1490 Graduation Information - Bachelor’s Level

Return to: 1400 University Degree Requirements and Graduation  

Graduation Office, Office of the Registrar
75 Piedmont Avenue, Suite 1150
registrar.gsu.edu/graduation

1490.10 Application for Graduation

All candidates for a degree must file a formal application for graduation with the Graduation Office. Students apply online and pay the graduation fee by logging into PAWS. To access the Graduation Application, select the Enrollment tab. The Application for Graduation link is located under the Updates/Requests Student Record section of the page. Once the link is selected, step-by-step instructions will be provided regarding the application process.

Students should apply two semesters prior to their anticipated term of completion. For bachelor’s-level candidates, this is normally when a student has earned 90 credit hours. Students pursuing an undergraduate certificate must also apply online for graduation. There are no minimum hours required to apply for graduation in a certificate program. However, the deadlines posted for each semester must be adhered to.

Candidates must apply by the following deadlines before their expected term of graduation:

This allows the university to audit the student’s records while there is time for the student to be notified and any issues to be addressed.

The Office of Academic Assistance of the student’s college will conduct an audit and inform the student of any remaining requirements. The Graduation Office conducts an independent audit the expected semester of graduation to ensure that all degree requirements will be satisfied.

Once a student applies for graduation by the deadline, the student can change their graduation date to a future date by completing the Change of Graduation form, located on the graduation website at registrar.gsu.edu/graduation. Official transcripts of prior term course grades from institutions other than Georgia State University must be in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the last day of registration of the semester of graduation. Any other documentation pertaining to non-Georgia State courses which is needed to determine if transfer credit can be granted (such as catalog descriptions or course outlines) must be received by the student’s Office of Academic Assistance by the last day of registration of the semester of graduation.

Students who wish to be transient students or who wish to participate in cross-registration for their remaining course work will graduate one semester after the term in which the last course to be transferred to Georgia State University has been taken. Such students must obtain advance permission to complete their degree elsewhere from their college’s Office of Academic Assistance.

1490.20 Graduation with Honors

Scholastic recognition at graduation will be given to each baccalaureate student who maintained a high grade point average. The specific award is based on the cumulative grade point average that the student has during their last term at Georgia State University.

Honors noted on diplomas or transcripts are based on the cumulative grade point average at George State University after the last term grade point averages are calculated.

1490.25 Graduation Ceremonies

University Commencement Ceremonies are held at the end of the fall and spring academic terms. Individual academic areas may hold convocations at the end of both the fall and spring terms. You should consult with your academic college. In order to participate in the University Commencement ceremony, a student must have completed all degree requirements in accordance with rules and regulations found in this catalog. Students who have registered for all remaining degree requires in the summer and have applied for summer degree conferral may elect to participate in the spring ceremony. However, degree conferral will not occur until successful completion of the summer term. While the University holds only two Commencement ceremonies, degrees are conferred at the end of each term; fall, spring and summer, and diplomas are mailed approximately six to eight weeks following degree conferral. Diplomas are mailed to the student’s mailing address of record. Students should keep their mailing addresses updated through PAWS at paws.gsu.edu. Allow six to eight weeks following the official date of degree conferral for delivery of the diploma.

Students who indicated on the graduation application that they are attending the commencement ceremony are to purchase their regalia from the Georgia State University Bookstore. The bookstore can be reached at 404-413-9700, by email at bookstore@gsu.edu, or online at services.gsu.edu/service/university-bookstore. Commencement photography is also available. Complete information will be sent to degree candidates by the midpoint of their scheduled semester of graduation. If a student later decides not to attend the ceremony, he or she must notify the Graduation Office at 404-413-2248 or email at graduation@gsu.edu.

Additional information concerning graduation procedures can be obtained through the graduation website.

1490.30 Exit Examinations

The university and the student’s college may require the completion of additional competency tests appropriate to a student’s program of study prior to graduation. Information relative to these tests is available in the student’s college.

Any student failing to demonstrate required proficiency on any competency test may be required to complete such additional courses as are necessary to correct the deficiency. Courses required and completed under this provision may be with or without academic credit and may be required without regard to prior course credits in these disciplines.

1490.40 Posthumous Undergraduate Degrees

A posthumous undergraduate degree shall be awarded at the request of or with concurrence of the family or friends of the deceased if, at the time of death, the student was 15 or fewer semester hours short of the semester hours required to complete the degree the student was seeking and the student had a minimum Georgia State University cumulative GPA of 2.00. Additionally, a posthumous degree may be awarded through the normal process of petition for a waiver of the university’s graduation requirements. A request for a posthumous degree should be made to the Office of the Dean of Students.