The term graduated, or degree completion, means that the student completed the requirements of their academic program and the degree is recorded on the official transcript.
What is the relevant terminology related to graduation?
Graduation eligible
Undergraduate students with 105 total earned credits and a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher, or graduate students with at least 12 total earned credits and a GPA of 3.0 or higher, are typically considered graduation eligible presuming they are on track to complete the remaining academic program requirements. Being graduation eligible does not imply the student has been cleared for their degree.
Apply to graduate
Students who are graduation eligible typically apply to graduate (or submit a graduation application) at the start of their last term in their academic program. A student who applies to graduate is not considered graduated until all academic program requirements are met.
Commencement
Commencement is a ceremony to celebrate your academic achievement and transition to Temple alumnus status. Commencement is typically attended by graduation eligible students and those who graduated in a recent previous term for which there was no official ceremony. Attending commencement, sometimes called walking, does not imply degree requirements have been met.
Degree clearance
Degree clearance is the review of a student's academic record by the student's school or college to confirm all degree requirements have been met. Typically, students who apply to graduate will have their academic records reviewed for degree clearance.
Degree conferral
Degree conferral is the process to officially record the academic program completion on the official transcript (transcripted) signifying that all academic program requirements have been met. Upon the completion of the degree conferral process, the student officially becomes a Temple graduate.
Proactive degree conferral
Under very rare circumstances, the Office of the University Registrar with guidance from the school/college may proactively confer a student's degree presuming the primary academic program requirements have been met. For example, if the Office of the University Registrar becomes aware that a student has completed the primary academic program requirements but no action was taken by the student to apply to graduate upon becoming graduation eligible, then the degree may be proactively conferred.
What are the important deadlines related to graduation?
Degree completion term | Application deadline to appear in the Commencement Book | Diploma name change deadline | Recorded on the transcript and diploma issuance |
|---|---|---|---|
Spring Graduation | February 1 | May 15 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | First week of June |
Summer Graduation | June 1 | August 15 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | First week of September |
Fall Graduation | October 1 | January 15 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | First week of February |
Graduation Application
Students enrolled in a degree-program, such as a Certificate, Bachelor, Master, Doctoral or professional degree, should apply to graduate when they become degree-eligible. Students should regularly meet with their academic advisors to ensure academic program requirements are being met. Review the general graduation processing timeline to learn when your degree will be transcripted, diplomas awarded, etc. Once a graduation application has been submitted, it cannot be rescinded.
Diploma Issuance
The name appearing on your official diploma will be your legal name listed on the official academic record. You must verify that your legal name is correct. If the legal name needs to be updated, you can submit a Personal Information Change form prior to the deadline.
- Most undergraduate majors do not display on the diploma. Your digital diploma will show more program details as can bee seen in the sample.
- You will only receive one diploma even if you completed two majors. Your digital diploma will show more program details as can bee seen in the sample.
- Graduated students will receive their digital diploma 4-6 weeks after their school/college confirms the completion of degree requirements. After the digital diploma has been issued, students will receive instructions to request one copy of their print diploma at no additional cost. Unfortunately, digital or print diplomas cannot be issued any sooner than the dates noted for each graduation term.
- Unresolved financial obligations will prevent the release of the official diploma, but not the conferral of the degree.
- Visit the diploma page for more detail.