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Graduation Checklist

I am Ready to Graduate - Now what?

Apply for Graduation

You should proactively view the Academic Calendar to review University deadlines to apply for your degree. These deadlines are firm and in place to insure timeliness of orders for diplomas and Commencement programs for graduates. You must accurately complete and submit the Application for Degree and pay the $90.00 fee. The application can be accessed through ULink and payments can also be made through your Statement of Account on ULink.

The Semester Prior to Graduation

  1. Meet with your advisor and prepare a Degree Plan.
    If you are in an older catalog, the Degree Plan will be on paper. This paper will need to be sent to the dean’s office.
    If you are in a newer catalog, it will be in DegreeWorks.
  2. Check for any missing transfer work or incomplete grades.
    Make sure that any minors or concentrations have been declared so that you can accurately schedule for your final semester. If it is not in Banner, then it is not official!
    If you need to declare anything, please come to the Dean of Sciences office to do so.
  3. If you need priority scheduling, you must apply for graduation by the date published in the Academic Calendar. This date is usually within the first month of the semester prior to graduation.
  4. Register for your final semester according to your degree plan.

The Semester of Graduation

  1. If you did not apply for graduation early in order to get priority scheduling, please apply as soon as you know you are planning to graduate. The deadline for graduation is published in the Academic Calendar.
  2. Check your university email. There will be important notifications and announcements sent to your ULID@louisiana.edu address throughout the semester. If you do not check your university email, you will miss information that you need in order to graduate.
  3. Orders for caps, gowns, and master's and doctoral hoods must be placed with The Ragin' Cajuns Store at Grad Expo. Commencement is an academic event and all candidates are required to wear the University approved Cap and Gown. The Alumni Association, Registrar's Office, and the Ragin' Cajun Store host the Grad Expo for all graduates to attend as a one-stop shop their commencement needs. All students who have applied for graduation will receive information regarding Grad Expo roughly three (3) weeks prior to the event.
    Details regarding ordering are here.
  4. Any holds on your account must be cleared prior to commencement.
    Graduating seniors in debt to the University will be notified via email of that debt by the Registrar's Office multiple times leading up to commencement. If you fail to pay all debts by the deadline, your diploma will be withheld until all debts are cleared.
    Note: You do not need to clear an advising hold in order to graduate.
  5. You must be aware that any course you drop may adversely affect the completion of your degree requirements. As required, you must consult your Academic Dean about the impact of withdrawing from a course.
  6. If you are unable to attend commencement, you must fill out an In Absentia form no later than two weeks before the commencement ceremony.

Any Questions?

Please check the commencement website for more details and FAQs about graduation.
You can also check DegreeWorks to see your progress towards your degree if you are in the 2016-2017 catalog or later.

If you have any questions or concerns, please come see us in Oliver Hall, Suite 201, call us at 337-482-6986, or email us.