Research program completion

Background

Congratulations on a successful defense/exam! You are almost done. There are only a few steps between you and convocation, and the following guide provides a checklist for the steps that should be taken after the defense or final oral exam, so you know what to expect.

Procedure

Completion checklist

Responsible	Activity
Student	Complete thesis corrections If the thesis was accepted with minor corrections or minor modifications, then perform the necessary revisions to the satisfaction of the supervisor (or the convenor of your exam committee).
Student	Ensure proper thesis formatting by following SGS guidelines https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion/formatting/
Student	Obtain copyright permission (if applicable) Students may opt to reproduce parts of the thesis from published articles that they have authored. If this is the case, then copyright permission must be obtained from the publisher. https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion/copyright/
Supervisor	Inform SGS and BME that corrections have been completed and the thesis finalized After the thesis corrections have been deemed sufficient by the supervisor, s/he must inform SGS and BME by email (i.e., written confirmation) by providing a brief statement verifying that the student thesis is finalized and ready for upload to the thesis repository. Master’s candidates Email sgs.masters@utoronto.ca and grad.bme@utoronto.ca Doctoral candidates Email sgs.doctoral@utoronto.ca and grad.bme@utoronto.ca
Student	Verify name on transcript and diploma Your name as it appears in ACORN is the name that will appear on your diploma. Your name on the title page and abstract of your thesis must also be written exactly as the name that appears in ACORN. To change your name/gender, please complete and return a Change of Name or Gender Request form to SGS. https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/student-forms-letter-requests/ If your name requires accents, please complete the appropriate convocation Name on Diploma form by the appropriate deadline set by the Office of Convocation. If the necessary change(s) is/are not made by the deadline for name changes set by the Office of Convocation, there is a late fee to have a new diploma printed. Please note the deadlines are quite early: typically mid-September for November convocation and early February for March (in absentia) and June convocation. https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/diplomas-documents/name-diploma
Student	Set thesis embargo (if applicable) Publication of the thesis is a university requirement of your degree. However, it is possible that the student thesis may contain sensitive information that is not ready for public disclosure (e.g., patent pending, etc.). Thesis publication may be delayed for one or two years after convocation. After consulting the supervisor and receiving permission to do so, the student may request to restrict the thesis publication date (i.e., embargo) by returning a Restrict Thesis Release Date form to SGS. https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/student-forms-letter-requests/
Student	Check thesis filename You must use the following file naming convention: lastname_firstname_middleinitial(s)_graduationyearmonth_degreedesignator_thesis.pdf e.g., Smith_Lorie_L_202011_PhD_thesis.pdf (March graduates should use 202003; 202006 is for June convocation, and 202011 is for November convocation) Supplementary files should follow the same naming convention: e.g., Smith_Lorie_L_202011_PhD_datatables.exl Convert your thesis to PDF and embed the fonts (this prevents your fonts from being distorted when the thesis is opened in varying applications). Help in doing this will be provided during submission. If students do not have their own software to perform the conversation, students may use computers equipped with Adobe Acrobat Professional software in the Information Commons at Robarts Library.
Student	Upload your thesis to the U of T repository Students must create a user account in ProQuest (digital repository) to submit their thesis. http://www.etdadmin.com/toronto After submission, the exam office will check your submission for any formatting problems and inform you that your submission is complete or notify you if any changes need to be made. In the case that formatting problems are found, SGS will count the first submission date for fees and convocation deadlines. Please note that the student must re-submit their thesis within two weeks of being notified of formatting errors, or they may be considered to have not made the fees or convocation deadlines.
Student	Convocation ceremony Once your corrections have been approved and you have uploaded your thesis to ProQuest, you will then be placed on the relevant convocation list. Students must graduate at the ceremony immediately following completion of their degree requirements. Delay (i.e., deferral) of graduation is not permitted. Students must graduate once all degree requirements have been completed. Convocation is determined by your completion date. Your completion date is the date you submit the final thesis to the repository. Information about the time, location, and tickets for convocation ceremonies are normally emailed to the student’s utormail account (e.g., lorie.smith@mail.utoronto.ca) approximately three weeks prior to convocation.
Student	Verify contact information on ACORN The Office of Convocation will contact students about next steps in the ceremony process. Students should take the time to ensure that their contact information, including mailing address, is correct to avoid communication delays.

Note(s)

Transcripts: will not reflect program completion or show that your degree was conferred until three business days after the last ceremony of your convocation session.
Confirmation of degree requirement (completion) letters: are issued upon request by SGS, provided that your final approved thesis and all necessary documentation has been submitted, and that your fees are paid in full (no outstanding holds on your account) https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/student-forms-letter-requests/
Outstanding Fees: students who have fees owing as of the convocation deadline will not be able to receive their diploma at the ceremony and will not be able to pick up the diploma after graduation until their arrears are cleared.
Convocation: your convocation is determined by your completion date. Your completion date is the date you submit the final and corrected thesis to the U of T repository. The Office of Convocation will email you in the month before the convocation ceremonies to tell you about the ceremony, and about ticket order and gown rental processes. Remember, March convocation is “in absentia”; there is no ceremony. You cannot attend the June convocation ceremony if you chose March convocation – no exceptions.
Final-year doctoral and master’s program fees: Exactly when your final fees will be corrected in ACORN varies with a few factors such as the point in the fees cycle when the final thesis is submitted and fluctuations in workflow at the SGS and at Student Accounts. For example, December-January and September-October will be slower than other times of the year. Generally, you can expect to see the corrected final balance about six weeks after submission. Some students will see their balance change in two stages as the SGS can do one part of the update, but Student Accounts does the final adjustment. Refunds would be indicated by a credit on your fees statement in ACORN. Refunds will be issued to your bank account if you are set up for direct deposit and the banking information is current. If you need a cheque, you may need to contact Student Accounts to make arrangements.
- https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion/final-year-fees/
- https://studentaccount.utoronto.ca/contact-us/
Thesis publication date: unless you have requested otherwise (i.e., restricted thesis release/thesis embargo), your thesis will be published about four or five weeks after convocation.
Thesis binding: BME does not require a bound paper copy of your thesis. However, if you would like one, the U of T binding service is recommended: https://uoftbookstore.com/thesis-services/ or https://www.duplicentre.com/ but you may choose any other printing service you prefer. You will also be invited to order bound copies through the ProQuest thesis submission interface, but the U of T service is faster and less expensive. ProQuest will charge in US dollars, and you will be liable for shipping costs and duty.
Award holders: if you submit your thesis in the first two weeks of each session, your registration will be cancelled for that session; this may affect award installments. If you have questions, please consult the Graduate Awards Office (graduate.awards@utoronto .ca)

Contacts and additional resources

Doctoral fees https://uthrprod.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0011789
SGS program completion: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/program-completion
Office of Convocation: https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/graduation-and-convocation
After you graduate: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/current-students/after-you-graduate/