Graduation « Students « College of Liberal Arts & Sciences « University of Illinois

LAS Student Handbook

• Admission to LAS
• Majors & Minors
• Degree Requirements
• Course Guidelines
• Academic Standing
• Attendance & Withdrawals
• Graduation
  • Convocation
• Dates & Deadlines
• Advising & Support

Student Enrichment

• First-Year Enrichment
• Honors Programs
• International Programs

Careers and Extracurricular Development

• Career Preparation
• I-Link
• Internships
• Student Organizations
• Cultural Communities

Student Activities and Forms

• Find Your Advisor
• Get Student Forms
• DARS Audit
• U of I Course Information
• Contact Information

How to Graduate

Are you nearing graduation? There are two crucial steps you must take to ensure that you may don a cap and gown at the end of the appropriate semester.

Mandatory Steps for Graduation

After determining your eligibility to graduate, there are two mandatory steps you must complete to graduate.

Notification of Intent to Graduate

In order to graduate, you must notify the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of your intent. This is done at the same time that you register for your final semester of classes through the student registration system. If, for some reason, you do not do so by the tenth day of class, contact your admissions/records officer. Otherwise, your name will not be added to the pending degree list, and the date of your degree award and diploma will be delayed. Also, you should be aware that if you are removed from the list, for any reason, such as dropping a required course, you cannot register for additional course work without the approval of the associate dean in LAS Student Academic Affairs.

Certifying Your Degree

The University establishes a degree certification date following the completion of each term. If you are on the graduation list you must complete all degree requirements—including requirements to formally announcement your candidacy for a degree—by the degree certification date for that term.

Find out what to do if you miss the certification deadline.

Commencement and Convocation Ceremonies

Once the mandatory steps are completed, all that remains for you to do is register for a commencement/convocation ceremony. Celebrate your achievement by attending a ceremony for either winter or spring graduation. You MUST register for commencement and convocation ceremonies in order to participate.