Graduation is the process of being awarded a degree. All students wishing to graduate must apply for graduation by the application deadline. Applying for graduation is a University Degree Requirement that must be met by each student wishing to graduate. If you do not apply for graduation, you have not met all your degree requirements.

Commencement ceremonies are the services held at the end of each Fall and Spring semester. These are ceremonies in which the achievement of the degree is recognized and celebrated by the University community and the students’ friends and family. You must apply to graduate to participate in Commencement.

Refer to our Applying For Graduation page for instructions.

There is no fee to apply for graduation. However, there are fees for purchasing academic regalia for students wishing to participate in commencement ceremonies. Check with Herff-Jones or the Campus Bookstore for price information.

• You will receive a confirmation number if you have successfully submitted the application. Print the confirmation number page for your records.
• If you successfully submitted your application for graduation, you will also receive an e-mail to your myUTSAmail account approximately two weeks after the application deadline.

The top online application errors are:

• Failing to use Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher
• Incorrect formatting of addresses, dates and phone numbers
• Applying for the incorrect term of graduation
• Attempting to submit the application without the required number of completed hours
• Trying to apply for a semester in which the application date has passed
• Trying to apply for a semester too soon (only one year in advance)
• You have not applied until you get a confirmation number.

• Log into your myUTSA Account and click on the Main Menu on the top left and select “Student Services.”
• Go to the “Menu: Graduation & Commencement” card and click on App>Graduation Application.
• Click on “Complete Graduation Application”, select “Continue” then select the term you are trying to withdraw. It will then tell you that you have an application on file for that term already, select “Withdraw Application” at the bottom of that page.
• You will need to re-apply for the term you wish to graduate through your myUTSA Account.
• All students that do not graduate for the term they applied must re-apply for graduation!

Requesting a degree audit from your college is not the same as applying for graduation. You still have to apply online by the deadline in order to graduate.

Diplomas are mailed approximately 60 days after the official close of the term in which you have graduated.

• Update your address and check your diploma name on your myUTSA Account to ensure that your diploma name appears as it should and that it is sent to the correct address.
• If you update your diploma address after the close of the semester, send an e-mail to graduationcoordination@utsa.edu to ensure that the change has been updated on the diploma list.

If you find errors on your diploma information or on the diploma itself, send an e-mail (from your myUTSAmail account) to graduationcoordination@utsa.edu. Include your full name, BANNER ID and a description of the error.

No. Participation in a commencement ceremony does not imply or infer the awarding of a degree at the time of the commencement ceremony; a final degree audit must be completed before a degree is officially awarded.

Undergraduate Students:

• If you have applied for graduation you can request a letter of degree completion from your advising center. Advising centers can provide this letter until the close of the term.
• After the close of the term, but before degrees are posted to transcripts, students can obtain a letter of degree awarded from the Office of the Registrar by submitting the Release of Degree Information Form. The form must be submitted to One Stop Enrollment Center by the appropriate deadline. Keep in mind that letters are done on a first come first serve basis and WILL NOT be done on the spot so plan accordingly. Turnaround time varies depending on the number of requests.
• After degrees are posted to transcripts we will not provide letters to students. Students can request transcripts online through Parchment.
• Letters of Degree Completion, Awarded or Transcripts WILL NOT be released if the student has financial obligations to the university.

Graduate Students:

• If you have applied for graduation you can request a letter of degree completion with work complete or work in progress from your college by submitting the Release of Degree Information Form. These letters will be provided until the close of the term.
• After the close of the term, but before degrees are posted to transcripts, students can obtain a letter of degree awarded from the Office of the Registrar by submitting the Release of Degree Information Form. The form must be submitted to One Stop Enrollment Center by the appropriate deadline. Keep in mind that letters are done on a first come first serve basis and WILL NOT be done on the spot. Turn around time varies depending on the number of requests.
• After degrees are posted to transcripts we will not provide letters to students. Students can request transcripts online through Parchment.
• Letters of Degree Completion, Awarded or Transcripts WILL NOT be released if the student has financial obligations to the university.

When you apply for graduation, you are applying for the degree to be awarded in that particular term. Graduation applications DO NOT roll to the next term. If you do not complete all the requirements, you must reapply.

No. May mini-mester courses are part of the summer term. Students completing their coursework during the May mini-mester will be summer candidates if they have applied for summer graduation by the appropriate deadline.

Although there are various summer sessions, summer term is one long term ending in August. We graduate all summer candidates at the end of the long term. Once the term officially closes the final audits will take place and we will post degrees approximately 30 days after the close of the term. Diplomas will be mailed out approximately 60 days after the close of the term.

No. Diplomas reflect the date of the term in which you applied for graduation. Walking in the ceremony is not graduation and therefore summer diplomas will reflect an August date regardless of the date of commencement participation.

Diplomas will show the end of term date, not the date of the commencement ceremony.

Once the holds preventing the release of your diploma have been removed, please submit a Diploma Request.