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Guide to CaltechTHESIS

Theses must be submitted in electronic form as part of the graduation requirements for Caltech. This guide serves as a tool for this process.

Annual Deadlines

Final 2024 deadlines

Please call the Graduate Office if you have any questions about these dates, or if you know you will not be able to meet theses deadlines! It is easier for them to remove you from the graduation list than to add you! They may also be able to make special accommodations, especially if your defense date is what is causing the delay.

If you are in a hurry to get your Letter of Completion from the Registrar, it is your responsibility to notify the Grad Office. The best time to do so is right after you have deposited your thesis.

IMPORTANT: The final corrected version of a thesis must be uploaded to CaltechTHESIS by the fifth week (~2 months) of the succeeding term if the candidate defended his or her thesis during the previous summer or the first and second terms; or two weeks before the degree is to be conferred if the candidate defended during the month of May.

(Please check official academic calendar as needed)

  • Last day to schedule PhD examinations (i.e. posted) in REGIS: Friday May 17, 2024
    • Per the Graduate Office, "the defense should be scheduled (i.e., posted) in REGIS by May 19 (the last day to schedule PhD examinations) and can be taken any time up to the last day to present the final thesis (June 2) as long as the thesis is ready to submit and all committee members have signed off".
  • Last day for presenting (defending) graduate theses (PhD and EngineerD): Friday, May 31, 2024
  • Deadline for depositing thesis into CaltechTHESIS is always about two weeks before commencement in order to participate in current year's ceremony: Monday, June 3, 2024
  • Last faculty meeting of the academic year: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
  • Commencement: Friday, June 14, 2024
  • Your official graduation year will be 2024, even if you defended in Summer or Fall 2023.  Please mark your thesis title page accordingly.
  • Once all your PhD requirements have been met, you will be able to download a letter of completion from REGIS, which you will be able to share with any future employers.

Letters of Completion

Getting your Letter of Completion

If you are in a hurry to get your Letter of Completion from the Registrar, it is your responsibility to notify both the Grad Office and Library.  The best time to do so is right after you have deposited your thesis into CaltechTHESIS.

  • The Library will do its best to review your thesis deposit as quickly as possible. 
    • It may return the record to you for corrections, sending a separate detailed email detailing what's needed.
    • You must make the corrections within the record and upload corrected files as needed.  Resubmit the record for final review.
    • Once the CaltechTHESIS deposit is satoi9sfactory, the Library will notify the Grad Office, and then waits to receive the thesis' final approval.
  • We highly recommend that you keep track of your status in your REGIS account.  Be proactive - missing signatures and forms can slow things down while you're waiting for final approval from the Grad Office.
    • If no longer have access tp REGIS, contact either the Grad Office or the Registrar's Office, where someone can check your account for you.
  • Once the Grad Office has given final approval for your thesis, the Library will be notified, and staff will update your CaltechTHESIS record.  That last action will trigger an automated email to the Registrar, who will add the final updates to your REGIS account.
  • Your Letter of Completion should be generated in PDF format and available for download within 12-24 hours after the Registrar has updated your record.  Contact the Grad Office or Registrar to retrieve it for you if you no longer have access to REGIS.