April 2026 Graduate School Bulletin
Graduate students, mark your calendars for important graduation deadlines, funding opportunities, and professional development workshops
Featured Event
Join us for Graduate Student Appreciation Week
Join us in celebrating our graduate students! A list of events for this year’s celebration, which will be April 6–10, is available on the Graduate School website.
Graduation Deadlines
April 1
Graduate students who plan to have their degrees awarded in August but would like to be listed in the commencement program must apply online to graduate through on the “apply for graduation” card. PhD students must also enter their dissertation title as part of the graduation application. Though you plan to participate in a May ceremony, please select August 2026 as the semester of graduation if that is when your degree will be awarded.
April 2
Doctoral students must complete the PhD dissertation defense or final examination by this date. Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the doctoral final examination form two weeks before the exam a minimum of two weeks (but no more than four weeks) before the exam.
April 9
PhD students must submit the dissertation with Thesis Approval Form (TAF) to ProQuest by this deadline. The dissertation must be for review and approval by Graduate School staff by the end of the business day. The single page TAF must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.
April 9
PhD and DMA students must fill out the online by this deadline. Learn more about the survey .
April 9
Master's students must complete the thesis defense or final examination by this date. Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the master's final examination form two weeks before the exam. Certain units do not require an exam for non-thesis students. Please contact your department with any questions.
April 13
Grade changes for doctoral graduates must be submitted for incomplete courses taken during previous or current semesters.
April 16
Master's thesis plan students must submit the thesis and Thesis Approval Form (TAF) to ProQuest by this deadline. The thesis must be for review and approval by Graduate School staff by the end of the business day. The single page TAF must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.
April 20
Grade changes for master’s graduates must be submitted for incomplete courses taken during previous semesters.
April 27
Deadline for spring doctoral graduates to update diploma name or address in Buff Portal.
Preview other upcoming graduation deadlines on the Graduate School website.
Funding Opportunities
- April 1:
- April 6: Mellon Sawyer Seminar Graduate Fellowship
- April 8:
- April 15:
- April 30:
Events & Workshops
Mondays listed below, 1–3 p.m.Zoom
This popular five-part webinar series, offered through 91ý's partnership, focuses on building resilience, managing stress, navigating imposter feelings, improving communication and strengthening mentoring relationships.
- March 30: Resilience and Well-being: The Real Survival Skills
- April 6: Mind Games: Imposter Fears and Other Unhelpful Stories We Tell
- April 13: Assertiveness 2.0: Speaking Up, Even When Power Dynamics Make It Hard
- April 20: Feedback: We Need It, Even When We Don’t Like It
- April 27: You Can’t Sing a Duet Alone: Mentoring Relationships for Success
March 31, April 3, 7, 10, 14 & 17, 12–12:45 p.m.Zoom
Join Kim Stephens to learn evidence-based mindfulness mediation practices to improve focus and concentration and overall wellbeing. The curriculum is designed to be accessible, practical for everyday life, and supportive of student well-being.
April 7, 8:30–10:30 a.m.UMC 235
Kick off your day at our Graduate Student Appreciation Breakfast. Join Dean Adler and the Graduate School staff for coffee and a selection of breakfast treats as we celebrate you during Graduate Student Appreciation Week.
Food and beverage available while supplies last. BuffOne Cards are required at check-in.
April 10, 6–8 p.m.UMC, The Connections
Join the Graduate School and the Graduate and Professional Student Government for a free night of bowling (including rental shoes), billiards, ping pong and video games as part of Graduate Student Appreciation Week. Don’t miss this chance to connect, unwind and have fun.
This event is free for graduate students.
April 21, 12–1 p.m.Zoom
A teaching philosophy or teaching statement is one of the most important documents you'll include in applications for professorial positions in colleges and universities. This workshop offers insight into the purposes and common characteristics of this document, as well as practical strategies for developing a powerful teaching statement tailored to the position for which you're applying.
April 22, 12–1:30 p.m.Zoom
Master the art of clear and concise writing in proposals. This seminar will focus on effective sentence and paragraph construction, transitions, image/figure use and strategies to maintain narrative flow. You can register for the workshop by clicking “I’m Interested” in the link below.
April 23, 12:30–3 p.m.CASE, CTL Suite, Room E390
A goal of most mentoring situations is to enable the mentee to identify and achieve both academic and professional outcomes. This workshop will guide mentors as they reflect on their mentoring relationships and philosophy and consider how to implement changes in their mentoring practices.
April 28, 12–1 p.m.Zoom
This session will provide students with exercises to develop their public-facing personal brand. If you want to freshen your LinkedIn profile or your web presence for the job market, this workshop can help you design an authentic brand to connect with future employers and colleagues.
Other Events
- April 2, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom:
- April 6, 12–1 p.m., Virtual:
- April 6, 2–3 p.m., Virtual:
- April 7, 12–1 p.m., Virtual: