The Graduate School's determination of its dates for conferral of degrees is based on the need for students in specific academic disciplines to have their degrees posted more often than May, August, and December. Additional graduation dates will be used to accommodate students who will earn or have earned a professional certificate issued by an agency other than ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ. This will include Wisconsin teaching licensure, the state licensure in clinical psychology, and the specialty certificates in orthodontics, endodontics, and prosthodontics issued by the American Dental Association.

All graduate students other than those listed in the paragraph above will be restricted to graduating in May, August, or December of each year according to the Academic Calendar. In addition to these three regular graduations, the following additional graduation cycles will be implemented for the groups of students specified:

• Last Friday of June – This will be utilized specifically for students in Educational Policy and Leadership who are completing their student teaching, where the student teaching requirement is the final requirement necessary for graduation. This will apply to master’s degree and certificate students. Additionally, graduate dental students earning their master’s degree and specialty certificate in Orthodontics, Endodontics, or Prosthodontics may be eligible for this graduation date on an exception basis if they fail to meet the May graduation deadline for approval of the thesis.

• In the case of both Education and Graduate Dental students, applications for June graduation must be submitted by the deadline for May graduation.

• Graduate Dental students must submit an approved thesis and all other graduation requirements no later than June 1.

• Last business day of September – Available for clinical psychology and counseling psychology doctoral students who complete their pre-doctoral internship and/or their dissertation defense and dissertation submission after the deadlines established for the August graduation, but before the September graduation deadline. Students are responsible to apply for September graduation, and to complete all graduation requirements, no later than the last working day of August.

• Last business day of October - Available for clinical psychology and counseling psychology doctoral students who complete their pre-doctoral internship and/or their dissertation defense and dissertation submission after the deadlines established for the September graduation, but before the October graduation deadline. Students are responsible to apply for October graduation, and to complete all graduation requirements, no later than the last working day of September.

• Last business day of January – This option will be available for Clinical Psychology doctoral students who complete their pre-doctoral internship and/or their dissertation defense and dissertation submission after the deadlines established for the December graduation but before the January graduation deadline. In addition, this deadline will be available for students in Educational Policy and Leadership who are completing their student teaching, where the student teaching requirement is the final requirement necessary for graduation. This will apply to master’s degree and certificate students.

• Students in Clinical Psychology shall be responsible for applying for January graduation and for completing all graduation requirements no later than the last working day of December. 

• Students in Educational Policy and Leadership shall be responsible for applying for January graduation no later than the last working day of December.

• Last business day of February - This option will be available for Clinical Psychology doctoral students who complete their pre-doctoral internship and/or their dissertation defense and dissertation submission after the deadlines established for the January graduation but before the February graduation deadline.  Students shall be responsible for applying for February graduation, and for completing all graduation requirements, no later than the last working day of January.

• Students who miss the deadlines for October or February graduation will have to wait until the following December or May to graduate, and in such cases will be responsible for meeting the established deadlines for those graduation cycles.

• Availability of official transcripts, diplomas and certificates for the alternative conferral dates listed above:

  • Transcripts with degrees and/or certificates posted to the record will be available for mailing or pick-up the week following the conferral date.

  • Diplomas and certificates will be available for mailing or pick-up 4-6 weeks after the conferral date.