Graduate Student Resources

When a student has completed the majority of their degree requirements, they must apply for graduation by submitting the Application for Degree online through OASIS. This application must be submitted in the term of expected graduation by the deadline noted in the academic calendar (see the University Registrar's website for the current year's deadlines). If a student applies for graduation and is not approved, they must submit a new Application for Degree by the deadline in the next term.

It is recommended that students submit their application after they have consulted with their program advisor and have met the following requirements:

• Will have completed all degree requirements and required coursework by the end of the semester, including the removal of all incomplete (I), missing (M), and continuing (Z) grades.
• Must be in good academic standing (GPA of at least 3.00).
• All students must be registered for at least two (2) graduate credit hours during the semester in which they have applied for graduation.
• Must provide course currency statements for all courses that have exceeded the University's stated time limits.
• All applicable state test scores must be submitted for all degree programs requiring them (e.g., Florida Teacher Certification Exam, Florida Educational Leadership Examination, etc.).

Additional requirements by program level:

• Master's and Education Specialist students must pass the comprehensive exam or its equivalent OR have been cleared to take it in the application semester.
• Master's and Specialist students who are required to complete a thesis or project must submit all related paperwork (ETD paperwork, record of project completion, etc.) by the semester deadline. See the College of Education Dates and Deadlines page for current deadlines related to the thesis/project.
• Doctoral students must provide verification of their Qualifying Exam results and their formal admission to candidacy. They must also have an approved Doctoral Committee form on file.
• Doctoral students must successfully defend their final dissertation and submit all relevant ETD paperwork (Certificate of Approval packet, Plagiarism Check, Survey of Earned Doctorates) by the ETD semester deadline.

In addition, students must have all financial obligations and/or holds paid and cleared from their account in order to receive their final diploma and to participate in the Commencement ceremony. This includes ETD processing fees for graduate students completing a thesis or dissertation. You will not be able to receive your final transcript and diploma until all financial obligations have been cleared. Check your OASIS account and/or the Cashier’s Office to clear any balances or fees.

Current Graduation Application Deadlines

Spring 2024 Priority Deadline: February 16, 2024

Summer 2024 Priority Deadline: June 21, 2024

Graduation Video Tutorial

Check out the Graduation Video provided by the Graduate Support Office

Students apply for graduation via the Student Tab in their OASIS account, which can be accessed via the MyUSF portal. When applying, as long as the information regarding your Curriculum Information/Current Program section is correct (in particular, your college, degree, major, and concentration if applicable), you can submit the application. Check your USF email for confirmation that you have successfully completed your graduation survey and application.

You must apply for graduation regardless of whether or not you plan to participate in Commencement. In order to ensure that your name appears in the Commencement brochure, you must apply on or before the priority graduation deadline date. Late applicants may not have their names listed in the Commencement brochure. 

Please Note: If you are applying for graduation, please make sure your personal information (i.e., Name, Address, Phone Number, etc.) is up to date with the Registrar's office. The information that they have on file is what will be used when diplomas are generated and mailed. If you need to update your diploma address, please complete the Diploma Address Change Request and email it to graduation@usf.edu. If you have changed your name while enrolled, please submit a Name Change Request to the Registrar's office. No personal information can be updated at Commencement.

Apply for Graduation

Commencement is the formal ceremony where students walk across the stage in their commencement regalia (cap, gown, hood). Participation in Commencement requires a formal RSVP, which can be done after you officially apply for graduation. Graduate students may not participate in commencement exercises until all requirements for their degree have been fulfilled and any outstanding financial obligations have been cleared. For more information regarding the commencement ceremonies and to register for this semester's ceremony, please visit the USF Commencement website.

Students who need to file for graduation after the published University deadline for the current semester will be considered late applicants. Late applicants must complete the online Application for Degree via their Oasis account, and complete and submit the Late Graduation Application Form to the Graduate Support Office (EDU 320). Please note that applying late may require your application to be moved to the following term, even if all degree requirements are met.

Late applicants who want to participate in the graduation exercises should contact the University Commencement Office (see link in the Commencement section above) regarding requirements to participate in the commencement ceremony. However, late graduation applicants should be aware that:

• their names may not appear in the Commencement program
• academic regalia for participation in the graduation ceremony may not be available to them
• they may not receive their diplomas with those who filed their applications by the stated deadlines
• they may experience a delay in receiving their final transcripts showing degree completion from the Registrar's Office

Late Graduation Application Form

A student who has applied for graduation in the current semester and needs to delay degree completion should complete and submit the Graduation Application Withdrawal Request to the Graduate Support Office as soon as possible before the end of the current semester. This action removes the student's name from the official graduation list and the student will not be certified for the final degree in that semester. Once withdrawn, the student must re-apply for graduation for the next term.

Graduation Application Withdrawal Form

Participating in the formal commencement ceremony does not guarantee that students will be certified for their degree. Once final grades for the semester are published, the Graduate Support Office will certify completion of the earned degree by conducting a final review of the applicants' degree requirements and final transcripts to ensure that all graduation requirements are met.

A list of graduation applicants and their final graduation status (i.e., whether they have successfully earned the degrees or were denied) will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office approximately 4-6 weeks after the graduation ceremony. Diplomas are mailed to the student’s permanent address approximately 8 weeks after commencement and the conclusion of the student’s final semester.

In the event that a student does not meet the requirements for their degree program and is denied graduation, the Graduate Support Office will send the student and appropriate department faculty and advisors a notice identifying the issues which prevented graduation. The student must submit a new online graduation application for the new term of graduation by the application deadline for that term. The student should work with the academic department to successfully reconcile the issues which prevented the previous term's graduation. In addition, the student must be registered for two (2) graduate hours in the semester of re-application for graduation.

If students need formal verification that they have successfully completed all degree requirements prior to receiving their diploma (often for employment purposes), they may request a Letter of Completion from the College. This letter specifies that the student has finished all the requirements for the degree and lists the date the degree will be conferred on. Students may complete the Request for Letter of Completion form and submit it to the Graduate Support Office (EDU 320). The Letter of Completion is signed by the student's Department Chair, the College Dean, the COEDU Graduate Support Office, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the University Registrar and receives the university's seal.

Letters of completion requests are processed and completed once the final certification process is completed for the student. The Graduate Support Office will complete the final certification process approximately 4-6 weeks after final grades are released by the Registrar. To be certified for their degree, students must have completed all degree requirements listed in the General Information section above, which may include completing comprehensive exams, defending the thesis or dissertation, and/or submitting ETD paperwork (related to the thesis or dissertation) to the Office of Graduate Studies. Once the Letter of Completion has been fully processed, it will be mailed to the student at the address provided on the form with an additional (unofficial) copy emailed to the student. Students may also pick up the letter in person from the Graduate Support Office. Please allow six (6) to ten (10) business days for a request for Letter of Completion to be processed once the final certification is complete for the student.

NOTE: Once transcripts reflect the degree earned, a Letter of Completion will longer be available. The final transcript and/or diploma serve as proof of completion.

Students may order official transcripts reflecting their academic record and final degree through the Registrar's Office. Please note that a student’s academic record can only be released upon authorization of the student. Students that still have access to MyUSF after graduation can order transcripts directly through MyUSF. Former students and alumni can use the Transcript Request Form or visit the Office of the Registrar's website for more information. If students prefer to pick up their transcript in person, they may bring a completed Transcript Request form to the Registrar's Office (Tampa campus - SVC 1034).

By law, the request must include the student’s signature and date. For transcripts to be issued, the student must have no financial obligations to the University. Please note that if you are ordering a transcript prior to the completion of the final degree certification process, you must check the box asking that your transcript be delayed until the final degree has been posted.