Graduation vs. Commencement

Graduation is the official term for receiving your degree. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates this achievement. You can graduate at the end of any semester, but the Commencement celebration is held only once a year, in the spring. Participating in Commencement is not the same as graduating.

Commencement

Graduation Checklist

Before you apply to be on the Degree List, make sure you have done the following:

• Make sure you have fulfilled all of your major requirements. You can do this by meeting with your undergraduate staff advisor.
• If you are transferring credit during the semester in which you plan to graduate, make sure to submit your transcripts to the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs on time. Consult with the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs for details.

Declaring your candidacy to graduate

If you know at the beginning of any given term that you will complete all graduation requirements (major, minor, college, university) by the end of that term, add yourself to the degree list via Tele-BEARS (Phase I only).

After that, you are expected to declare in person your candidacy to graduate by the end of the fifth week of classes for the fall or the spring semester. Go to the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs to do so, and you will then be placed on the degree list.

CNR will carry out a degree check to make sure you have satisfied all college requirements. You need to make sure that your major requirements are satisfied by working with the undergraduate staff advisor for your major.

If all university, campus, college, and major requirements are satisfied, you will officially have your degree. If you plan to complete graduation requirements during a summer or fall term, add your name to the degree during that term only.

If for any reason you do not complete all graduation requirements, you must file a new degree candidacy for the term in which you plan to finish your degree requirements.