Finished Dissertation and waiting to graduate

Here is a question. I have had candidacy status for my PhD but now have completed my dissertation and defense. I am just waiting for graduation ceremonies. Is there an abbreviation to convey that the degree is to be conferred? Or can I just indicate PhD? Instructions about candidacy were made very clear to me at that point but not so much now. What is the standard protocol?

Thanks

 

How long before your graduate?

 

I had my dissertation defended and approved in Dec of 2010. As soon as my transcript was noted as "Completed" I used the PhD title. I never did attend my graduation ceremony so would that mean (with your logic) I never graduated...of course not!

 

Not until May 2014

 

I agree. My transcripts would indicate completion of the degree. Or at least in the next couple of weeks they will.

 

It is not uncommon for people to begin using the title after a successful defense.

 

When I wrote my chairman the evening after my defense (to thank him for his support), he wrote back that my signature line should be changed to reflect the PhD. That was April 2013. I graduated May 2013 and (thanks to new rules about not conferring PhDs until dissertations have been accepted to ProQuest) have a July 2013 completion date. In fact, my hard-bound copies arrived tonight!

 

What a great dilemma to have, congratulations! And it's super to hear the other stories of posters who got to this stage. I was super-cautious (or superstitious more truthfully) and didn't use the letters until I had something official on paper that said my degree was to be be awarded. You could always put (graduation May 2014) after to be safe. Congrats again!

 

Although all requirements were completed in February of 2012, the graduation wasn't until May of 2012. When final approval was received from the registrar of the postgraduate school that all degree requirements had been successfully completed and my dissertation committee (supervisor and two external readers) had signed off on the dissertation, for all intents and purposes I had earned the PhD.

Like Randell1234, I did not attend the graduation ceremony as it was over 8000 miles one way.

 

I graduated (PhD) last month. There were 7 who graduated from my program. While 6 showed up at a (separate) hooding ceremony, I was the only one who attended the actual graduation as well.

 

After my dissertation defense the chair of my committee said, "Congrations Dr._____," so I felt comfortable using the title.

 

Thank you for all of the help. I just did not want to commit some breech of protocol

 

In the UK, they use the term "graduand" for people who have completed requirements, but haven't received the actual degree or gone through the ceremony yet. I suppose you could abbreviate that as PhD(g) if you want to. It might have been the same way in the US at one point, but nowadays, once your committee signs that piece of paper, you are PHinally Done. Congrats!