✤Graduation vs. Commencement✤

 Graduation (Office of the Registrar)      

• • Students Must Submit a Graduation Application:
    • Graduation is the fulfillment of academic requirements and the award of a degree/certificate placed on the official record (Transcript).    
    • All applications must be submitted during the application period. Specific dates are noted below and in the Academic Calendar. Students who miss the deadline should contact their academic department to determine eligibility and to request a late submission. Students submitting a late application risk not being included in the published commencement program.  
    • Apply to Graduate through the Student Academic Records Menu in MyUWF.  Select the term you will complete your degree requirements. 
    • Applying for graduation is completely separate from registering to attend the commencement ceremony. 

Commencement (Commencement Office) 

• • Students must RSVP for commencement to participate.
    • Fall Graduates must RSVP to the Fall Commencement ceremony. 
    • Spring Graduates must RSVP to the Spring Commencement ceremony
    • Summer graduates have the option to participate in either the preceding spring or following fall ceremony
    • Commencement ceremonies at UWF are held twice a year.  Commencement is held for students graduating with baccalaureate, master, specialist, and doctoral degrees only, at the end of the fall semester for fall graduates and at the end of spring for spring graduates. 
      
      

** Fall Graduates: If you will complete your degree requirements in the Fall, submit a Fall graduation application. Fall Graduates must RSVP to the Fall Commencement ceremony.
** Spring Graduates: If you will complete your degree requirements in the Spring, submit a Spring graduation application. Spring Graduates must RSVP to the Spring Commencement ceremony.
** Summer Graduates: If you will complete your degree requirements in the summer, submit a Summer graduation application regardless of the commencement ceremony in which you will participate.

✤Graduation Checklist✤

•  Students Must Submit a Graduation Application: Graduation eligibility is based on a fully complete Degree Works audit showing all requirements completed. Prior to completing a Graduation Application, students should consult with their academic advisors, check their Degree Audits, and reference the appropriate Academic Catalog to make sure all graduation requirements will be met prior to the graduation date. Applications for Graduation must be submitted for the term in which the student is completing their degree requirements for their program.   All applications must be submitted during the application period. Specific dates are noted in the Academic Calendar. Students who miss the deadline to apply must contact their academic department to determine eligibility and to request a late submission. Students submitting a late application risk not being included in the commencement program. View Graduation Application: For Instructions visit: Viewing a Graduation Application
  

• • Degree Programs: Students must submit a Graduation Application for the term they will complete all degree requirements. 

  • Double Major or Dual Degree: Students pursuing more than one degree-seeking program must submit the online graduation application for EACH program.
    
    

•  RSVP to attend the Commencement Ceremony
  
  • Fall Graduates must RSVP to the Fall Commencement ceremony. 
  • Spring Graduates must RSVP to the Spring Commencement ceremony
  • Summer graduates have the option to participate in either the preceding spring or following fall ceremony.
  
  
•  Review Your Graduation Application For Accuracy:
  Diploma Name, Major and minor if applicable). If middle name is on file we can add it. 
  
  
•  Review Your Record For Potential Holds:
  Please review your record for possible Privacy or Financial Holds that may be on file. You may access this information by logging into your MYUWF.  
  
  
•  Awarding of Degree:
  Awarding of your degree is contingent upon your degree audit indicating 100% complete, in addition to your record going through a final review to confirm completion of all requirements. Once your degree is awarded you will receive an email confirming the award within 24 hours. Your awarded degree will immediately be reflected on any transcript you order. 
  
  
•  Transcripts:
  Please note that if you need to show immediate proof of education to employers or institutions, your official transcript is recommended. This is typically the preferred method when needing to verify degree completion.  Expedited shipping options are available for transcript orders at an additional cost. Please visit Ordering a Transcript for instructions. Note: If this is your first semester at UWF, please be sure to choose the "hold for grades" option when placing your transcript order or place your order after grades have been posted at the end of the term. Otherwise, your transcript will be mailed as requested when your order is placed without any grades posted.
  
  
•  UWF Email:
  

  After graduating your ArgoNet account will be deleted or automatically downgraded to a limited-access MyUWF account after three (3) consecutive semesters of non-enrollment. For more information please visit Leaving UWF FAQs

    
•  Diplomas: 
  Students earning their bachelor's degree or higher are issued a courtesy electronic diploma within 2-4 weeks following their degree award pending there are no holds preventing the diploma release. Recent graduates, please visit: UWF Diplomas (Recent Graduates).
  

Students pursuing more than one degree seeking program must submit the online graduation application for EACH program.

Follow the instructions below for each program for which you are applying to graduate. Please note:

• Students must declare any/all programs before they can apply to graduate in any/all of them; see Declaring or changing a major or certificate program for more information.
• To graduate with more than one degree-seeking program, the requirements for both programs must be completed by the graduation date (this does not apply to Certificates and/or AA degrees).
• If requirements for all undergraduate programs will not be met by the graduation date, graduation should either be delayed until all requirements are met, or the program that will not be completed should be dropped. 
  • See Declaring or changing a major or certificate program for more information on removing a program. 
  • After graduation, if a student decides to continue pursuing a program that was previously dropped, they must reapply through the Office of Admissions as a second degree seeking student. 
    • Please see the Academic Catalog for more information regarding second-degree seeking requirements.

• To qualify, a UWF student must meet the requirements outlined in the University Catalog.
  
• The A.A. degree will not be awarded in the same semester that the baccalaureate degree is awarded or in any semester following the completion of the baccalaureate degree.
• If you feel you may be eligible for an A.A. degree yet have not been awarded you may email us at Graduation@uwf.edu. 
• If you have met General Education course requirements through an accelerated mechanism or through transfer credit, you must request a review of your transcript to determine eligibility for an AA?
• Students may choose to opt out of being automatically awarded their Associate of Arts Degree.  Click here for the opt out form.
• Graduation Guide: Associate of Arts Degree
• Academic Catalog: Associate in Arts (A.A.): General Degree Requirements

If you missed the deadline to apply online contact your academic advisor to verify your eligibility to graduate. Your advisor must submit a request to our office via JIRA requesting an application to be created on your behalf. When you contact your department, you must provide them with the following information to forward to our office so that your graduation application can be created manually:

• Student ID number: (970......)

• Name

(as you wish it to appear on your diploma)

• :

• Term

in which

• you will complete your degree requirements

"

• :

• Major(s)/Minor(s) you are applying to graduate in:
  
  *Double Major/ Dual Degree: Students pursuing more than one degree-seeking program must submit a graduation application for EACH program. 
  *Certificates: Students in a certificate program must submit a graduation application for the term in which the student is completing their certificate requirements.
  

• See Viewing my Degree(s)

Be sure to review your Contact and Privacy Information in your MYUWF and make any necessary changes. *Your name CANNOT be printed in the Commencement program if you have a Privacy Restriction enabled on your account. Additionally, the university will NOT be permitted to verify your degree information to employers through the National Student Clearinghouse. 

To review your Contact and Privacy Information in MyUWF and to turn off the Withhold Directory Information option:

1. Go to MyUWF.

2. Search for and select Contact and Privacy Information.

3. Under Directory Information, uncheck Withhold Directory Information.

4. Select Save.

5. Return to Contact and Privacy Information to confirm the Withhold Directory

        Information enabled box is NOT checked.

6. Done! If you meet the deadline mentioned below your name will be published in the commencement program.

Questions? Please email Graduation at graduation@uwf.edu

• Fall Graduates must RSVP to the Fall Commencement ceremony. 
• Spring Graduates must RSVP to the Spring Commencement ceremony
• Summer graduates have the option to participate in either the preceding spring or following fall ceremony.