Degree Conferral Checklist for Graduate Students

Our step by step guide to conferring your degree: Everything you need to know

Degree Conferral Checklist for Graduating Students

• Step 1: Apply for graduation.
  Apply for graduation in LOCUS for one of the following conferral time periods.
• Spring Conferral (May)- Apply for graduation by December 1^st.
• Summer Conferral (August)- Apply for graduation by February 1^st.
• Fall Conferral (December)- Apply for graduation by August 1^st.
• Once you have determined your conferral month, inform the Graduate School office of your graduation plans (email adauzvadis@luc.edu ). How to apply: Instructions for applying for graduation through LOCUS.
  
  
• Step 2: Pick a defense date.
• Spring Conferral (May)- Defense date deadline: April 15^th.
• Summer Conferral (August)- Defense date deadline: July 15^th.
• Fall Conferral (December)- Defense date deadline: November 15^th.
• Meet with your PI and committee members to decide on a date and time for your defense. Once agreed upon, inform the Graduate School office of your date (email adauzvardis@luc.edu ). It is strongly recommended to book CTRE 152 A and B or the CTRE Auditorium for your defense in order to accommodate student, faculty and family/friend attendance.
• 2 weeks before you defend, the graduate office requires a copy of your brochure for your public defense announcement (see further description under “Documents needed to confer my degree” section below).
  
  
• Step 3: Begin writing your thesis/dissertation.
  
  
• How to write a thesis/dissertation
• New Formatting Manual- This manual provides information on all of the necessary formatting requirements for your thesis and dissertation.
  
  
• Format Checks
• Format checks are drafts of your thesis/dissertation that are sent via email to the format check administrators (Anna Sofinski and Patrick Hulseman). The administrators will look through your document and provide revisions based on the rules laid out in the formatting manual. Please note, the initial format check does not need to be your completed thesis/dissertations. Only a representative sample of each required section of your thesis/dissertation (please see manual for required sections)
• After your defense, the graduate school requires a second format check with all revisions incorporated for your first format check, and any notes given from your committee members.
  
  
• First Format Check Deadlines
• Spring Conferral (May)- March 1^st.
• Summer Conferral (August)- June 1^st.
• Fall Conferral (December)- October 1^st.

• Step 4: Submit thesis/dissertation to ProQuest.
• After all revisions have been made to your thesis/dissertation, your format check administrators will provide you access to submit yout thesis/dissertation to ProQuest
  
  
• Documents needed to confer your degree.
• Brochure Template 
• This is included in your public defense announcement sent to all faculty and students 2 weeks before you defend. Please fill in the information provided within the template.
• Approval Sheet 
• You must prepare an Approval Sheet for your dissertation/thesis director to sign and date. The Approval Sheet confirms that the document you are submitting as a final copy to the Graduate School is the final text.
• Ballot for the Text and Oral Defense of a Thesis 
• A public oral defense is required of all PhD dissertations and most MS theses (see individual programs’ requirements). The results of the committee’s evaluation of the text and oral defense are noted on the ballot, which will be signed by the student’s committee members and uploaded to GSPS by the students Graduate Program Director as soon as possible after the defense.
• Extra Abstract Example 
• You do not need to include an abstract in your thesis/dissertation, but you are required to upload one to ProQuest, and the Graduate School office also needs an abstract for alumni files.
• Check Out Form 
• A form detailing your future plans after graduation!
• SED (Survey of Earned Doctorates)- PhD’s ONLY
  • PhD graduates are required to fill out a certificate of completion using the link above. Once completed, save the certificate as a pdf, and email to Anna Sofinski (adauzvardis@luc.edu) in the Graduate Office.