To get started, check your graduation term of interest below for important dates to begin your application to graduate.
- April 2027 Graduation
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October 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027: Start and end date to submit April 2027 graduation applications online
May 1, 2027: Official date for degrees awarded for April 2027 graduation
May 10, 2027: Final certification deadline. All ETDs and paperwork due
June 4, 2027: Transcripts with degrees posted for April 2027 available through the Transcript Office (G-3 Thackeray Hall)
July 19, 2027: Begin mailing diplomas for the April 2027 graduates
- December 2026 Graduation
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Now through December 1, 2026: Start and end date to submit December 2026 graduation applications online
December 12, 2026: Official date for degrees awarded for December 2026 graduation
December 21, 2026: Final certification deadline. All ETDs and paperwork are due
January 15, 2027: Transcripts with December 2026 degrees posted are available through the Transcript Office, G-3 Thackeray Hall
February 3, 2027: Begin mailing diplomas for December 2026 graduates
- April 2026 Graduation
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October 1, 2025 through April 1, 2026: Start and end date to submit April 2026 graduation applications online
May 2, 2026: Official date for degrees awarded for April 2026 graduation
May 12, 2026: Final certification deadline. All ETDs and paperwork due
June 2, 2026: Transcripts with degrees posted for April 2026 available through the Transcript Office (G-3 Thackeray Hall)
July 6, 2026: Begin mailing diplomas for the April 2026 graduates
All documents required for graduation can be found using the links below. Please read all of these materials and checklist items carefully. If you have any questions about graduation or ETDs, please contact somgrad@pitt.edu.
- What To Do Before Your Defense
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1. Graduation Application must be submitted through PeopleSoft:
ONLINE GRADUATION APPLICATION USER GUIDE
2. Dissertation Defense Announcement: In order to meet University publishing regulations, this form must be submitted 4 weeks prior to your defense date.
- Complete and submit the Dissertation Defense Information Form
- Your defense should be held at least 2 weeks prior to the final certification deadline
- Your dissertation title must be finalized at this point
dissertation defense information form
Dissertation Defense Information Form
3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) Information: All of the information you need regarding ETD formatting and submitting can be found on the ETD Website.
- If you are using the Microsoft Word template, you are required to attend a training session regarding the formatting of your ETD.
- You can register for an ETD Workshop at The ETD Training Website
- The information provided at this training is imperative to the successful submission of your ETD. An incorrectly formatted ETD could prevent you from graduating.
- Students most often experience difficulty with bookmarking the ETD. It is important to bookmark every page of your ETD beginning with the title page. Refer to the instructions section of the ETD website above.
- If you are experiencing difficulty, ETD Support offers Walk-In help (Microforms/Maps Area on the Ground Floor of Hillman Library)
4. Preferred Name on Diploma: Students may request to have a preferred name printed on their diploma ("Diploma Name"). In order to request a preferred name on your diploma, you must complete and submit the Diploma Name Request Form. Student should complete and submit the diploma name change form immediately after applying to graduate.
- What To Do the Day of Your Defense
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There are two forms which require original signatures of all members on your dissertation committee; your Program Coordinator will work with you to get these forms completed and signed in DocuSign:
1. Dissertation Defense Report
2. Dissertation Approval Report
** These forms are also due by the final certification deadline.
** No exceptions will be made. - What To Do After Your Defense
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*IMPORTANT!* You must accomplish/submit all of the following to somgrad@pitt.edu by the Final Certification Deadline.
1. Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD)
You must upload the final pdf version of your ETD to https://www.etdadmin.com/medschool.pitt.
Starting spring 2025, the ETD Approval Forms pdf no longer needs to be submitted to our office for graduation. The information you provide in the new ETD Administrator website will take the place of the ETD Approval Form pdf. Please ensure the information you submit in the ETD Administrator website is accurate.
2. Milestone Forms
Work with your graduate program to have the two dissertation milestones listed below submitted to the graduate office:
- Dissertation Defense Report
- Dissertation Approval Report
3. Receipt for Processing Fee
The processing fee for a PhD degree is $50. You can pay this at the Student Payment Center in G7 Thackeray Hall. The Student Payment Center only accepts cash, check or money order. If you prefer to pay by credit card (Visa not accepted), you can call the Student Payment Center (412-624-7520), ask them to charge you the $50 processing fee and pay via PittPAY.
4. Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)
To access the electronic SED, go to The SED Website
- For School/College, the only option of "Graduate School" is correct.
- After completing the registration page, you will receive an email with the URL to the actual SED, a unique PIN and password.
- You will be able to save and complete later by using the PIN and password given to you in the email.
- Once you have submitted the SED, immediately following the email confirmation page, you will be taken to a certificate of SED completion. You must print and submit this certificate with your other materials by the final certification deadline (listed above (b)).
5. AAUDE Doctoral Exit Survey
Doctoral graduates are required to complete the Association of American Universities Data Exchange (AAUDE) Doctoral Exit Survey . The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will collect satisfaction information about your graduate education experience at Pitt and your post‐Pitt plans.
6. ProQuest UMI Dissertation Publishing Agreement
- The library will ensure that your dissertation is copyrighted to you by default.
- If material copyrighted by others is included in your dissertation, attach three copies of the copyright permission letter(s) from the copyright owner(s). Such letter(s) should state that UMI may supply copies on demand.
- If your dissertation contains executable software owned by another party, attach three copies of a letter from the owner of the software license granting permission to use it. Such letter(s) should state that UMI may supply copies on demand.
- Any additional services that students wish to purchase from ProQuest will be done directly with ProQuest. If you elect to purchase bound copies of your dissertation, you should not expect to receive it sooner than 3-6 months after the final certification date (listed above).
7. Alumni Form
Complete the Alumni Form, and please do not forget to upload your updated CV as a pdf in the Alumni Form before clicking submit.
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Graduation Meeting
You must make an appointment to meet with Deepti Ramadoss, PhD. Please send an email to Toni Reed to request an appointment.