Ph.D. and master’s students are required to apply for graduation in DukeHub by the established application deadline for the semester in which they plan to graduate (see Graduation Deadlines section below). If a student must delay graduation to a future semester, the student should contact the Graduate School Registrar (gradacademics@duke.edu) to cancel the existing application and have the expected graduation semester reset in DukeHub. The student then returns to DukeHub to submit a new application for graduation in the revised semester.
Graduate degree candidates follow a special set of instructions to submit their applications for graduation in DukeHub. The generic instructions posted on The University Registrar's website will not work for Graduate School students. Graduate students access their unique DukeHub graduation application by completing the following steps:
Note: If you require special Latin characters in your name (e.g., accent marks or umlauts), contact Academic Affairs (gradacademics@duke.edu).
Ph.D. candidates and master’s candidates writing a thesis: Before The Graduate School can release your examination certificate, we must receive an advisor letter and a defense announcement via e-mail (gradacademics@duke.edu). The advisor letter must be sent by your advisor and needs to state that they have read your dissertation or thesis and that it is complete and ready for defense. The defense announcement must be sent by your program’s director of graduate studies assistant.
Last updated February 7, 2024
September 2025 Graduation DeadlinesLog into DukeHub and navigate to Academics. Scroll down to Program/Degree Selection and select it to open the application for graduation, which should include a list of degree programs for which you are eligible to apply.
If you applied to graduate in the previous term but did not graduate, you will need to apply again for the current term.
If you are completing a certificate program, you must apply to graduate for it separately in DukeHub.
The initial submission must take place at least two weeks before your defense and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date. Note: If you submit your initial dissertation/thesis on the deadline date, you cannot defend until 14 days after that.
Initial submission of the dissertation or thesis means that the document is complete. We will not check the format of an incomplete document.
After you submit your electronic dissertation/master’s thesis to ProQuest, you will receive an email from ProQuest informing you of any formatting problems and providing you a link to request an optional format check meeting with your assigned ETD administrator.
The letter from your advisor confirming that your dissertation is complete and ready to defend, as well as the departmental defense announcement, must be submitted before we can release your final examination certificate.
Final day to hold the Ph.D. dissertation or Master’s thesis defense to receive the degree.
3:00 p.m.: All defended, completed PhD dissertations and master’s theses must be submitted to ProQuest.
5:00 p.m.: All PhD final exam certificates and master’s final exam certificates (both master’s with thesis and non-thesis master’s) must be submitted to The Graduate School.
Note: The departments for all students getting a non-thesis master’s degree (this includes the master’s on the way to the Ph.D.) must submit a Non-Thesis Master’s Examination Certificate, signed by their examining committee and the director of graduate studies, to The Graduate School by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
December 2024 Graduation DeadlinesLog into DukeHub and navigate to Academics. Scroll down to Program/Degree Selection and select it to open the application for graduation, which should include a list of degree programs for which you are eligible to apply.
If you applied to graduate in the previous term but did not graduate, you will need to apply again for the current term.
If you are completing a certificate program, you must apply to graduate for it separately in DukeHub.
The initial submission must take place at least two weeks before your defense and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date. Note: If you submit your initial dissertation/thesis on the deadline date, you cannot defend until 14 days after that.
Initial submission of the dissertation or thesis means that the document is complete. We will not check the format of an incomplete document.
After you submit your electronic dissertation/master’s thesis to ProQuest, you will receive an email from ProQuest informing you of any formatting problems and providing you a link to request an optional format check meeting with your assigned ETD administrator.
The letter from your advisor confirming that your dissertation is complete and ready to defend, as well as the departmental defense announcement, must be submitted before we can release your final examination certificate.
Final day to hold the Ph.D. dissertation or Master’s thesis defense to receive the degree.
3:00 p.m.: All defended, completed PhD dissertations and master’s theses must be submitted to ProQuest.
5:00 p.m.: All PhD final exam certificates and master’s final exam certificates (both master’s with thesis and non-thesis master’s) must be submitted to The Graduate School.
Note: The departments for all students getting a non-thesis master’s degree (this includes the master’s on the way to the Ph.D.) must submit a Non-Thesis Master’s Examination Certificate, signed by their examining committee and the director of graduate studies, to The Graduate School by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.
May 2025 Graduation DeadlinesLog into DukeHub and navigate to Academics. Scroll down to Program/Degree Selection and select it to open the application for graduation, which should include a list of degree programs for which you are eligible to apply.
If you applied to graduate in the previous term but did not graduate, you will need to apply again for the current term.
If you are completing a certificate program, you must apply to graduate for it separately in DukeHub.
The initial submission must take place at least two weeks before your defense and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date. Note: If you submit your initial dissertation/thesis on the deadline date, you cannot defend until 14 days after that.
Initial submission of the dissertation or thesis means that the document is complete. We will not check the format of an incomplete document.
After you submit your electronic dissertation/master’s thesis to ProQuest, you will receive an email from ProQuest informing you of any formatting problems and providing you a link to request an optional format check meeting with your assigned ETD administrator.
The letter from your advisor confirming that your dissertation is complete and ready to defend, as well as the departmental defense announcement, must be submitted before we can release your final examination certificate.
Final day to hold the Ph.D. dissertation or Master’s thesis defense to receive the degree.
3:00 p.m.: All defended, completed PhD dissertations and master’s theses must be submitted to ProQuest.
5:00 p.m.: All PhD final exam certificates and master’s final exam certificates (both master’s with thesis and non-thesis master’s) must be submitted to The Graduate School.
Note: The departments for all students getting a non-thesis master’s degree (this includes the master’s on the way to the Ph.D.) must submit a Non-Thesis Master’s Examination Certificate, signed by their examining committee and the director of graduate studies, to The Graduate School by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date.