Thesis, Dissertation & Defense

Deadlines, defense procedures, submission steps, graduation timing, and databases of past SES theses and dissertations.

At NAU, a thesis is master’s research and a dissertation is PhD research; the process below is the same for both.

Forms and deadlines

Start with these two official pages, along with your program handbook:

Preparing to defend and submit

  1. Review all deadlines and procedures on the OGPS website and in your program handbook.
  2. Coordinate defense scheduling with your advisor and committee.
  3. Complete the format check course in Canvas one to two weeks before your defense.
  4. Contact the SES Graduate Program Coordinator to verify availability and book a room.
  5. Email your defense announcement to SES.Admin@nau.edu 7 to 10 days prior, including title, date, time, location, and Zoom link if hybrid.
  6. Your committee completes Oral Defense Form Part 1 during the defense.
  7. After you finish edits, your advisor submits Oral Defense Form Part 2 and discusses access and embargo options with you.
  8. Submit your thesis via NAU’s ProQuest site.

Graduation timing and tuition

  • Graduate this semester: submit your thesis by the last day of the current semester.
  • Graduate next semester at no extra cost: defend by the deadline, then submit within the 10-business-day grace period after the end of the current semester. See the Continuous Enrollment graduate policy.
  • Missed both windows: you must enroll in at least 1 credit of 699/799 the next semester; see per-credit tuition and fees.

Past SES theses and dissertations

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