Once your dissertation is nearing completion, it’s time to schedule your defense—your final oral examination.
You should begin making arrangements for your defense at the beginning of the semester (especially during the summer) in order to accommodate the schedules of your committee members.
Students must be currently enrolled in the dissertation course for the semester in which the defense is scheduled and held.
Committee Changes
Any changes to your dissertation committee must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Changes should be approved at least 30 days prior to the date of the oral examination so that all new members have ample time to become familiar with your dissertation.
Scheduling your Defense
Prior to your defense, please complete the following steps:
- Set the defense date and time as agreed upon by your supervisor and committee.
- Provide each committee member with a complete copy of your dissertation at least four weeks before the scheduled defense date.
- By signing the RFOE, committee members acknowledge that they had sufficient time to review the student’s dissertation.
- By signing the RFOE, committee members acknowledge that they had sufficient time to review the student’s dissertation.
- Schedule your defense date prior to the last two weeks of the semester.
- If you need to defend during the final two weeks, obtain explicit consent from all committee members. No additional permissions are needed from the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS).
- If you need to defend during the final two weeks, obtain explicit consent from all committee members. No additional permissions are needed from the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS).
- Submit the Request for Final Oral Examination (RFOE) to OGPS at least two weeks before your defense date.
- If your committee includes members outside of UT Austin, use the PDF version of the form (the online form cannot accept external members).
- If your committee includes members outside of UT Austin, use the PDF version of the form (the online form cannot accept external members).
- Once OGPS has approved and scheduled your defense, you will receive the Report of Dissertation Committee.
- This will be sent to the Graduate Coordinator, Supervisor and the Student
- You will receive this about one week prior to your defense date, though there may be delays closer to the end of the semester.
- Refer to the Deadlines and Submission page for more information regarding final submissions.
Request for Final Oral Examination
Request to schedule the final oral exam for a student with only UT-affiliated committee members.
Request for Final Oral Examination (external)
Request to schedule the final oral exam for a student with one or more external committee member(s).
After the Defense
- Complete the Report of Dissertation Committee
- Ensure the Report of Dissertation Committee reflects your committee’s official recommendation with all official signatures.
- A passing report confirms the committee’s unanimous approval of your dissertation as independent scholarly work.
- Submit the report promptly, as OGPS uses it to determine degree eligibility.
- Complete required revisions (if any).
- If revisions are required, complete all revisions to the satisfaction of your committee.
- The report will be held by your supervisor until revisions are finished and approved.
- After revisions are approved, ensure all committee members and the GSC Representative sign the Report of Dissertation Committee.
- Submit your final document to the Texas Digital Library.
- Upload your final dissertation to the Texas Digital Library.
- Do not submit the dissertation or report by email.
- After uploading your final dissertation to TDL, submit the signed Report of Dissertation Committee to OGPS.
- Final paperwork and pages will not be reviewed until the upload is complete.
- After submission, no changes are allowed unless specifically required by OGPS.
- Upload your final dissertation to the Texas Digital Library.
Please refer to the Deadlines and Submission Instructions page for more information about final submission processes
