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Home CAS Advising Degree Certification

Apply to Graduate

Students can apply to graduate a year in advance by following the steps below.

  • Login to my.memphis.edu.
  • Click on My Degree tab.
  • Complete step 2 — Apply to Graduate.
  • Complete step 3 — Diploma/Cap and Gown Mailing Order Form.

A semester before graduation, a CAS Graduation analyst in consultation with your academic advisor, will review and communicate your final degree requirements via email. If you have questions, you can email casgraduation@memphis.edu.

Students whose requirements are met at the end of the term for which they applied to graduate will be certified as graduated. If for any reason, you decide not to graduate in the term for which you applied, it is your responsibility to inform us of your new graduation date.

Commencement

If you are planning to participate in commencement, go to the Commencement page to see the steps necessary for inclusion in the program and receiving your diploma.

If you do not receive your diploma

  • You might have an outstanding balance with the office of University Student Business Services, USBS.Either your institution or overall GPA might be under 2.0.
  • You might not have passed a required course or received a grade of Incomplete in any course.
  • Transfer grades might not have been received before certification deadlines.
  • You might not have reached the required 120 hours to graduate.
  • You might not have completed the 42 upper division hours to graduate. 

Important

  • You need a minimum of 120 hours to graduate of which 42 must be upper division hours.
  • Make sure you have applied to graduate. This will put you on the graduation list.
  • Your final semester, you must successfully complete all required classes for your degree.
  • If you are taking transfer courses in your final semester, make sure all grades are received by the UofM and posted to your transcript by the week after grades become official.  
  • Consult with the CAS Graduation Analysts if problems arise.
  • Keep current on academic requirements, policies, and procedures.
  • Tell your Graduation Analysts of any changes in your academic status, such as change of major, substitutions, withdrawals and incompletes. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is graduation certification?

Graduation certification is the process through which each undergraduate student's grades and coursework are checked prior to issuing a diploma. Walking in the commencement ceremony does not mean that you have graduated. The graduation coordinators must go over your coursework to ensure that all requirements have been met. All transfer work must be included on your transcript in the University of Memphis system, and no "I" or Incomplete grades may be outstanding. If all of these requirements have been met, your graduation will be certified, and your diploma will be mailed by the Commencement Office approximately 8-10 weeks after the ceremony

How do transfer credits apply?

Taking transfer work in your last semester is not recommended, but if you choose to, you are responsible for filling out a Transfer Credit Request (TCR) form in the Admissions Office (101 Wilder Tower) and for having an official transcript sent to the University of Memphis when the coursework is completed. Students must submit a copy of the Transfer Credit Request form to Scates 107 for their name to be added to the graduation list. If the transcript with your final grade in the course(s) does not arrive by the deadline for graduation certification, your diploma will be dated the following semester. It is also your responsibility to be sure you satisfy the UM residency requirement transient courses do not count toward the residency requirement.

How do I change my graduation date?

After you have applied to graduate for a specific semester, if you want to change your expected graduation date, send an e-mail with your name, U number and expected graduation date to casgraduation@memphis.edu. It is very important that your graduation date is accurate.

When is the commencement ceremony?

Currently, there are commencement ceremonies at the end of Fall (December), Spring (May), and Summer (August) semesters. The Commencement Office e-mails students on the graduation list for each semester, notifying students to complete the Attendance Card and read important information on the Commencement website.

How do I order my cap and gown?

When you fill out the Apply to Graduate form online, you should also complete Step 3 in the Commencement and Graduation channel, which will complete the "Diploma Mailing/Cap and Gown" order form.

How do I order invitations?

Check the Commencement website for this information.

How do I Graduate with Distinction?

The student's GPA at the beginning of the final semester determines whether the student will be listed in the Commencement program with distinction. If a student's distinction changes after the final grades are entered, the degree will be certified with the appropriate distinction based on the final graduation GPA. See the details for graduating with the distinction of Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude in the Undergraduate Catalog. (Note: Grades received in a first session term are NOT factored into the GPA used for distinction.)

When will I receive my diploma, and what will it say?

Diplomas are ordered after the Registrar receives confirmation that you have completed your degree requirements. Your diploma will be mailed about 8 to 10 weeks after the commencement ceremony to the address you have designated on the Diploma Mailing Card. Your diploma will list the degree earned, not the major or minor. Degrees available through the College of Arts and Sciences are Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (BS CH).