The Graduate College Handbook - 2009
B. Registration Requirements
The Graduate College does not require that students be registered to take preliminary examinations, nor does the Graduate College require students to be registered at the time of deposit. However, individual departments may have registration requirements, so students should check with their department for details. The Graduate College does require that all doctoral candidates be registered for the entire academic term during which they take the final examination, regardless of when the thesis will be deposited or when the degree will be conferred. For this purpose only, "academic term" is defined as extending to and including the day before the first day of the following academic term. If enough thesis credits have been accumulated, registration for zero hours is acceptable. See chapter II.B.6 for more information about enrollment in GC 599 for loan deferral. For students in the Medical Scholars Program, registration in the College of Medicine during the academic term in which they defend meets the enrollment requirement.
Summer:
A student who was registered during summer session need not register for the fall semester if the final examination occurs on or before the final October examination deadline for the doctoral degree students. This date is published on the Graduate College Deadlines Web page. This policy provides a grace period at the beginning of the fall semester for students who are unable to assemble their dissertation committees over the summer. For example, in Fall 2008, a doctoral student who wants to defend but does not want to register for the fall term must: (a) have been registered for Summer 2008 and (b) successfully defend by September 19, 2008, the deadline for holding the final examination for October 2008 graduation.