Doctoral candidates who defend and submit their approved dissertation by Friday of the first week of a quarter and apply to graduate in that quarter are not required to register as students in that quarter. At the request of the department/program, students meeting these requirements may hold the status of “no registration required in quarter of graduation.” Students in the “no registration” status:
- Do not register for classes
- Are ineligible for insurance (U-SHIP)*
- Are not assessed the Student Services Fee
- Do not receive funding from the University of Chicago
* The “no registration status” is U-SHIP ineligible. Students who had U-SHIP coverage for the previous six months, which includes PhD students, are eligible to apply for continuation coverage. Spring quarter graduates who were enrolled in Spring continue to have U-SHIP coverage through August 31 of that year.
International students considering this status must discuss their plans with the Office of International Affairs because their F-1 or J-1 record must be updated to reflect their earlier completion date. More information about finishing degree programs early is available on OIA’s website. International students should contact the PSD OIA adviser.
Dissertation Submission Policy (beginning October 2026)
Starting Autumn Quarter 2026, the quarter in which a PhD student successfully defends the dissertation is the final quarter in which the student will be enrolled and funded, regardless of whether they graduate that quarter or in a future quarter. Likewise, if a student successfully defends the dissertation between terms, they will not be enrolled or funded in the following quarter or in future quarters.
Students are expected to submit their approved dissertations to Knowledge@UChicago, the University’s open access repository, during the quarter in which they defend. Students who are unable to submit their dissertation by the submission deadline of their defense quarter must notify the Dean of Students Office prior to seventh week of their defense quarter.
Students who are unable to deposit their dissertation prior to deposit deadlines in the quarter of their dissertation defense are expected to meet deposit and graduation deadlines for degree completion in the following quarter, during which they will be placed in a non-registered status, which will affect student privileges. Students should consult with their Dean of Students and the Office of International Affairs to understand implications. Students who fail to graduate in that following quarter will be administratively withdrawn and must consult with the Dean of Students for appropriate processes for graduation in a future quarter.