3 Minute Thesis (3MT)
The fourth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition returns to CWRU on February 28, 2025! Developed by the University of Queensland and now held at over 900 institutions across more than 80 countries, 3MT celebrates the exciting research conducted by grad students around the world. 3MT is a competition that challenges students to cultivate their research and communication skills by effectively presenting the significance of their projects to a general audience in just three minutes.
CWRU students enrolled in either a Master’s or Doctoral program with an original research project may enter the 2024-2025 3MT competition! The deadline to submit video for the competition's first round is Monday, December 4, 11:59 PM EST [extended deadline].
Want to learn more? Visit our 3MT website and view a recording of the 2024 Information & Research Communications Session and review the info slides for more details including the timeline and eligibility.
Diekhoff Awards for Faculty
Committee Members Needed!
Be a part of a 45-year CWRU tradition to recognize graduate faculty for their exemplary contributions to the education and development of students through advising, mentoring, and classroom teaching.
We are looking for motivated Graduate Studies students interested in contributing to the selection of this year's John S. Diekhoff Award winners. This group will interview and select the recipients of these distinguished graduate teaching and mentoring awards, presented annually to two CWRU faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and two who have done so in mentoring. Learn more about the awards here.
If you are interested in joining the committee, applications for the committee are due Sunday, December 1, 11:59 PM. Questions? Email diekhoff@case.edu.
Nominate Faculty for Diekhoff Awards
Do you know a faculty member who is an outstanding teacher or mentor to graduate students? Nominate them for the prestigious John S. Diekhoff Awards. Up to four Diekhoff Awards are given annually to faculty members nominated, interviewed and selected by students. The winners will be recognized at the School of Graduate Studies Award Ceremony at the end of the Spring semester and presented their awards during commencement in May 2025.
Learn more about the awards and nominee eligibility.
Submit your faculty nomination for outstanding faculty by Tuesday, December 31, 11:59 PM [extended deadline]. Questions? Email diekhoff@case.edu.
Academics
Thanksgiving Break: 11/27 - 11/29
Our offices in Tomlinson and the rest of the University will close at 3:00pm EST on Wednesday, November 27 and remain closed the following Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Also, access availability to some buildings and services on campus (such as KSL, gyms, shuttles, dining, etc) may have reduced and altered hours over the long weekend and possibly the preceding days so check in advance to plan accordingly.
Whether you're traveling or staying here in Cleveland we wish you a happy and fun Thanksgiving!
Submit Graduation Materials by 12/6
If you have applied to graduate for Fall 2024, you must submit your final materials by 5:00pm EST on Friday, December 6. 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. All forms and material can be emailed to gradstudies@case.edu or printed copies dropped off at our office (Tomlinson 203).
Degrees will be conferred (awarded) on Friday, January 17, 2025; information on how to obtain your diploma will be emailed to you on or around that date. As there is no Fall semester ceremony, January graduates will be invited to participate at Commencement in May 2025. Watch for details in the first few months of the new year.
End of the Semester
The last day of classes this semester is Friday, December 6 with final exams from December 10 to 18; check the Final Exam Schedule to see when your exams will take place. Double check any dates with professors or your department before planning winter break travel in order to ensure you are present when required.
Full Term Withdrawal
If you need to discontinue all studies this fall semester and withdraw from all classes, the deadline to initiate a term withdrawal in SIS is Friday, December 6 (the last day of classes but before finals). Prior to this, students should also discuss this with your advisor, dean, or Grad Studies staff. A grade of "WD" will be posted to your academic record for dropped courses and no tuition will be refunded (after the fifth week of classes). See the Registrar's site for more information about a full term withdrawal and step-by-step instructional guide. No one will be allowed complete withdrawal after the last day of classes.
Register for Spring 2025
Registration is open in SIS for Spring 2025 courses. You won't be able to register if you have a hold on your account in SIS; click below to find out how to remove it.
Automatically placed onto your account each semester and must be removed by your advisor before you can register for courses.
Placed by Student Financial Services, these holds can affect registration, ordering transcripts or receiving your diploma. Login to SIS to pay your balance.
Placed by Student Financial Services. Simply click on the Hold link in SIS and walk through the steps to remove it.
For applicable programs, students who have not submitted a PPOS in SIS by the end of their second semester (or earlier for some Masters programs) may have a registration hold placed on their records. Once submitted, your advisor must review and approve the PPOS in SIS. The hold will then be processed and removed overnight.
A registration hold placed by Graduate Studies Admissions if you have missing documents that need to be submitted. Login to the online application system here to view what is missing. For specific questions, email gradadmit@case.edu.
If you are enrolled in the Student Medical Plan, please make sure to register for your spring courses early to ensure no lapse in your coverage. If you have coverage this fall it will continue until January 12, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. If you are taking classes in the spring and enrolled in the medical plan it will begin on January 13, 2025 at 12:01am EST. If you register after January 24 (the end of Drop/Add), your plan will only become effective on the date you register (not earlier).
Leave of Absence (LOA) Requests
Unsure if you'll be able to continue your studies in the spring semester? A leave of absence may be requested for up to two academic semesters if circumstances arise which make you unable to maintain your registration. Find the Graduate Studies Leave of Absence policy here. A written request must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies by email to gradstudies@case.edu. Check with your advisor if you are considering an LOA.
Spoken English Sessions
Most Friday afternoons this fall, our Spoken English Language Programs (SELP) offers in-person workshops and conversation hours designed for international students for whom English is an additional language in Tomlinson Hall. Registration is open for graduate students and their spouses/partners; enrollment is limited to allow maximum conversational time for participants. Please contact Eric Moore at if you have any questions.
- SELP Workshops
- English Conversation Hours
- Idioms and Other Expressions (a four part series)
SELP also offers English language tutoring consultations to to practice speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary for presentations, speeches, interviews, and talks or just a chance to chat with someone who knows CWRU and the Cleveland area well. Graduate students can make appointments online through TutorTrac. You can also contact Eric Moore with questions.
