Incomplete Grades and Graduation
Students must have final grades recorded for all courses before they are eligible to graduate. An unresolved grade, including a P grade for a senior thesis or another unresolved grade such as NR, I, or Q, may prevent a student's degree from being posted.
Students should review their final grades carefully. If an unresolved grade appears, they should contact the instructor for the course to determine what is needed to resolve the grade.
What to Do if a Degree Has Not Been Posted
Once a student has confirmed in DARS that:
- All major and degree requirements have been satisfied, and
- All grades have been finalized and there are no unresolved grades,
the student should contact L&S Undergraduate Academic Deans’ Services (ADS) if their degree has not been posted. ADS can review the student's record and, when appropriate, manually audit the degree.
When contacting ADS, students should include:
- Their full name
- Their UW-Madison ID number
For additional information, see Graduation and Degree Audit Deficiency.
Graduation Timeline
There are three graduation dates each year: May, August, and December.
Students graduate on the first applicable graduation date after they have completed all major and degree requirements. To be eligible for a particular graduation date, students must have completed all required coursework and have all final grades recorded by the applicable grading deadline for that term.
If a student completes outstanding work for an incomplete course after their intended graduation date, their graduation will be delayed until the next available graduation date.
Example
A student is enrolled in their final required course in Spring 2027 and receives an incomplete grade. The student completes the remaining coursework in July 2027.
Because the coursework was completed after the May graduation date, the student's degree would be awarded on the August 2027 graduation date, assuming all remaining degree requirements have been satisfied.