Dissertation & Thesis Overview

Congratulations on nearing the end of your degree program! All of the information you will need to prepare your dissertation or thesis for submission to the Graduate School can be found on this site. Familiarize yourself with the process through the flowchart below and the subpages in the left-hand column under "Dissertation and Thesis Overview."

For questions, please join our team chat at Questions and Answers | Dissertation Thesis Formatting Q&A | Microsoft Teams This will be the quickest and easiest way for us to answer general questions. Thank you.

Dissertation/Thesis Deadlines: December 2026 Graduation

Below are deadlines specifically related to your dissertation and thesis approval. See the Graduate Academic Calendar for all Graduate School deadlines.

All oral exams (defenses) must be announced at least 10 days prior to defense, and preliminary technical reviews should be conducted 14 days prior to defense.

Last day to defend for Dissertation students: October 16
Last day to submit the final committee-approved manuscript/forms for Dissertation Students: within 10 days after defense no later than October 26, whichever comes first.
Last day to defend for Thesis students: October 30
Last day to submit the final committee-approved manuscript/forms for Thesis Students: within 10 days after defense no later than November 9, whichever comes first.

Dissertation and Thesis Process Step-by-Step

Before You Begin Writing

Download our Dissertation and Thesis Checklist.
Review the Guidelines, dissertation template, and other information on our Formatting Resources page.

Preliminary Review

Follow the Preliminary Technical Review instructions to set up an appointment time with the Dissertation and Thesis Office at least 21 days for a Written Feedback Only review or 14 days for a Teams Video Review, before your defense. The page also includes instructions on how to upload a formatted version of your dissertation or thesis along with appropriate forms to Vireo, the Baylor Submission Portal: https://baylor-etd.tdl.org.

Oral Exam

Department submits Announcement of Oral Examination at least 10 days prior to defense (online form). Review committee and defense requirements prior to submission.
Obtain signatures on Signature Page at oral examination (or electronically immediately following the defense).
Department submits Results of Oral Examination Form to Graduate School (online form via OnBase).

Final Review

Within 10 days after your defense, or by the final semester deadline (whichever comes first):

Submit the following to your account in Vireo:
- Revised dissertation or thesis (electronic)
- Signed signature page (committee & department chair signatures)
Submit the Copyright and Final Approval form online
You will receive feedback from the Dissertation and Thesis Office with further revisions or notification of approval.

ProQuest Submission

After Graduate School Approval:
- Doctoral Students will submit dissertation to ProQuest website (optional for Master's students)
- Doctoral Students Complete Survey of Earned Doctorates at end of term when requested