You must be registered for at least 1 credit during the semester in which you expect to receive your degree, unless you are exempt from registration by completing your degree requirements before the semester starts.
During the Spring or Fall semesters, the Registrar’s office will register you for 6 credits of 899, though you will be billed at a flat rate.
Summer graduates: register for the summer session (Summer I or Summer II) in which you expect to complete all degree requirements.
If you can’t register yourself and need permission:
CMSC899: email the CS Graduate Office with your UID, section number, and requested credits.
International students
The graduation term and the completion term are separate concepts. The Graduate School sets graduation deadlines for awarding degrees, but your completion term is based on when you satisfy all degree requirements and determines your official program completion date for immigration purposes. This may affect your I-20 end date, OPT application timeline, and employment eligibility.
If you plan to complete your degree during Winter, Summer I, or Summer II, or if you have employment plans after graduation, consult your ISSS advisor early so your academic and immigration timelines align.
Graduate School forms
All Graduate School paperwork must first be submitted to the CS Graduate Office.
To ensure sufficient processing time, please submit forms at least 3 business days before the Graduate School's published deadlines.
You are not required to obtain the signature of the Director of the Graduate Program.
International students: if the form requires it, get a signature from your ISSS advisor.
Graduation mailing list: students who applied for graduation for the current term are added automatically. If you applied after the deadline, or wish to be included for any other reason, email cmsc-phd-graduation+subscribe [-at-] umd [dot] edu.
Graduation application: apply for graduation through Testudo by the first week of the semester in which you plan to graduate. If you do not graduate as planned, your application simply rolls over to the next semester.
Special Member: if your committee requires a Special Member, complete this CMSC Graduate Faculty Nomination a minimum of 8 weeks before the nomination form deadline.
REC form: once the Office of the Registrar approves your committee, your REC form is dispatched to all committee members 3 business days before the defense date specified on your nomination form.
Provide the most accurate defense date possible when submitting your committee nomination.
Defending deadline: the CS Graduate Office recommends scheduling your defense at least two weeks before the final dissertation submission deadline, to leave time to meet all requirements.
Submit the Oral Exam Scheduling Form: complete the Oral Exam Scheduling Form with all required information. Failure to complete this form or ensure a public announcement may result in the cancellation of your defense.
Distribute your completed dissertation to committee members at least 10 business days before the defense.
Verify the following with your committee:
Defense date and time.
Defense location, or video conferencing setup, if remote participation is involved.
The Dean's Representative's participation.
Confirm that your committee members (excluding your advisor) have received the Report of Examining Committee (REC) form via Adobe Sign 1 to 2 days before the defense. Your advisor receives the form only after you successfully defend and all other committee members have signed.
Arrive early to ensure the room, presentation setup, and any remote participation technology are ready.
Dissertation revisions: finalize all recommended revisions to your dissertation, then seek final approval from your advisor and committee.
Committee signatures: ensure your committee signs the REC form by the Graduate School's deadline. Remind your advisor to provide their final signature once the rest of the committee has signed.
Submission to the Graduate School: submit your final dissertation via the ProQuest ETD portal, following the Graduate School style guidelines and official deadlines. You may submit as soon as your advisor and committee approve your final revisions; you do not need to wait for the REC form to be filed.
Dissertation embargo (optional): you may place an embargo of up to two years on electronic access to your document via ProQuest and DRUM without Graduate School approval. For an embargo longer than two years, submit a Dissertation Embargo Request via CS Graduate Form Submissions.
Graduation mailing list: to stop receiving emails, go to groups.google.com, find this group and select Leave group, or email cmsc-phd-graduation+unsubscribe [-at-] umd [dot] edu.
Desk assignment: space in Iribe is very limited, so please indicate which desk space you will vacate after graduation via this form. This lets us assign desks to students on the waiting list.
Financial responsibility: pay any remaining balance on your student account. You cannot receive your diploma until all outstanding balances are settled.
Address confirmation: verify your address in the UMD system so future communications, including the mailing of your diploma, reach the correct address.
Student status: you keep student status until the official conferral date of your degree, so you cannot move to a non student appointment on campus until after conferral. International students on an F-1 visa should consult with ISSS to ensure full compliance with all Optional Practical Training (OPT) requirements.
Diploma: Refer to the Diploma Delivery page for information on when your degree will be posted to your official transcript and when your diploma will be mailed. To review your diploma name and mailing address, log in to Testudo, select Graduation Application and Diploma Status, then scroll to Submitted Applications.
Certification of completion: if needed, particularly if you are in a job search and defended early in the semester, request a Certification of Completion letter from the Office of the University Registrar by emailing registrar-help [-at-] umd [dot] edu. If a departmental certification suffices, submit a Letter Request to the Grad Office.
Commencement & regalia
Regalia: regalia is required for graduation. Purchase and rental information is on the university's Graduation Regalia Information page. Order early to ensure availability.
CMNS Commencement registration: register for the CMNS Commencement. Information is posted during the Spring semester, with the RSVP deadline set for mid-April. See the CMNS website for more.