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College of Applied Arts
College of Applied Arts Advising Center

Graduation

Application for Graduation

Students must indicate their intent to graduate through applying for graduation at the beginning of their final semester by completing the graduation application using the online process. If a student fails to complete the required courses in time for a planned graduation for that term, the student must reapply for a subsequent graduation. Failure to apply for graduation on time may delay the awarding of the diploma until the following graduation. To allow for the receipt and processing of official transcripts in a timely manner, students taking off-campus courses in their final semester should make sure that the Office of Undergraduate Admissions receives official transcripts as soon as they are available from the sending institution.

Defining Commencement Participation and Graduation

Degree candidates that choose to participate in a commencement ceremony must attend their corresponding college/department ceremony during the semester they will complete their degree requirements.

Certificate candidates that are simultaneously graduating with a degree (doctoral, specialist, master’s, or bachelor’s) are eligible to participate in their corresponding college/department ceremony during the semester they will complete both their certificate and degree requirements.

For questions, please contact the academic dean’s office (undergraduate candidates) or The Graduate College dean’s office (graduate candidates).

Graduating (receiving a diploma) and participating (crossing the stage) in the commencement ceremony are two distinctly different things. Candidates will be considered "graduated" when they have met all of the following:

  1. Have applied for graduation online by the posted semester deadline
  2. Have had their application approved by their respective advising center or The Graduate College
  3. Have completed all degree requirements
  4. Have had final semester grades posted to their Texas State transcript
  5. Have paid any outstanding fees owed to the University
  6. The Dean of the respective college, or The Graduate College, has certified candidates as graduates

Participating in the commencement ceremony and having one’s name in the commencement program does not mean that a candidate has completed the requirements for graduation. Ultimately, the final awarding of degrees, honors and mailing of the diplomas is contingent upon satisfactory completion of the appropriate requirements by each candidate and the Dean's final certification.