You can graduate in April, June, August, or December
- Be sure you have met all academic requirements for graduation
- Be sure you are registered for the term in which you want to graduate
- Apply for graduation
- If you’re a doctoral candidate, make sure your defense is properly announced well in advance
- Complete the Exit Survey
- If you are an international student, complete the Departure Notification Form
- Submit your essay, thesis, or dissertation according to the instructions listed in the Graduation Requirements and Checklists below. Be sure to use ETD formatting.
Graduation Requirements and Checklists
Master's Essay
Master's Thesis
Doctoral Dissertation
Academic Requirements for Graduation
It is critical that you meet with your advisor and department student services staff member to make sure that you have successfully completed all of the academic requirements for graduation. These include (but are not necessarily limited to) ...
- All school-wide required courses, including two terms of Public Health Grand Rounds
- All departmental required courses
- Any practicum, internship, residency, or research requirements
- Pitt Public Health Student Academic Integrity Module
- All required examinations (preliminary, comprehensive, etc.)
- Essay, thesis, or dissertation
- If you are receiving a joint or dual degree, all requirements for both degrees must be complete (with the exception of the MSTP program)
- You must be registered for the term in which you graduate
In addition, you must ensure that you meet the following conditions:
- Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0
- All G, I, or Z grades must be converted to a final grade (or your file must contain a memo from your advisor stating that the course is not required for the degree)
- Full (not provisional) admission status
Registration Requirement for Graduating Students
Degree-seeking student must be registered for at least one credit or for FTDR (for doctoral students completing full-time dissertation research) in the term of graduation. Students planning to graduate in June must register for at least one credit or FTDR in 6-week session 1. To graduate in August, you may register for summer term, or for any summer session, including 6-week session 1. If you applied for June graduation and registered for 6-week session 1, you can apply for August graduation without further registration, but you must reapply by submitting a new graduation application and prior degree form.
Note: international students need permission from the Office of International Services to register for less than a full-time credit load.
Students graduating with a certificate only do not need to register in the term of graduation, as long as they registered during the 12 months prior to graduation.
If you have not registered for three terms, you are no longer an active student. Consult with your department student services staff to discuss criteria for re-admission.
Applying to Graduate -- No fees at this time
You must apply to graduate by completing an Application for Graduation Form and a Prior Degree Form. Email completed forms to stuaff@pitt.edu. Deadlines and instructions are listed below.
Be sure to list your Pitt email on the Application for Graduation and a non-Pitt email on the Prior Degree Form. Your name on the application must be the same as it appears in the PeopleSoft system. You will be required to provide legal documentation (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree, valid passport) to the Office of the Registrar to use a different name on the graduation application.
If you are graduating with two Pitt Public Health degrees, or a Pitt Public Health degree and a Pitt Public Health certificate, you may enter all information on one application form. If degrees and/or certificates will be awarded by another school in addition to Pitt Public Health, an application must be submitted to each school. If you are graduating with a joint degree, please indicate this on the second page of the graduation application beneath the area for degrees. Applications for graduation are valid for only one graduation date. If you postpone graduation, you must reapply by completing and submitting another application.
Note: your Academic Department/Student Plan is PPBHL and your Department is BCHS, BIOST, EOH, EPIDEM, HPM, HUGEN, IDM; or MULTI PROGRAM. For Name of Degree/Cert, list degree and/or specific certificate.
Titles: Only doctoral students who intend to graduate in April need to provide the title of their dissertation. Those submitting an essay or thesis do not need to include their titles on the application.