It is typical that after a dissertation defense that students will be asked to make revisions to their draft dissertation; these may be minor or may require significant time depending on the committee’s judgment of quality. Students should allow for this additional editing time in planning on graduation dates. In some cases, where extensive editing is required, students may need to hire a professional editor to improve the final written document. The Graduate Division maintains a calendar setting deadlines for submission to be eligible for graduation in a given semester, typically about six weeks prior to the end of the semester. See the UHM academic calendar for dates.

Once students complete the dissertation defense and file Form III, theGraduate Division will send a packet with information on all materials that must be submitted with the manuscript. Students should review this packet carefully to be sure all requirements are met. Students must file a Graduation Application with the Graduate Division at the beginning of the semester in which they expect to finish the written dissertation. This is an important deadline.

Once the post-defense changes are completed and approved by the committee, the student submits copies of the dissertation to the Graduate Division along with a Form IV. The majority of the committee must sign off on the manuscript (Form IV), which is separate from signing off on the earlier defense (Form III). 

The required submission formats for the completed document are listed on the Graduate Division website. In addition, The Graduate Division has several other requirements for finishing and graduation.