Overview

The “Apply for Graduation” action notifies your school/college that you plan to complete your degree requirements in a specific term. This allows the staff of your school/college to begin evaluating your degree accomplishments in preparation for graduation. 

Note:

• You will be able to apply for graduation in a term any time before the degree conferral date, at which point a term will be removed from the options. Contact your academic dean's office if you have missed the deadline.
• If you want your name in the commencement program, you need to apply for graduation before the deadline announced by the Chancellor’s Office.
• Graduate students who apply will still need to contact their major program to request a degree warrant from the Graduate School on their behalf.
• You may change your graduation term/commencement date after initially applying, but keep note of the deadlines mentioned above. Click here for more information.

Step by Step

1. 1. Login to MyUW.
   2. Click on the Student Center tile, then the Academic Records tile.
      
      
      
      
   3. From the menu on the left, click on "Apply for Graduation."
      
      
      
      
   4. Click on the Apply for Graduation link for the Degree in which you are graduating.
      Note: Students do not apply to graduate for additional majors or certificates -- just degrees. 
      
      
      
      
   5. Select the term in which you expect to receive your degree. Click the Continue button.
      
      
      
      
   6. Select either your legal name or your name in use/preferred name for your diploma name.
      
      
      
      
   7. Review and select both check boxes, then press continue.
      
      
      
      
      • You can make changes to your name in use or legal name in your student record after selecting the name you would like on your diploma. If you indicate you would like name in use on your diploma and you make changes to name in use after you apply to graduate, the name at the time of diploma order is what will be printed on your diploma. The same is true for changes to legal name. Any changes after the degree conferral date are not guaranteed to be reflected on your diploma due to the timing of degree posting and diploma ordering.
      • Changes to name in use after the apply to graduate deadline will not impact the name that appears on the Commencement Program, only the name that appears on the diploma.
      • You can go back into the application for graduation to change your diploma name preference if you wish (e.g. to change from legal to name in use). Your name selection at the time of diploma ordering is what will appear on your diploma, so final selections should be completed by the degree conferral date each term.
      • Students who don't or aren’t required to apply to graduate will have their legal name printed on their diploma unless they complete an application for graduation.
      
      
      
   8. Select the commencement ceremony in which you plan to participate. Answer the two questions relating to how your name will print in the Commencement Program, along with the acknowledgment. 
      
      
      
      Note: PhD, DMA and MFA students: You will have the option of entering a Faculty Escort for the commencement ceremony. If you do not know it at this time, you can update the information after the application has been submitted.
      
      
      
      
   9. Click the Submit Application button. You will be taken to a Confirmation page. You should also receive an email stating you have successfully applied.
      
      
      
      
   10. Verify your Name, Address, Degree, and Commencement information.
       
       
       
       
       • Your diploma will be mailed to your home address on record. In case you would like your diploma to be sent to a different address, add a "Diploma" address. Click the Add/Update Address link on your confirmation page or go to MyUW > Student Center > Profile > Addresses. 
       • International Students: Your diploma will be mailed to your diploma address on record. Without a diploma address on record, your diploma will not be ordered. If you don't already have one on file, you'll need to add a "Diploma" address. Click the Add/Update Address link on your confirmation page or go to MyUW > Student Center > Profile > Addresses.
       • For more information, see Student Center - Updating Your Contact Information.

Update Graduation or Commencement Information

After initially applying for graduation, you may still make change to the term you select to graduate in, your diploma display name, the commencement ceremony you would like to walk in, or the personal information available on commencement material. Please make note of the relevant deadlines for each action.

Please note that by applying for graduation in a certain term, you will not be able to enroll in subsequent terms. For example, you have previously selected Fall 2024 as your graduation term but have changed your mind and would like to graduate in Spring 2025. You will not be eligible to enroll in Spring 2025 classes until you change your graduation term. 

After navigating to the Academic Records tile in the Student Center and selecting "Apply for Graduation," click on Update Graduation Status.