Check graduation dates and deadlines on the Academic calendar.
Verify your degree completion steps.
Review the degree completion steps for your degree. For some students, this will include assigning your examination committee.
Check for holds.
Talk to your advisor(s) about completing your degree.
Talk to your faculty advisor(s) and Graduate Program Coordinator to ensure you are on track with programmatic degree completion requirements.
Set your degree name by updating your personal information.
Add, verify or update your diploma address to ensure you receive your diploma.
Apply to graduate by completing your Application for Degree.
Access the application by going to MyU: Academics then the Degree Progress tab.
Click on the Apply to Graduate link.
Submit your application for degree no later than the first day of the month you would like to graduate.
You may only apply to graduate once.
The Office of the Registrar assumes when you are prepared to graduate based on your submission. See when you should apply based on the month you intend to graduate.
If you need to change your expected graduation term or month after you've applied, but before you've graduated, please email gssp@umn.edu.
If you have a legitimate reason, you may request to change your degree award date that appears on your transcript. Your request will be reviewed by committee.
If you are a professional school student, visit your program office or website to obtain detailed information about graduation and graduation dates.
Complete your financial aid requirements.
Online exit counseling is required of all borrowers of federal and University-administered student loan programs. You will be provided information about the rights and responsibilities of a borrower, and how different financial aid programs handle repayment. Learn more about loan repayment.
Complete all requirements for your degree.
If you are using the Graduate Planning and Audit System (GPAS), make sure that you have satisfied all your degree requirements on your GPAS.
If you are not using GPAS, review your degree completion steps to ensure you are completing all the necessary work for your degree program.
Commencement is your graduation ceremony. These events are typically planned by your college. If you have any questions, your college will be the best resource.
Attend your campus graduation fair.
Watch for an invitation to your campus graduation fair in spring. You can find additional information about and purchase commencement regalia through the University Bookstore.
Learn about your diploma.
Take the survey and provide your feedback
For Doctoral Students: Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED)
Take the Survey of Earned Doctorates
The SED gathers information annually from approximately 50,000 new research doctorate graduates across the United States regarding educational histories, funding sources, and postdoctoral plans.
The University of Minnesota is committed to maintaining both high-quality graduate programs and student experiences. Your responses to these surveys will be used to assess and improve the graduate education experience at the University of Minnesota and beyond.
The official conferral date for graduate degrees is the last business day of each month. Due to administrative processing time needed, transcripts showing the award of the degree (a "confer date") are available two to three weeks following the official date of conferral. Diplomas are issued by the Office of the Registrar and are delivered by mail four to six weeks following the official date of conferral, longer for international delivery.
This may not apply to the following programs: JD, MD, PharmD, DVM, DDS, LLM, and MBA (Twin Cities). Contact your program for information about your degree conferral.
If you're in a professional master’s (e.g. MPH, MPS) or professional doctoral program (e.g., DNP, OTD), contact your program for information on timelines.