Graduation Information

Here is a diagram that provides an overview of the major milestones in the life of a Master’s student. 

Here are the grade requirements for all graduate students.

Please see the Doctoral Programs page for doctoral graduation requirements.

Graduation is not automatic upon completion of your degree requirements. Master’s and doctoral students must declare their intention to graduate by filing an Application for Graduation with an Advanced Degree. This application is necessary for both issuing the degree and attending the commencement ceremony.

The application for graduation is a two step process. Students must apply through my.SDSU by selecting the application for graduation option under the Academic Records tile. As students proceed through the application process, they will be prompted to pay a one-time non-refundable application fee.  After the application fee has been paid, students must navigate back into their application to formally submit the application. For a comprehensive guide to apply for graduation, please reference the Application for Graduation in my.SDSU guide.

The application is due 3-6 months before the official diploma date and must be done through your my.SDSU account. Graduation application deadlines are posted in the Academic Calendar and the Graduate Studies web site. A registration hold may prevent you from applying to graduate. For more information on registration holds, check your “Tasks” tile in your my.SDSU account or the Registrar's Office website on how to resolve it: https://registrar.sdsu.edu/students/registration/registration_holds 

If you have missed the deadline for graduation applications, contact the Graduate Studies office at [email protected] to determine whether it is possible to petition for a late application.

1) Upon awarding (official posting) a student's degree (confirmed via the unofficial transcripts) students may email their Form A and B to Graduate Studies ([email protected]).  Do not email your Form A and B until your degree has been awarded. 
 
NOTE: Graduate Studies will forward completed forms directly to the Board of Behavioral Sciences and will not be sending copies to students. Processing of forms may take 4-6 weeks.
 
2) Order official transcripts with the Office of the Registrar:

1. Log on to my.SDSU
2. Select Academic Records, then Request Official Transcript
3. Select certified electronic PDF version
4. Complete required information.  Indicate electronic transcripts to be emailed to: [email protected]
5. Make payment
6. Submit request

3) Students mail their completed package to BBS (excluding Form A, Form B, and official transcripts).

When filling out a BBS Form A or B, a student is responsible for filling out the Applicant Name, SSN or Taxpayer ID Number, Enrollment Date, and Degree Award Date. Please note the following about the Enrollment Date and Degree Award Date:

1. Enrollment Date: To find this date, you will need to reference two different sources of information. On your transcripts (available through my.SDSU and through the Office of the Registrar), please find the first academic term that you were enrolled in your graduate degree program (ex: Spring 2021). Then, visit the Academic Calendar Archive to confirm the first day of the term (ex: for Spring 2021, the first day of the term would be 01/19/2021).
2. Degree Award Date: You can find this date reflected in your transcripts alongside your other degree award information as seen below:
   

Please leave all of the boxes in your Form A or B blank.
If you have difficulty locating either the Enrollment or Degree Award Dates, please notify us at [email protected] or connect with the Office of the Registrar.

• Completed your graduate degree in Fall 2024, or have applied to complete your degree in Spring or Summer 2025.
• Complete the Commencement registration through MarchingOrder. Registration is open beginning March 10, 2025 and closes April 13, 2025.
• All participants in commencement ceremonies will wear full academic regalia. All master's degree candidates will wear black tassels, doctoral candidates will wear gold tassels. Regalia may be purchased online or at the SDSU Bookstore.

Candidates who graduated in Fall 2024 or applied for Spring/Summer 2025 graduation by the February 3, 2025 application deadline may claim guest admission tickets. To learn more about guest tickets, please visit the Commencement 2025 website. 

If you have questions about the Commencement ceremony attendance, please reach out to your academic college commencement coordinator. 

Degree information will appear on the unofficial transcript approximately 6-8 weeks from the diploma date (see the Graduation Deadlines flyer on the homepage for specific dates). Students can view their unofficial transcripts and order official transcripts through the Academic Tile in my.SDSU.

Diplomas are mailed out 10-12 weeks after the date of graduation. It is the student's responsibility to provide the correct address through their my.SDSU.

Effective Fall 2020, students that would like to have their chosen first name printed on their diploma must do so at the time they apply for graduation. If the chosen first name is updated by the Registrar's Office after submitting the application, the student must notify the Graduate Studies Office immediately. By selecting to have your chosen first name print on your diploma, you are acknowledging that your transcripts and diploma name will not match, but you can order a new diploma with your legal name using the Online Diploma Service.

**NOTE: You have multiple addresses on file with the University. Please log into my.SDSU under the Profile tile and verify that all of your addresses are current. Graduate Studies will use your diploma address to mail your diploma once your degree has been awarded.

The following Online Diploma Service is available through our official diploma vendor, the Michael Sutter Company.

• Order a replacement diploma - Order your diploma easily online. You will be able to choose Standard Delivery or Express Overnight Delivery. There is a $20.00 charge for each Diploma Replacement. Your Diploma will be printed and mailed within 1-2 days of receiving your payment.
• Order an Official SDSU eDiploma - Your SDSU eDiploma is a Signed and Certified PDF of your original paper diploma used for easy degree verification purposes. The SDSU eDiploma is a one-time charge of $20.00. You will receive your eDiploma within minutes of submitting your payment. You can then share your eDiploma as often as you need. (An e-diploma cannot be released until your original diploma has been issued by Graduate Studies).
• Diploma Status - Search the status of your diploma order whether it is your new diploma or replacement diploma.

To place an order, visit https://www.michaelsutter.com/sdsug/ and click on "Submit a Diploma Request". You will be prompted to enter in as much information as possible and then click "Submit My Diploma Request". Further instructions will be sent to you via email within 3-5 business days.