Dissertation Completion Award

Dissertation Completion Award is sponsored by Oregon State University. Supports outstanding doctoral students in the final stages of their dissertations with tuition and fee coverage.

Dissertation Completion Award | Office of Graduate Education | Oregon State University Dissertation Completion Award Winter 2027 award nominations open October 26, 2026, deadline: November 30, 2026 The Office of Graduate Education is pleased to offer the Dissertation Completion Award to support outstanding domestic or international doctoral students who are in the final stages of their dissertations.

This award is offered on a quarterly basis, and is available only in situations where (1) graduate assistantship opportunities do not exist or where grant funding is insufficient to fund the student’s final term, and (2) the nominee has a very strong likelihood of successfully defending during the award period.

This award is not intended to provide stopgap funding or to fund students whose completion timeline is uncertain or tentative at the time of nomination. The award also aligns with and supports development in the OSU Grad Advantage core competencies for graduate students.

Nominees should complete the OSU Grad Advantage Self-Assessment Tool at the time of their nomination, or in the case of prospective students after they have been formally admitted to gauge their ongoing professional development. There are two versions of this award: the Thesis Completion Award (for master’s students) and the Dissertation Completion Award (for doctoral students).

The Office of Graduate Education anticipates awarding 4-6 Dissertation Completion Awards each term. Awards cover the cost of three graduate credits of tuition at the student’s tuition rate and mandatory fees for one academic term only. This tuition-only award does not include a health insurance subsidy of any kind.

This award may not accompany a graduate assistantship, fellowship, or any tuition support from the college, academic unit, or external training grant. Awards are made with the condition that the awardee successfully defend their dissertation and complete all Office of Graduate Education degree completion steps during the award period.

In cases where the awardee does not successfully defend their dissertation and complete all Office of Graduate Education degree completion steps within the award period, the Office of Graduate Education may restrict or exclude the nominating unit from submitting future nominations for this award.

To be eligible, nominees must: Be a doctoral student in the final year of their degree and completing a dissertation Be making satisfactory academic progress, as determined by their graduate program Have completed all coursework requirements Have passed written (if required) and oral preliminary exams (if required) Have passed a dissertation proposal defense (if required) Be able to successfully defend the dissertation and complete all Office of Graduate Education degree completion steps within the award period Nominees are ineligible for funding if: They have any type of tuition support available to them from the college, academic unit, or external training grant during their final academic term specifically intended to cover the cost of tuition They have previously received Office of Graduate Education Thesis Completion, Dissertation Completion Award, Graduate Dean’s Catalyst Fellowship funds They previously attempted to defend their dissertation, did not pass, and will be attempting a re-defense They will not be enrolled in at least three graduate credits during the term for which the funds were requested Their degree completion timeline is uncertain or tentative at the time of the nomination Quality of the letter of nomination Impact and quality of the nominee’s research including its likelihood of contributing to the field of study or discipline Reasonability of the proposed completion timeline and likelihood the nominee will successfully defend the dissertation and complete all Office of Graduate Education degree completion steps within the award period Please note: Nominees who have formally scheduled exams with the Office of Graduate Education demonstrate a greater likelihood that they will be able to successfully defend during the award period.

Nominees who have not submitted an Exam Scheduling Form with the Office of Graduate Education are encouraged to do so prior to the submission of this nomination.

Quality of the nominee’s résumé or curriculum vitae Fall 2026: Open 07/12/26 to 08/17/26 Winter 2027: Open 10/26/26 to 11/30/26 Spring 2027: Open 01/19/27 to 02/22/27 Summer 2027: Open 04/12/27 to 05/17/27 Please note that these posted deadlines refer to the date/time by which the Office of Graduate Education must receive the final and complete nomination packet and any accompanying materials.

Academic units may have earlier deadlines to accommodate their internal selection and nomination processes, so students are encouraged to verify the timeline with faculty and/or their graduate program leadership. Nominations may be submitted by the nominee's graduate program director or unit chair/head. Students may not apply directly for this award.

Each unit (as defined by university major code ) may nominate no more than one nominee (total) per award cycle. In the online nomination form, nominators will be required to prepare/upload the following materials as one PDF document using the following file name convention: "Nominee's Last Name_Department_DCompletion. pdf," and upload it through the nomination form.

A joint nomination letter (one letter total, no more than 2 pages) from the unit chair/head or graduate program director and dissertation advisor.

The nomination letter must address each of the eligibility/ineligibility requirements above and describe (a) the nominee’s research, including its quality and likely contributions to the field of study or discipline and (b) the nominee’s timeline for completion of the dissertation including the likelihood the student will successfully defend the dissertation and complete all Office of Graduate Education degree completion steps within the award period.

A statement from the nominee describing (a) how the award will assist them in their final term and why the funds are necessary for degree completion and (b) the status of their dissertation including their proposed timeline for completing their degree during the award period. A copy of the nominee’s résumé or curriculum vitae. Abstract of the nominee’s dissertation.

Optional, but encouraged: a copy of the student's Exam Scheduling Form . Scholarships and Fellowships Application Form Overview For questions about this award or any Office of Graduate Education administered awards, please contact our Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships team