Thesis Timeline

First Year of Study

Mid-May

Second Year Transition Form Due. You will receive an electronic link, and will be asked to sketch some preliminary plans and some advising preferences. Thesis advisors and second readers are then assigned before the conclusion of the quarter.

Early June

Once your thesis advisor has been assigned, please reach out and contact them. If possible, plan to meet with them before the last day of Spring Quarter instruction to outline a plan of work for the summer and the following academic year. Thesis advisors are often not available over the summer, so please do not delay without first consulting your thesis advisor.

You will be asked to complete a Thesis Completion Plan which will guide the Graduate Office in setting up your independent study credits and enable you to register. Please complete your Thesis Completion Plan and return it to iasgrad@uw.edu by the last day of Spring Quarter or as soon as possible thereafter to facilitate this.

Second Year of Study

Fall Quarter

Work on Thesis

Winter Quarter

Work Toward A Completed Thesis

Spring Quarter

Complete Thesis

Thesis Completion Dates and Deadlines

Current students: Please log into the MFA Degree Resources Canvas to view thesis completion dates and deadlines.  

Notes on consequences of missed submission, or unapproved final submissions.

Scenario 1. Thesis work is completed and approved, but the final ETD submission deadline is missed.

If students have completed all their degree requirements, including satisfactory thesis work, but miss the submission deadline for filing with the Graduate School, they can pay a Graduate Registration Waiver Fee of $250 instead of re-enrolling. This is for students who may have formatting issues as opposed to substantive issues with their final thesis.

Scenario 2. Thesis work is not approved by final submission deadline.

Without approval of final requirements, including satisfactory completion of the thesis, students cannot graduate. The Graduate School requires that students maintain enrollment as a full- or part-time graduate student in the quarter that they graduate.

For MFA students whose theses are not approved prior to the final ETD submission deadline, the student will need to enroll in additional credits (min. 1 CR) in the future to maintain enrolled status and file for completion/graduation in the quarter of their enrollment. (Students do not have to go on leave for the summer if they plan to enroll in autumn).

See Final Quarter Registration for details.