Applying for graduation
You must declare your intention to graduate by filing an Application for Graduation with an Advanced Degree. The application is due 3-6 months before the official diploma date and must be done through your WebPortal account. Application deadlines are posted on the Academic Calendar and on the Graduate Studies homepage. A registration hold may prevent you from applying to graduate. For more information on registration holds, check your WebPortal 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, visit the Graduate Studies office to determine whether it is possible to petition for a late application.

Effective Fall 2019, a one-time $100 fee* is required to apply for graduation. If you do not have access to the form online, please contact the Graduate Studies Office for a paper application. If you do not graduate in the term that you applied for, you will automatically be evaluated for future terms until you have successfully graduated.

(*This is a one-time fee per degree objective. Students must pay the $100 fee for each new degree being earned. Fee is subject to change.)

 

Effective Fall 2020, students will have the option to select their chosen first name to reflect on their diploma and the commencement program. This will only be an option if the chosen first name is set and on file at the Registrar's Office. Students that set a chosen name with the Registrar's Office after they have applied for graduation should contact the Graduate Studies Office immediately. Setting the chosen first name after applying for graduation may not reflect on the commencement program.

 

Please note that official transcripts will only reflect the student's legal name. Visit the Registrar's Office website for information on how to set your chosen first name or change your legal name. 

Commencement
Commencement ceremonies are held each year at the end of the spring semester for students completing degrees in the spring and summer terms, or the fall of the previous calendar year. Details regarding commencement are mailed to the prospective participants in March from their department, and are available on the commencement website.

 

Effective Fall 2020, setting the chosen first name after applying for graduation may not reflect on the commencement program.

Diploma
Diplomas are mailed out 8-10 weeks after the date of graduation. It is the student's responsibility to provide the correct address through their WebPortal.

 

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.