Policy on Graduation Requirements and Deadlines
Dated: May 8, 2025
Supersedes: Policy on Graduation Requirements and Deadlines dated September 24, 2024
Last review: May 8, 2025
I. PURPOSE
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBMS) at New York Medical College awards degrees three times a year (May, August, and December) with one formal graduation (“commencement”) ceremony in May. The purpose of this policy is to define guidelines and requirements for the graduate students pursuing Master of Science (M.S.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees at GSBMS.
II. POLICY
It is the policy of NYMC that students meet the following requirements and deadlines to be eligible to graduate from the GSBMS.
A. To qualify for graduation by the appropriate deadline (see section II.C.);
1. apply for graduation by the appropriate deadline
2. complete all degree requirements maintaining good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 and above) by the appropriate deadlines (see section II.C.) with no courses expiring; and no courses expiring; and
3. fulfill all financial obligations to the College prior to graduation.
B. All students must be registered in the semester in which they intend to graduate, including the summer term, to maintain their status as an active student. Those who are not registered for any classes in their final semester must register for the Maintenance of Matriculation course. Students who have not taken classes for three consecutive fall/spring semesters (excluding summer) will be automatically inactivated by the Registrar and must be reinstated before continuing their pursuit of a degree.
C. Deadlines:
1. Specific to Ph.D. students:
| Action | Deadlines (if a deadline falls on a college holiday or weekend, it is extended to the next business day) |
||
| December Graduation | May Graduation | August Graduation | |
| Submit application for graduation in the TouroOne portal. (If the student does not graduate in the intended term, a new application for graduation must be filed for the term of anticipated graduation.) |
OCT 1 - NOV 1* | NOV 1 - DEC 1* | MAR 15 - APR 15* |
| Complete the Ph.D. Advisory Committee Membership Form and Dissertation Completion Form | OCT 15 | DEC 1 | APR 15 |
| Submit Thesis Defense Brochure to the GSBMS office | No later than 2 weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense | ||
|
Schedule and conduct an oral defense of an original Doctoral dissertation. Upon successful completion of the dissertation defense, a Defense of Thesis Certification Form must be completed via DocuSign. |
OCT 15 | MAR 15 | The last Friday before commencement day in May to walk in the same year or the first Friday in June to walk in the following year (refer to the Walking at Commencement Policy) |
| Complete all course requirements for the degree, except courses in which the student is currently enrolled. | NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June |
|
Submit to the GSBMS office: a. Final version of Doctoral Dissertation with all Dissertation Committee signatures on the signature page. |
NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June |
|
Degree is conferred. (refer to the GSBMS Ph.D. Financial Support Policy for termination of benefits and stipend information) |
DEC 31 | Commencement Day in May* | AUG 31 |
*subject to change, check with the Registrar's Office.
NOTE FOR M.D.--Ph.D. students:
All M.D.-Ph.D. students must schedule and conduct an oral defense of their thesis and submit the final version of their Doctoral dissertation to complete the Ph.D. portion of their program prior to resuming the next phase of their studies.
2. Deadlines specific to M.S. Students:
| Action | Deadlines (if a deadline falls on a college holiday or weekend, it is extended to the next business day) |
|||||
| December Graduation | May Graduation | August Graduation | ||||
| Submit the M.S. Thesis/Literature Review Committee Membership Form | AUG 1 | OCT 15 | APR 15 | |||
| Submit application for graduation in the TouroOne portal. | OCT 1 - NOV 1* | NOV 1 - DEC 1* | MAR 15 - APR 15* | |||
| Complete all course requirements for the degree, except courses in which the student is currently enrolled. | NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June | |||
| Submit final version of M.S. Literature Review or Research Thesis to the GSBMS office. | NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June | |||
| Complete the M.S. Literature Review Approval Form or Master's Thesis Certification Form via DocuSign. | NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June | |||
| Submit Health Sciences Library Thesis Permission Form to the GSBMS office (for M.S. Research thesis only). | NOV 1 | APR 1 | The third Friday in June | |||
| Degree is conferred. | DEC 31 | Commencement Day in May* | AUG 31 | |||
**, subject to change, check with the Registrar’s Office.
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to student enrolled in the M.S. or Ph.D. programs in the GSBMS of New York Medical College who meet eligibility requirements for graduation.
IV. DEFINITIONS
GSBMS: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
M.S.: Master of Science Degree
Ph.D.: Doctor of Philosophy Degree
V. PROCEDURE
A. The Academic Standards Committee makes a recommendation to the Graduation Faculty Council and the Dean regarding the approval of graduation for the student, based on the review of the student's full academic record and determination of whether all academic requirements have been fulfilled by the student. Degrees are conferred once the student is approved for graduation by the Graduate Faculty Council and the Dean.
B. Students who do not satisfy the degree requirements by the appropriate deadlines (see section II.C.) will not be approved for graduation in the given term, with the postponement of graduation until the degree requirements are completed.
VI. EFFECTIVE DATE
This policy is effective immediately.
VII. POLICY MANAGEMENT
Executive Stakeholder: Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Oversight Office: Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
