Graduation

A student in a cap and gown walks up the stairs to Foellinger AuditoriumHow to graduate

Are you nearing graduation? You must take two crucial steps to ensure that you may don a cap and gown at the end of the appropriate semester.
 

Mandatory steps for graduation

After determining your eligibility to graduate, you must complete two mandatory items to graduate.
 

Notification of intent to graduate

In order to graduate, you must notify the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences of your intent. This is done at the same time that you register for your final semester of classes through the student registration system. If, for some reason, you do not do so by the 10th day of class, contact your admissions/records officer. Otherwise, your name will not be added to the pending degree list, and the date of your degree award and diploma will be delayed. Also, you should be aware that if you are removed from the list, for any reason, such as dropping a required course, you cannot register for additional coursework without the approval of the associate dean in LAS Student Academic Affairs.

Please note, indicating your intent to graduate does not automatically register you for the commencement and convocation ceremonies. To participate, you must register.
 

Certifying your degree

The university establishes a degree certification date following the completion of each term. If you are on the pending degree list you must complete all degree requirements—including requirements to formally announcement your candidacy for a degree—by the degree certification date for that term.

Find out what to do if you miss the certification deadline.
 

Diploma information

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences celebrates the breadth of learning, wide-ranging knowledge, and interdisciplinary approaches of the liberal arts tradition. As a result, the college's diploma lists the degree a graduate has earned, but does not list specific majors. (Specific majors and minors are included on a graduate's transcript, though.) For more information about your diploma, please visit the registrar's website.
 

Commencement and convocation ceremonies

Once the mandatory steps are completed, all that remains for you to do is register for a commencement or convocation ceremony. Celebrate your achievement by attending a ceremony for either winter or spring graduation. You must register for commencement and convocation ceremonies in order to participate.