Graduation application procedure
Starting from the summer graduation session in July 2014, the ONLINE THESIS procedure has been introduced, and therefore graduation applications must be submitted exclusively online. The paper-based process has been abolished for all degree types (bachelor's and master's) both for the graduation application and the thesis, which no longer needs to be printed and bound. The entire procedure takes place online, through the "Online Services" platform, under the section "Submit Graduation Thesis Application." Only the supervisor request remains in paper form.
Since any operation within this procedure could be subject to technical issues with network connections or servers, both academic and non-academic, it is recommended that students perform the necessary actions well in advance of deadlines and during times when support is available.
Procedure for Submitting a Graduation Application (LM-51, 58/S, V.O.)
Submitting the Application
To submit the graduation application, the student must have already submitted the supervisor request through the appropriate form. Starting from the date specified in the calendar under OPENING, the student will access the "Online Services" platform and select "Submit Graduation Thesis Application", using their student ID and password, from the online services page on the university website. The initial page of the application will show only the active graduation sessions for the student's degree program, along with the related deadlines for each step. The student must then complete the application by:
- Selecting the preferred graduation session (the date of the thesis defense is referred to as "start of exams").
- Filling in the required fields, including the final title of the thesis, which must be provided in both English and Italian (note the asterisk, indicating that the field is mandatory).
- In the "Exams to Report" section, indicating both exams already completed but not yet recorded in the student’s academic career, as well as exams still to be taken/registered.
- Saving and submitting the application by clicking the "save and close" button at the bottom of the page. After saving the application, the data entered can only be modified until the supervisor approves it.
IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT SAVE AND CLOSE THE APPLICATION, THE SUPERVISOR CANNOT APPROVE IT.
Supervisor Approval
Once the application is saved by the student, an email notification will be sent to the supervisor's institutional email address. The supervisor must then log in to the Online Services platform and approve the graduation application. After the supervisor’s approval, the data in the application cannot be modified, except for the thesis title, which can be edited by the student until the final validation of the thesis text.
It is important to note that sending the email notification does not guarantee that the supervisor has received it. Therefore, the student must check the application platform to confirm that the application has been approved.
The closing of the application by the student must occur by the deadline, but the supervisor can approve it even after the closing date, as long as the application is approved by the supervisor and finalized by the student before the consolidation deadline; otherwise, the thesis defense will not be allowed.
IF THE SUPERVISOR DOES NOT APPROVE THE APPLICATION, THE STUDENT CANNOT CONSOLIDATE IT AND THE PROCESS WILL BE BLOCKED. In this case, the student will need to cancel the graduation application in the platform and forgo graduating.
It is still possible for the student to cancel the graduation even after the supervisor’s approval.
Consolidating the Application
After the supervisor’s approval, the student will automatically receive an email notification at their institutional email address confirming the approval of the application. However, the student should check the application platform to verify the status of the application.
Once the supervisor has approved the application, the student must log in again to the platform by the CONSOLIDATION deadline to:
- Confirm the graduation application.
- Upload the thesis files in draft form (in DOC, DOCX, RTF, ODT, or PDF format). The files (which can be replaced multiple times to allow the supervisor to review the thesis) must be finalized in full text by the consolidation deadline (see "Thesis File Validation" below).
- Print and pay the MAV payment slip of €32 generated by the system by the indicated deadline. If the graduation fee has already been paid, only the stamp duty (€16) payment slip will be generated. The graduation fee payment will not be immediately visible in the system, as it takes 48-72 hours to process; no payment receipt needs to be submitted to the Student Office.
To be eligible for the thesis defense, the student must have paid all fees, including the graduation fee, and completed the required number of credits.
The Student Office will verify the student’s academic records, contact the student in case of administrative issues, and may send emails with payment slips for fees that have not been paid.
This does not exempt the student, who is aware of administrative issues or unpaid fees, from contacting the Student Office promptly to regularize their status.
Submission of the Thesis in Digital Format by the Master's Graduate and Thesis Online Validation
Graduating students must upload the final thesis files, and the supervisor must validate them by the final validation deadline.
The following 3 files must be uploaded:
The full text (final and complete version of the thesis) must be uploaded by the student in PDF/A format, suitable for long-term preservation.
The thesis file must contain the entire document, including text, images, tables, bibliography, etc., in a single file with a maximum size of 20 MB.
The digital submission of the thesis replaces the former requirement to deliver a printed copy to the library after stamping by the Academic Office.
Please note that once the supervisor validates the thesis, it cannot be modified or replaced. The authorization for the thesis to be consulted in the library is automatically entered into the system, and paper forms are no longer needed. The validated thesis files will be archived, and, if authorized by the student, can be accessed online.
Failure to validate the thesis within the deadline prevents the student from graduating. The supervisor must access the website http://sol.unifi.it/docenti.html to validate the thesis.
Once validated, the full text and title of the thesis cannot be changed.
University Booklet and Exam Registration Deadline
Students are required to complete all exams by the date set in the academic calendar published on the School's website. In the online application (under "Exams to Report"), the student must indicate both completed exams not yet recorded in their academic career, as well as exams still to be taken/registered.
There is no need to submit the university booklet to the Student Office; however, the office may request it in case any exams are missing from the student’s records.
Cancellation of the Application
If the student has not completed all the exams required by their approved study plan, or has not finished the thesis and thus has not obtained the supervisor’s validation, they must log into the system, CANCEL the graduation application, and submit it for a future graduation session.
Legend of Fields in the Application:
- Exam Session = start of the graduation session
- Opening = start of submission period for graduation applications
- Closing = end of submission period for graduation applications
- Consolidation = confirmation of the graduation application approved by the supervisor, printing and payment of the payment slip, and uploading of the final thesis text (for master's students only)
- Validation = the deadline by which the supervisor approves the final thesis text uploaded in the system (for master's students only).
The application platform includes many FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding various steps of the procedure, which should be read carefully before contacting psychologia.tesi.online@unifi.it.
Last update
09.01.2025