| FALL 2019 DEADLINE DATES | TASK to be COMPLETED |
|---|---|
| Friday, November 15 | Last day to defend a thesis or dissertation. Note: your program may have an earlier deadline. Extensions may be requested by your committee chairperson via email. |
| Friday, November 22 | Upload document to ProQuest for review by Graduate School Dean. |
| Monday, December 9 | Printed final copy due to the Graduate School. See guide for details. |
| SPRING 2020 DEADLINE DATES | TASK to be COMPLETED |
|---|---|
| Friday, April 3 | Last day to defend a thesis or dissertation. Note: your program may have an earlier deadline. Extensions may be requested by your committee chairperson via email. |
| Friday, April 10 | Upload document to ProQuest for review by Graduate School Dean. |
| Monday, April 27 | Printed final copy due to the Graduate School. See guide for details. |
| SUMMER 2020 DEADLINE DATES | TASK to be COMPLETED |
|---|---|
| Friday, July 10 | Last day to defend a thesis or dissertation. Note: your program may have an earlier deadline. Extensions may be requested by your committee chairperson via email. |
| Friday, July 17 | Upload document to ProQuest for review by Graduate School Dean. |
| Monday, August 3 | Printed final copy due to the Graduate School. See guide for details. |
Thesis – Each graduate program determines whether they require, or provide an option for, master’s students to submit a thesis.
Dissertation – All Ph.D. candidates will complete a dissertation.
Thesis and Dissertation Guide
The Thesis & Dissertation Guide outlines the general timeline, policies, and procedures for producing a thesis or dissertation at the University of Central Arkansas. It is important to read and understand fully the contents of the manual.
What are my responsibilities?
- Students pursuing a master’s degree where a thesis is optional, must complete and submit to the Graduate School a Notice of Intent to Complete a Thesis form. This will provide the necessary notification to ensure your Degree Works audit will be correct.
- Doctoral and master’s students must complete and submit for approval a Thesis and Dissertation Committee Selection form. All committee members must have current Graduate Faculty status at UCA. Selection criteria for committee members is described in the Thesis and Dissertation Guide.
- Students and faculty will work with the Research Compliance Officer to comply with all university policies regarding research and the use of human subjects and animals in the research.
IMPORTANT
The student must allow sufficient time for conducting the research and writing the thesis or dissertation. A preliminary DRAFT should be presented to the Graduate School for review five (5) weeks prior to graduation. The deadline for submission of the final copy to the Graduate School is three (3) weeks prior to graduation. Defense of the thesis/dissertation and subsequent rewrites should be completed sufficiently in advance of these due dates to avoid delay in the awarding of the degree.
Here is a handy Visual of Thesis-Dissertation Steps that the Graduate School staff has created for you!