UT San Antonio
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
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GSBS Graduation

PhD Graduate posing in front of the ALTC Building

Dissertation/Thesis/Manuscript Defense

  • GSBS Degree Conferral Timelines

    Please refer to the GSBS SharePoint Site under 'Student Resources' to locate Degree Conferral Timelines. Graduating students will also be enrolled in the GSBS 1000 Course - Student Graduation Requirements, please navigate to Canvas for more information or reach out to Tiffany Thompson in the GSBS Dean's Office. 

  • Defense Information

    Process for your Ph.D. or M.S. Defense Date and Degree Approval at Graduate Faculty Council

    To schedule your final defense for Doctoral and Masters submit the following documents two weeks prior to your intended defense date:

    1) Set a date with your committee using the degree conferral timelines. Reserve room with room scheduling and Zoom/Teams link if participating in a hybrid defense. Contact your Academic Coordinator to assist you with a room reservation for your defense. This information is required to submit your Request for Final Defense. 

    2) Request for Final Defense, Copy of Abstract, and CV submitted in GradTrac for review and signature. The graduate Deans Office will no longer accept PDF forms. 

    3) You or your Academic Coordinator must email your headshot or photo to Tiffany Thompson in the Graduate Deans Office (thompsont4@uthscsa.edu) for your official defense announcement. Your request for final defense must be fully signed before your announcement will be sent. 

  • Dissertation and Thesis Guidelines

    Visit the Dissertation and Thesis Guidelines page for more information about Turn-it-in, Proquest and formatting. 

  • Steps to Degree Approval at the Graduate Faculty Council

    The following items must be fully complete including signatures at least 1 week prior to the next GFC meeting which is scheduled on the second Friday of each month.

    1) Report on Final Oral Presentation submitted in GradTrac The Graduate Deans Office will no longer accept PDF forms. Submit within two business days of your defense. 

    2) Thesis or Dissertation Approval Page is no longer required for submission with the GSBS, for privacy/security reasons ProQuest recommends not to include an approval page with electronic or original signatures. A blank approval page with your committee listed may be uploaded with your ProQuest submission. 

    3) Upload a final, committee-approved, PDF of your dissertation/thesis to ProQuest for review. For questions or trouble uploading to ProQuest, please contact Alex De Jesus (dejesusa@uthscsa.edu). Any formatting edits will need to be completed by the deadline stated above. 

    If you have any questions, contact your Academic Coordinator or Tiffany Thompson (ThompsonT4@uthscsa.edu) in the Graduate Dean’s Office.

  • Following Approval at Graduate Faculty Council

    You will receive notification from your Academic Coordinator if you received degree approval at the GFC.

  • Letters for Degree Completion

    If you need a letter stating your degree conferral date, letters can be provided after your degree has been approved by the Graduate Faculty Council. Please submit requests to Tiffany Thompson (ThompsonT4@uthscsa.edu).

Preparing for Graduation

It is the responsibility of the candidate to apply for graduation online in My Student Center the semester prior to anticipated graduation. Students may expect to receive an email through their UTHSCSA liveMail accounts once the application is available to them for completion. Note that the email will reach students in the term preceding their scheduled term of graduation. (For example, students expecting to graduate in the spring will receive an email prompt in the fall.) Failure to receive and/or read said email is not grounds for failing to apply for graduation online. Degrees/certificates will not be awarded without an application. 

Online submission of the Application for Graduation will prompt an audit of your academic record to ensure you are eligible to graduate and have completed all requirements to receive your award. Information provided by the student is used in commencement programs.  Your degree will be published using your full legal name. For detailed instructions on submitting the Graduation Application online, see here:

Instructions for Submitting the Graduation Application Online

Candidates who did not meet the web deadline will need to fill out a Late Application for Graduation. 

Applying to graduation IS NOT tied to participation in GSBS Hooding & UT Health Commencement. 

GSBS will send out commencement and hooding participation information in February 2025 to all graduates between August 2024- June 2025 regarding ceremony participation. Late graduation applicants after January 2025 will need to email Tiffany Thompson (ThompsonT4@uthscsa.edu). 

 

GSBS Hooding Ceremony

The GSBS Hooding Ceremony is held one time each year in May, graduates from the coinciding academic year are eligible to participate. August- May (June conferrals see timeline instructions)

The GSBS Hooding Ceremony will be Thursday May 15th, 2025 at 4:00pm in the Holly Auditorium  on UT Health San Antonio's Long Campus 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229

Graduate Certificate Students are invited to participate in the hooding ceremony, Graduate Certificate only students need not order regalia and may wear business professional attire.

The ceremony will be held indoors with indoor reception to follow. This event will not be ticketed, and seating will be first come, first served. The ceremony will be livestreamed, a link will be made available for sharing. 

 

UT Health San Antonio Commencement

Commencement is held one time each year in May with all UT Health schools, graduates from the coinciding academic year are eligible to participate. August- May (June conferrals see timeline instructions)

Commencement will be Saturday May 17th at 7:30pm in the Alamodome. Additional information for students and families can be found on the Student Life Webpage.

This event will not be ticketed, and seating will be first come, first served. The ceremony will be livestreamed, a link will be made available for sharing. 

Please email any questions regarding participation in GSBS commencement/hooding to Tiffany Thompson (ThompsonT4@uthscsa.edu). 

 

Tourist Visa Invitation Letter

Alumni and students with friends and family living internationally who would like to attend GSBS Hooding and/or UT Health Commencement may complete a request form for an addressed invitation letter in support of a tourist visa. 

 

Regalia Orders 

Faculty must contact the bookstore to reserve regalia by March 31st. (210) 567-2841 or sm398@bncollege.com

Students may purchase regalia from Herff Jones by April 17th. 

GSBS does not accept responsibility or management of late or missed order deadlines or supply chain issues or shipping delays. The best way to ensure your regalia is delivered on time is to order well in advance of the deadlines listed.  

 

Alumni Membership

Please sign up for free Alumni Membership with Forever San Antonio.

 

Diploma/Final Transcript

Take a look at the Registrar Graduation Checklist to ensure any necessary holds are removed to release your diploma and final transcripts. 

The Registrars office will send you a digital diploma on the day of your degree conferral. Please claim your diploma as soon as possible and verify your mailing address. Once your digital diploma is issued, you have 72 hours to verify your mailing address. If you don’t claim your digital diploma within 72 hours of issuance, your printed diploma will be mailed to the permanent address on your student record.

*Please note: Diplomas are not mailed to international addresses; please make sure your permanent address is updated if you have an international address on record.

Diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address on file approximately 15-20 business days. Once you claim your electronic diploma and set up a Parchment account, you will be able to track your physical diploma directly through the US Postal Service.

Need a final, official transcript? You can submit your request online at https://tsorder.studentclearinghouse.org/school/ficecode/00365900

 

Enrollment Verifications

Enrollment Verification records may be needed for various agencies and organizations, including loan companies, health insures, future employers, automobile dealers, credit card companies, U.S. Veteran Affairs, etc. prior to the release of your electronic diploma. 

To order an enrollment verification, go to My Student Center, click on the Academic Records Tile>Helpful Links>View Enrollment Verification.   This will take you directly to the National Student Clearinghouse Student Self-Service Site.  Once on the NSC website, enter all required login information, then select the type of verification desired (current Enrollment or All Enrollment). A printable .pdf file will be produced. This .pdf file is an OFFICIAL document that may be submitted to loan companies, health insurers, etc. as proof of your enrollment.

Alumni (post-conferral date): Go to Myhub to create your account: https://www.myhub.org/home and follow the instructions.