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Application for Graduation

Bachelor's Degrees

Students who intend to graduate must apply for graduation through the Office of the Registrar. A $50.00 graduation application fee** will only be charged one time per degree and is applied to your student account.

**If a student plans to complete a Certificate program as well, another $50 fee will be charged to their student account once their second application is accepted. If the student is completing both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Certificate program and apply for graduation and certificate completion in the same semester, the student will only be charged the $50 graduation fee once.


Applications Are Only Accepted...

  • After the student has registered for their final semester
      • Summer students must participate in the spring commencement ceremony. Summer students can apply after November 1st and must be registered for spring course work.
  • After any course adjustments are processed and the student is showing that they have met all requirements on Degree Works or that they will have met them once any courses for which the student is currently registered are passed. The only exceptions are students who are  transferring in coursework their last semester or completing an Oral Proficiency Exam, Biology Exit Exam, Chemistry Exit Exam, Art Portfolio, or Senior Music Recital.

To Apply

  • Please complete the Undergraduate Graduation Application form by clicking the following link https://onbase.unco.edu/Registrars/GraduationApplication  to apply for graduation. Once you have completed the application, please make sure to select the submit button located in the bottom left hand corner of the form.

Note: Graduate Students need to contact the Graduate School for information on applying to graduation

  • Please make sure to include:
      • All Majors (programs) and Minors that are declared
      • Please make sure to indicate any missing non-course requirements or details about transfer work in the box provided on the application.
  • Once we receive your intent to graduate, we will respond to your Bear Mail to confirm we have received your application.
  • If your graduation application is denied, it is your responsibility to follow up with your advisor about any missing requirements. The Office of the Registrar will not advise on missing degree requirement(s). You must re-apply when there are no longer any missing requirements.
  • If the application has been accepted, you and and your advisor will receive a detailed email via Bear Mail within 5 to 10 business days showing any outstanding graduation requirements.
  • All course adjustments must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar before a student applies for graduation.
  • It is highly recommended that you generate a new Degree Works report each time you register or when changes are made to your record (e.g., course substitutions, transfer work, major/minor changes, etc.).
  • If you make any of the changes listed above or if you request to change your graduation date, you must notify the Office of the Registrar at 970-351-4862, option 2.
  • To generate a current Degree Works report, you may go to Ursa and sign in with your respective username and password, click on the Student tab to view a degree audit report and access various Degree Works tools! 
    For commonly asked questions about Degree Works, see Degree Works FAQ’s.
  • If you make any changes to the information listed above or if you want to request to change your graduation date, you must notify the Office of the Registrar at 970-351-4862, option 2.
  • To graduate in any given semester, all graduation requirements must be completed (with relevant documentation submitted to the Office of the Registrar, as necessary) two weeks before the release of official transcripts.

For transcript and diploma release dates, .

Degrees are not awarded during the Interim term; students who complete their graduation requirements in an Interim term are considered graduates of the subsequent spring semester.


Participating in the Commencement Ceremony

In order to participate in a Fall or Spring commencement ceremony, you must be on the tentative graduation list prior to the date of the respective commencement ceremony. If you have not applied for graduation you will not appear on any graduation list.

There is no Summer commencement ceremony; all Summer graduates are invited to participate in the Spring ceremony. Students completing their graduation requirements in the Interim term will participate in the Spring commencement ceremony and will have their degree conferred the following Spring semester.

Exceptions can be made for students who will be doing their student teaching or internship out-of-state their last semester. Complete the Petition to Participate in Commencement form.

Documentation is required from the advisor stating that they have approved the student’s internship/student teaching out of state. Documentation is also required from the facility hosting the student stating that they are allowing that student to do his/her internship/student teaching at their facility.