The application for graduation notifies the Office of the University Registrar of when you plan to complete your degree requirements. The application kicks off the process of reviewing and updating the student record and ensures you receive important updates about degree progress and commencement. The application for graduation also serves as an opportunity to provide your name as you’d like it to appear on the diploma and in the commencement book as well as the address where you would like your diploma to be mailed.

Undergraduate students in AS&E are eligible to apply for graduation if they have earned a minimum of 88 credit hours, are currently in progress and have a declared program of study.

Graduate students in AS&E are eligible to apply for graduation if they have earned a minimum of 20 credit hours.

PhD candidates across all schools are eligible to apply to graduate once the official dean’s letter of completion has been received by the Registrar’s Office.

The Office of the University Registrar will send a monthly email to students who are eligible to apply for graduation with a link to the application for graduation.

The application for graduation must be submitted by April 1 of the year you plan to participate in commencement. This will ensure that you are included in the commencement book and in any graduation communications and activities. Not submitting the application for graduation may delay the conferral of your degree. Without receipt of an application for graduation, diplomas will be issued using legal name and mailed to the primary home address as recorded in UR Student.

Once you receive communication regarding your eligibility, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible – even if you are not exactly sure when you will graduate!  Students should select the term on the application for graduation that coincides with the earliest semester that they could complete their degree requirements. 

If for some reason you need to update the term you expect to complete your degree requirements, you will need to fill out the Expected Completion Date Change Form. We will update your expected completion date in UR Student to the date that coincides with the term you selected upon receipt of this request. If you are not sure which term to select, consult your academic advisor or the Office of the University Registrar.

International students are responsible for checking the completion date on their I-20 and requesting a program extension or shorten as needed with ISO.

If you need to make a change to your diploma name or diploma mailing address from what you originally submitted on your application, send an email to registrar@rochester.edu and we will get this updated for you.

Students who plan to complete their degree requirements within the academic year (fall, spring, summer) are eligible to participate in the May ceremonies. Please see your academic advisor or your school registrar to inquire about your eligibility. Exceptions to this policy may be made by permission of the dean or registrar of their home school.

For more commencement related information please visit the commencement website.