Graduation Checklist

Planning to graduate soon? If so, please review and following the steps below:

  1. Go to DukeHub and complete the “apply to graduate” process by the deadline listed in the link contained in # 7 below.
  2. Get your advisor to submit a note on his/her letterhead to Graduate Program in Religion office indicating:
    • Your advisor has read your dissertation
    • The dissertation is complete and ready for defense
  3. Notify GPR office of your intention to graduate and date and time for defense. The program coordinator will:
    • Book a room for your defense
    • Write a defense announcement for you and send to the Graduate School
    • Verify that your paperwork is in order
  4. Verify that the GPR office has a committee approval form on file for you
    • The sooner you verify this form, the better (but a minimum of 7 weeks prior to defense).
    • A Ph.D. committee should have 4 to 6 people
      • 2 committee members must be from the program
      • 1 committee member must be from a minor area
    • A majority of committee members must be physically present (and others may attend remotely)
    • A majority of the committee members must be from Duke
    • Prior permission must be obtained for remote participation of committee member
  5. Initial electronic submission due to The Graduate School at least 2 weeks before defense, and professors should be given at least 3 weeks to read the dissertation before the defense.
  6. If you thought you were graduating in a previous semester and you didn’t, you’ll need to re-apply for graduation. The form does NOT carry over.
  7. Refer to Graduate School graduation deadlines for all dates pertaining to graduation.
  8. Complete the graduation checklist and submit to the GPR office.