Office of the University Registrar

Graduation and Degree Compliance

Graduation is not an automatic process. Students should apply to graduate no later than the application deadline specified in the chart. Upon review and final approval by both your Academic Department and the Office of the University Registrar, your degree will be awarded. You must be in good financial standing with the University to receive your diploma.

Semester	Graduation Application Available	Graduation Application Deadline	Degree Conferral
Spring 2013	Nov 1, 2012	Feb 22, 2013	May 18, 2013
Summer 2013	Jan 28, 2013	Jun 28, 2013	Aug 10, 2013
Fall 2013	Jul 1, 2013	Sep 30, 2013	Dec 19, 2013

Students who fail to apply on PatriotWeb by the deadline must submit the Late Graduation Application. Your degree conferral will be delayed if you miss the published deadline. Students must also complete the Student Exit Survey prior to graduation.

For the most immediate answers to questions related to graduation, please send us an email. Most questions will be answered the same business day they are received, or first thing the next business morning.

**Law Students MUST contact the School of Law for Graduation Information.**

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Important Information for All Students

If there is an issue with your application to graduate, the Office of the University Registrar will send a message to your Mason email account. Be sure to check your Mason email regularly and, if you are notified that there is a problem, address it promptly.

Not Active in the Semester

You must be actively enrolled in the semester you graduate. This requirement is met by being enrolled in a course or through Special Registration. Special Registration allows you to remain active in the Mason University System without being registered for a course. There is a $45 fee. The most common reason for needing a special registration is for students who must resolve an incomplete grade from a previous semester.

Note to Graduate Students: This type of registration does not meet the continuous enrollment requirement for students working on a thesis or dissertation*. If you are working on a thesis or dissertation, you must enroll in at least one hour of 799 or 999 coursework. Your academic department can assist you with this process.*

*EXCEPTION:Graduation candidates who miss the library deadline for thesis or dissertation submission, but do submit officially before the next semester begins, do not have to register for 799 or 999 in that semester, but may stay active through Special Registration.

Study Elsewhere Credit

If permission was ever granted to Study Elsewhere (ZREG), please make sure that transcripts are sent to the Office of the University Registrar. You will not be graduated with active ZREG hours. If no classes were taken, please print and return the Removal of Study Elsewhere Hours Request form.

Incomplete Grade Deadlines

All in-progress grades (IN, IP, NR), even if they are not applicable to the degree, must be resolved within six weeks after a conferral date. If you are unable to finish the course work during this six-week period, you must withdraw your current intent to graduate and re-submit for the next scheduled graduation.

Conferral Date on Transcript

Most degrees are conferred within three to four weeks of the conferral date. After the conferral date, check that the degree date field is populated on your Unofficial Transcript on Patriot Web. When the degree date field is populated with the conferral date your degree has been awarded.