Students are responsible for the accuracy of their enrollments and should check their Academic Requirements form (available through SIS) on a regular basis to be sure they are making satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
Students who have completed all degree requirements (College and major requirements) and who have observed the rules and regulations of the University, including the Honor Code, will be recommended to the faculty of the college for conferral of a degree by the University of Virginia, if otherwise in good standing.
The steps of preparing to receive a degree are the following:
Important Notes:
Students apply for graduation is SIS. Degree candidates log-in to their student account and click "Applied" for the appropriate semester at the appropriate time (deadlines are below). If you need aditional directions, click here.
If you are not enrolling in any courses on Grounds but plan to graduate either with transfer credit or by finishing up incomplete grades, please inform the Office of the College Registrar (434-924-8867; 138 Monroe Hall) so she can post a degree fee for you on the system and enter a degree enrollment status for you.
It is your responsibility to verify your diploma name on SIS and change or correct it how you wish it to be printed on your diploma. Be sure and use correct capitalization, spacing, accents, hyphens and apostrophes if appropriate. If your diploma name contains unusual characters or symbols that SIS cannot accommodate, please see staff in Monroe Hall, Room 138 for assistance. If your diploma name is printed incorrectly because you didn't verify it on SIS and you want a replacement, you will be charged a $50 fee. If you need assistance see the College Registrar.
It is also your responsibility to verify your "Academic Requirements" report on SIS. All College of Arts & Sciences General Requirements (area requirements) and Graduation Requirements (degree credits) must show "Satisfied" on your report in order for your degree to be conferred. If you have questions or problems with the General or Graduation Requirements, please see staff in Monroe Hall, Room 138 for assistance and corrections. If the Major and/or Minor requirements do not show "Satisfied" on your Academic Requirements report, please see your Major Advisor or the department secretary for assistance and corrections. All requirements must be "Satisfied" for your degree to be officially conferred.
Students who miss a graduation application deadline must apply for the subsequent graduation and must register for the semester in which it occurs (a fee will be charged).
Notes/Summary:
January Graduates (Fall)
You must apply for graduation in SIS by October 1.
May Graduates (Spring)
The window for applying for May graduation is November 1 to February 1. The College deadline is earlier and falls in mid-December.
August Graduates (Summer)
You must apply for graduation in SIS by July 1.
The University conducts a graduation ceremony each May to recognize and honor those students who have completed all degree requirements during the previous academic year. Students who graduate at the end of the summer or fall semesters are invited to attend the May ceremony following their graduation. Summer and fall graduates may not participate in a ceremony conducted prior to the actual awarding of their degrees.
Students must be enrolled in a degree-granting program in the semester in which they expect to receive a degree. Degree candidates who do not enroll for credits must enroll for the non-resident status (a fee will be charged).
Students in the Teacher Education BA/MT program know from the outset that this is a five-year program, with both diplomas awarded in the fifth year.
Students in the fourth year who have met all of the requirements for the B.A. may participate in Final Exercises on a limited basis. They are invited to "walk the Lawn" and, with the co-operation of the major Department, may be recognized at the diploma ceremony as "BA/MT students expected to receive both degrees in the following year." In this fourth year they receive neither a diploma, nor graduation tickets, and their name does not appear in the program.
Students who wish to avail themselves of this opportunity must have completed all area requirements, the 102.0 College hours, as well as all major requirements. Departments may, but are under no obligation, to recognize these students during the diploma ceremony.
Students who have met all of the graduation requirements, but who missed the SIS application deadline, may petition the Graduation Committee in the College of Arts & Sciences for permisionn to "Walk the Lawn".
At the discretion of the Department during the graduation ceremony, the Director of Undergraduate Studies may indicate that these students have met all of the academic requirements for graduation and are expected to receive the diploma in August. The student's name will not appear in the graduation program and there will not be a blank diploma from the Registrar's Office.
These students must complete the following steps to participate in Final Exercises:
Once you have provided to your association dean all grades and verification that your major is completed, your dean will inform Ms. Maggie Harmon (104 Monroe Hall) that you have been approved to pick up tickets for graduation.
Tickets will be available no earlier than the Thursday before Final Exercises, and no later than the day following (i.e., the Friday before Final Exercies) at 4:00 P.M.
Ms. Harmon (103 Monroe Hall) will require you to sign a form that verifies that you understand that participation in the ceremony does not mean you have graduated. Your name will not appear in the graduation program and you will not receive a diploma.
You must contact the College Registrar and complete the appropriate graduation application by the July 1 deadline for August graduation.
To receive a diploma from the University, students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in courses required for graduation. Students who graduate in May can receive their diplomas at the Final Exercises held on the Lawn, or they may pay a fee to have the diploma mailed to them.
Students who graduate in August or December may either pick up their diploma in the Office of the University Registrar or pay a fee to have the diploma mailed to them.
Requirements to receive a diploma:
The University reserves the right to withhold the diplomas of financially delinquent students or when students have engaged in Standards of Conduct violations at or prior to graduation ceremonies. The University also reserves the right to revoke diplomas previously conferred when the student has not satisfied the rules and regulations of the University.
If you miss the deadline you can (1) follow the steps above if appropriate or, (2) file for August graduation.
You can earn only one degree. Completed requirements for more than one program will be awarded as a double major. (This notation is placed on the transcript but not on the diploma.)
See your major advisor immediately to get your Academic Requirements Form corrected.
The staff in the College Registrar's Office, 138 Monroe Hall, are happy to assist you with any questions you may have about graduation. Questions about major requirements should, however, be directed to the relevant department.
You will not be notified if everything is okay – you will only hear from us if there is a problem with your requirements. You can assume that "no news is good news." However, if you are anxious to verify that everything is okay, you may contact the College Registrar's Office after the add/drop deadline. We continue to audit your record after the degree process ends on February 1.
No, you will receive a blank diploma. The actual level of distinction that you receive in your program will be printed on your diploma, and that cannot be done until levels of distinction are reported at the very end of the Spring semester. Your official diploma will be mailed to you later in the summer.
Students who earn the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree do not have their majors listed on the diploma. Only students who complete the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) will have their majors listed on the diploma.
No. Students who graduate in August and December may not walk the lawn before they graduate; they may walk the following May. Students not graduating are not eligible to receive tickets, will not have their names in the program, and will not receive any type of diploma.
Lost or damaged diplomas may be replaced upon written request and payment of $50 plus a mailing fee. An original replacement will be issued. If the original diploma is lost, a notarized statement verifying the loss is required and the replacement diploma will have the word ‘replacement’ inscribed at the bottom.
In cases of legitimate professional reason, a one-time request can be made for a ‘duplicate’ diploma upon payment of $50 plus a mailing fee. A duplicate diploma will have the word ‘copy’ inscribed at the bottom.
Replacement and duplicate diplomas are printed in thediploma format in use at the time of the request and will be signed by the current President, Dean, and University Registrar.
Additional information about replacement and duplicate diplomas can be obtained by contacting the diploma coordinator at the Office of the University Registrar.