSB Staff for assistance.
  • 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.
    • For Open Technical Seminars - send proof of your completed public talk to QSB Staff to mark that as complete. If needed, the defense can count as 1 of your 2 required seminars. 
    • For Publication, send proof of your completed publication or an email to QSB Staff after your defense to mark this as complete. 
    • The dissertation / defense requirement will remain incomplete until Grad Div issues your degree - ignore this requirement on your audit. 
1 month before your defense or exam
  • Send your committee a copy of your thesis. 
  • Fill out the Request a Defense Announcement form. QSB Staff will make a flyer based on your submisison, and you will need to approve it before we can advertise your defense. 
  • Confirm the details of your exam with your committee.
  • Send your committee a copy of your dissertation. 
  • Fill out the Request a Defense Announcement form. QSB Staff will make a flyer based on your submisison, and you will need to approve it before we can advertise your defense. 
December 1st
December 11th
Once all paperwork is completed
  • If you need verification of your degree for an employer, complete the linked Request for an Expected Degree Conferral Letter and email it to gradservices@ucmerced.edu. 
    • The sooner your paperwork and above request are turned in, the sooner you will receive a response. Graduate Division gets an influx of these requests at the end of the semester, and it can take up to 7 business days for a letter if you don't do this earlier.

You will need to complete all items relating to your graduation by December 11th to receive a Fall degree. 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.

~~~~~~

last updated: 8/28/2026