Graduation can occur any quarter and involves an official audit ensuring that all aspects of a student's degree program are satisfactorily fulfilled according to requirements outlined in the respective program guidebook. Upon verification of completed degree requirements, the university dates and confers the degree and issues an official university diploma - sent by mail to each graduate. See steps below.
Commencement occurs each June as a ceremony designed to acknowledge the accomplishment of students' programs of study for the current academic year (fall quarter through summer quarter). As such, and to maximize the meaningfulness of the occasion for its participants, the University recommends that students who wish to participate in the ceremony do so after their degrees are conferred (i.e. conferred during the prior fall or winter quarters) or if all degree requirements are fully registered for by May 15 and will be completed during the spring or summer quarter of the current academic year. Note: For a student's name to appear in the commencement program booklet, his/her degree must be conferred during the prior fall or winter quarters or he/she must apply for degree conferral no later than Feb. 1 prior to the June ceremony for spring or summer quarters. Attendance at Commencement is optional. For more information, see the
Commencement website.
Steps to Ensure Readiness for Degree Conferral:
1. Student and Faculty Mentor monitor progress.
Students are advised to review and self-manage their degree programs by periodically checking their Degree Progress Reports (DPR) and consulting with their faculty mentors. If the DPR needs to be updated, the faculty mentor initiates and authorizes changes. For details regarding the DPR
, see Records & Reports.
2. Student applies to graduate (in advance and by deadline).
If a student’s degree requirements will be completed by the end of Fall Quarter, the student is to apply to graduate by the previous October 1. If completed by the end of Winter Quarter, the student is to apply to graduate by the previous January 15. If completed by the end of Spring Quarter, the student is to apply to graduate by the previous February 1. And, if completed by the end of Summer Quarter, the student is to apply to graduate by the previous July 15. Students who apply to graduate for a particular quarter and fail to complete degree requirements as planned are required to re-apply to graduate—updating the new intended degree conferral quarter. To apply to graduate:
Login to Campus Connect. Go to Student Center>My Academics>Apply to Graduate.
3. Student fulfills final degree requirements.
Students are advised to double-check their respective program guidebooks for final degree components. For example, MAAPS student are required to complete a graduation review session no later than two weeks prior to the end of the quarter in which they wish to graduate and submit a
MAAPS Narrative Transcript for approval by the faculty mentor. See
MAAPS Program Guidebook.
4. Faculty mentor initiates degree conferral review.
As degree requirements are completed, the faculty mentor finalizes any changes to the student’s DPR. (For MAAPS students, the faculty mentor also reviews and approves the
MAAPS Narrative Transcript and eventually forwards the approved copy to the Graduate Programs Office.)
5. School and University conduct final degree conferral audit.
School and University officials review materials for each graduation applicant in order to ensure degree completion per program requirements. Materials include: registration record and updated DPR and, for MAAPS students, MAAPS narrative transcripts as approved and forwarded by the faculty mentor.
6. University confers degree.
Diplomas are generally shipped within 30 days from the date of conferral (i.e., the day the student receives the email that congratulates them and tells them they have been conferred). The conferral period starts at the end of the term and usually lasts 30 days. Diplomas are not automatically generated for students with financial holds or students who have not entered a DIPLOMA address in campus connect.
If you want to inquire about your diploma status, contact DePaul Central at 312-362-8610 or
dpcl@depaul.edu.