Application for Graduation
Any student pursuing a degree or certificate from Clayton State University must submit a graduation application to the Office of the Registrar at least two semesters in advance of the anticipated graduation date. The deadlines for submitting an application are:
| Graduate Term | Final Recommended Graduation Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall | June 1 |
| Spring | September 15 |
| Summer | January 30 |
Graduation Application Deadlines also can be found on the Registrar's Graduation Information page.
Students may graduate at the end of any semester in which they fulfill the degree requirements of the University. Degrees will be awarded only to students who have satisfied all the academic and administrative requirements of the University and the college awarding the degree. Students typically must satisfy the curricular degree requirements (the courses and grades required to earn the degree) of the catalog in effect at the time they enter Clayton State University. In some circumstances, revisions may be required to provide more effective programs. Changes in academic regulations, such as the scholastic discipline policy, procedures for removing incomplete grades, and appeals procedures, affect all students, regardless of the catalog edition.
The University holds commencement ceremonies in the spring and the fall. Traditionally, the spring undergraduate ceremony is conducted on the first Saturday in May, and the fall undergraduate ceremony is conducted on the first Saturday in December. The President of the University reserves the right to deviate from this schedule.
Summer and Fall graduates will be invited to participate in the December commencement ceremony. Spring graduates will be invited to participate in the May commencement ceremony. Detailed information about each ceremony will be communicated to the graduate approximately 6 weeks prior to the ceremony date.
Because all final grades will not be reported to the Registrar's Office until after commencement, diplomas will not be distributed at the ceremony. Final audits of all graduates will be conducted in the weeks following commencement. In the case of summer graduates, this date will be the conclusion of the summer term. Once all requirements are verified, your degree will be posted to your academic transcript, typically within three weeks of the conclusion of the semester.
Your legal name on record at Clayton State University will be the name printed on your diploma. Verify your name on the DUCK by navigating to Student Services; Student Records; and Academic History. If your name appears incorrectly, please submit a name change request to the Registrar's Office.
Diplomas are issued by Parchment, the University's authorized vendor, and typically will be mailed six to eight weeks after the end of the semester. You will be notified via your CSU student email account when your diploma is ready to be mailed. Please verify that the mailing address listed on your DUCK record is valid and deactivate any address that is either incorrect or not current.