Academics
Commencement - May 15, 2022
Students of the School of Graduate Studies who received degrees in August 2021 and January 2022 and those who will graduate in May 2022 are invited to attend our Diploma Ceremony in Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center as part of Commencement on Sunday, May 15 at 2:30pm! Registration for graduates is required so don't forget; registration will close on Friday, April 1. Please note that applying to graduate and registering for Commencement are two entirely separate processes. When you register, you will be able to enter a preferred name and phonetic spelling and record your pronunciation. We are not issuing guest tickets for our Diploma Ceremony and you many invite as many friends and family to attend as you wish. The morning Convocation and conferral of degrees will be livestreamed so graduate students can watch virtually. More details on Commencement 2022 will be posted in the coming weeks but you can review additional information here.
Also, you can get assistance ordering regalia at a doctoral fitting (March 18) or the Grad Fair (March 30-31).
Submit Graduation Materials by April 8
If you have applied to graduate for Spring 2022, you must submit your final materials by 5:00pm EDT on Friday, April 8. Submission of materials includes the completed format check and the uploading of your approved Thesis or Dissertation to OhioLINK. Please plan to communicate with your advisors and committee to make sure all approvals are completed. All forms can be downloaded and electronically signed to be emailed to gradstudies@case.edu or dropped off in our office in Tomlinson 203.
Final Oral Defense
Doctoral candidates must submit the Notification for Scheduling the Final Oral Exam to Graduate Studies at least three weeks prior to the scheduled defense date. If you intend to graduate in May, you should pay careful attention to submission deadlines and plan accordingly. Dissertation defenses (like classes) are to be held in-person. Current University policies on masking and physical distancing should apply. If special circumstances exist, students can petition Grad Studies for exceptions. See our Graduation page for more details.
Last Day for Course Withdrawal: March 25
If you need to withdraw from a single course (as long as it is not your only class), you have until Friday, March 25 to do so. For most classes, this is to be done in SIS. See the University Registrar's page on class registration (start at #20) for instructions.
When you drop the individual course, you will receive a grade of W on your transcript and you will receive a 0% tuition refund. If you have more questions or are unsure whether you should drop the individual course, speak to your professor and/or advisor before making the decision to withdraw.
Incomplete (I) Grades from Fall 2021?
If you received an Incomplete (I) grade in the fall semester, you have until the date specified by your instructor - but no later than the 11th week of class (Friday, March 25) - to submit all outstanding work in order to have a final grade posted. If the Incomplete is not resolved by this date, the I grade will be converted to an F. See our Incomplete Policy in the Bulletin for more details.
Currently Auditing a Course?
Students can audit a course to gain knowledge in a subject area without being bound to complete all of the required coursework. Email a completed Add/Drop Form to gradstudies@case.edu to audit a course for Spring 2022 by Friday, March 25. A student may audit a course with the approval of the instructor and advisor, however, they receive no credit for the course (a grade of AD is posted on the transcript.) Note that a course cannot be changed from Audit to Credit, and audited courses cannot be used to fulfill any degree requirements. Full tuition is charged for audited courses.
Campus Community
Additional Support Space
As many members of the CWRU community have family and cultural ties to Eastern Europe, University Health and Counseling Services is providing additional virtual support sessions to students affected by the war in Ukraine in this difficult and emotional time. You can register for a confidential one-on-one 30 minute consultation.
Additionally, students can use the free 24/7/365 virtual CWRU Care and sign-up to attend a variety of wellness programs and services.
It's On CWRU
It's On CWRU provides workshops and resources to disrupt the culture of violence on campus and beyond. If you are planning any events during April that would relate to Sexual Assault Awareness Month or have an idea for a custom workshop about being an active bystander, consent, healthy relationships, gender equity or other initiatives to reduce harm on campus, please email the Flora Stone Mather Center to be included on the It's On CWRU calendar.
Material Borrowed from KSL
Remember to periodically log into your library account to check the status of your borrowed materials. For graduate students, most circulating books will have a fixed due date that falls at the end of the spring semester. You can also log into your account to renew items and check the status of OhioLINK and SearchOhio requests.
Join the Int'l Student Advisory Council
To give international students a stronger voice on campus and support engagement, International Student Services (ISS) is seeking international graduate and undergraduate students to join the student advisory council. Learn more and submit nominations by Sunday, April 3!
Beware of Student Job Scams
Scammers are increasingly trying to swindle students out of money via fake job opportunities. Please be vigilant when reviewing emails and check these suggestions for some quick indicators that email may be a scam. Review these tips to help stay safe and secure!
Spring Arrives
Spring officially begins on Sunday, March 20. Blossoms and buds should be returning to campus and Cleveland soon. Already some flowers are peaking out from the winter soil. If you go out, hopefully you can enjoy the world awakening. We could all use some of that colorful cheer right now!
Have Fun in Cleveland!
Curious about what to do in and around Cleveland? Check out This is Cleveland and International Student Services' Bucket List. for lists of events happening in and around Cleveland and places to visit before you graduate. And don't forget your student ID card can get you free visits to some of the many cultural, scientific, and educational attractions near campus!
Award Season
Nominations are currently open for the 2022 Graduate Student Awards!
Faculty and academic departments with degrees in the School of Graduate Studies are encouraged to nominate outstanding students for several prestigious awards to be honored at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 26. Some nominations can be submitted by students and community members. See our submission page for more details on each award including student eligibility, who is permitted to nominate, and what documentation is needed.
Send questions to sgsevents@case.edu. The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, March 23.
Departments that sponsor awards for their students are encouraged to submit notifications to Grad Studies so we may include these winners in our ceremony on Tuesday, April 26. Any student in a program managed by the School of Graduate Studies who has received an award in the 2021-2022 academic year should be included so please send your notifications!
Send questions to sgsevents@case.edu. The deadline to submit notification of department awards is Wednesday, March 23.
Joining over 900 institutions across more than 80 countries around the world, the very first Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition at CWRU was held on February 25 to celebrates the exciting research conducted by grad students in a competition to effectively communicate the significance of their projects to a general audience in just three minutes.
Please join us in applauding the winners of this inaugural event:
- School of Graduate Studies first place ($2,000 prize): Christine Smothers, PhD Student, Nursing
- Science & Human Rights Coalition second place ($1,500 prize): Derek Wong, MD/PhD student, Medical Scientist Training Program
- Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship third place ($1,000 prize): Yi Fan Chen, MD/PhD student, Medical Scientist Training Program
- Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership People’s Choice Awards Group A Winner ($350 prize): Zoe Sekyonda, PhD student, Biomedical Engineering
- Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership People’s Choice Awards Group B Winner ($350 prize): Farrah Gao, PhD student, Genetics and Genome Sciences
- Case-Coulter Translational Research Partnership (CCTRP) People’s Choice Awards Group C Winner ($350 prize): Priyanka Suresh, PhD student, Chemical Engineering
Read more about the winners. Christine Smothers, the first place winner, will compete in the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools Regional Competition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 8. All winners of the competition at CWRU will be celebrated at the 2022 Graduate Award Ceremony on April 26.
Graduate students in the Department of English can enter poems into the 2022 Timothy Calhoun Memorial Prize for Poetry for the best poem or group of poems. The winners will be celebrated at our Graduate Award Ceremony on Tuesday, April 26.
Submissions are due by 4:00pm EDT on Friday, March 18
The National Center for Regenerative Medicine invites Master’s students interested in stem cell and regenerative medicine research to apply for its ENGAGE summer research program. Selected students will have opportunities for scientific growth by working with renowned scientific investigators in funded projects for eight weeks in research laboratory.
Applications are due by 11:59pm EDT on Sunday March 27.
Women-identified Masters and PhD students in programs taught by the College of Arts and Sciences can apply for the Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship to assist in extending their education by foreign study or foreign travel, or both in the twelve months following the current academic year.
The amounts of the fellowships vary, but generally range from $1,000 to $3,500. Those who receive awards will be required to submit a brief report of the project after its completion with reasonable documentary evidence of major expenditures. Funds are not disbursed until expenses are incurred and original receipts are submitted.
Please review more information and application details. Reference letters should be submitted separately by the letter writer electronically to Dean Karie Feldman; please ask your recommender to include your name and PANCOAST in the subject line of the email.
The winners will be celebrated at our Graduate Award Ceremony on Tuesday, April 26.
Applications and recommendation letters are due by Friday, April 1.
Graduate students who are working to make impactful actions and advancement of the mission of the LGBT+ community at CWRU, in Cleveland, or beyond through scholarship, research, or leadership activities can apply for CWRU Pride LGBT Ohio Leadership Award.
Applications and letters of recommendation are due by 5:00pm EDT on Friday, April 1.
The Social Justice Institute at CWRU is offering fellowship and grant opportunities for graduate students in any discipline with research or projects related to social justices. Students seeking funding to support a Master of Arts thesis or PhD dissertation research are especially encouraged to apply.
Applications are due by 5:00pm on Friday, April 1.
Upcoming Events
The Office of Graduate Student Life is coordinating a week long event April 4-8, to recognize the intellectual, teaching, and cultural contributions that graduate students make to our University community everyday!
Join the CampusGroups page for more information and how to register for specific events as they're announced at the end of March!
The 2022 Cleveland Humanities Festival is currently happening with collaborative events continuing all through the spring celebrating the Cleveland and Northeast Ohio's great cultural institutions! This year's theme is "Discourse" to encourage questions and conversation in our community.
Explore the relationship between nature and society from various perspectives in history, literature and the arts, with nearly thirty free events over the next few weeks. Read about the festival and register for the individual events around Northeast Ohio.
The debut of the Department of Theater's 2024 MFA in Acting cohort will stage the Ohio premiere of Christopher Chen's Passage at the Cleveland Play House on Wednesdays (7:30pm) and Saturdays (3:00pm and 7:30pm) from March 23 to April 2!
Reserve your tickets now!
The Department of Dance's spring MFA thesis concert will feature works from MFA candidates Mary-Elizabeth Fenn, Stephen Martey Markwei, and Tingyu Xie. Vitalitas will run from March 24 to 26 at 8:00pm and March 27 at 2:30pm in the Mather Dance Center next to the Tink.
GSC's annual ball for Graduate Student Appreciation Week returns this year with a theme of "The Big Bang" for an evening of food, drinks, and entertainment at the Great Lakes Science Center on Saturday, April 9!
Join the LGBT Center for a Grad Student Gayme Night on Friday, April 15 at 6:00pm in Tink Student Org Center (room 150)! To add to the fun you can bring some of your favorite board, tabletop, and card games!
| Thu 3/17 |
6:00pm- 8:00pm |
Purim Carnival |
| Fri 3/18 |
8:30am- 1:00pm |
Doctoral Regalia Fitting |
| Fri 3/18 |
6:00pm- 8:00pm |
ASA Film Festival |
| Fri 3/18 |
Sun 3/20 |
HackCWRU |
| Thu 3/24 |
Sat 3/26 |
21st Annual Vagantes Conference on Medieval Studies |
| Wed 3/30 |
12:00pm- 1:00pm |
Effective Written Communication in Science and Engineering |
| Wed 3/30 |
Thur 3/31 |
Grad Fair |
| Fri 4/1 |
5:00pm- 7:00pm |
CWRU Holi Celebration 2022 |
| Thu 4/7 |
5:30pm- 6:30pm |
GSC General Assembly |
| Thu 4/7 |
7:00pm- 9:00pm |
KSL Game Night: Trivia Edition |
| Fri 4/8 |
7:00pm- 11:00pm |
Rainbow Gala |
| Wed 4/13 |
4:00pm- 5:00pm |
KSL Student Book Collecting Contest Award Ceremony |
| Wed 4/13 |
6:00pm- 7:00pm |
GCAS General Assembly Meeting |
| Fri 4/22 |
Sun 4/24 |
47th Annual Science Fiction Movie Marathon |
| Tues 4/26 |
6:00pm- 7:30pm |
Lavender Graduation |
