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Don’t be surprised later! Read on for more information on the most common graduation questions and how to avoid any stumbling blocks. “How do I file for graduation?" “When should I submit my GIF?” “When will I receive my diploma?” “What name can appear on my Diploma?” “How do I know if I have graduated or not?” “I’ve filed my GIF but now I know I won’t be able to graduate in this term. What should I do?” “Where do I order my cap and gown?” “How do I change my expected graduation date?” "What is the 6-week grace period?" "Will my diploma list the name of my academic program?" "What is the difference between Graduation Pending and Degree Conferral?" "How do I run my own Degree Evaluation? "I thought I graduated previously but I just learned that I did not graduate. What do I do?"
“How do I file for graduation?" “When should I submit my GIF?” Students must submit their Intent to Graduate the semester prior to the expected graduation term. The published Intent deadline for the January 10, 2009 conferral date was July 7, 2008. Those who intend to graduate on January 10, 2009, but have missed the filing deadline, must file immediately.
“When will I receive my diploma?” Diplomas are mailed to students 5-8 weeks after each conferral date. Doctoral candidates who graduate in May will receive their diplomas at the Commencement ceremony. All other diplomas are mailed to the diploma address you provide in Patriot Web when you file your GIF. You must be in good financial standing with the University and have no holds on your account in order to receive your diploma. “What name can appear on my Diploma?” Your diploma name must reflect your name of record during your last term of attendance at George Mason University. To request a diploma name other than the one on record, such as the full spelling of your middle name or a suffix such as Jr., III, etc, you need to provide legal documentation to the Records Department in the Registrar’s Office. Acceptable documents are birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, or official court documents. “How do I know if I have graduated or not?” We encourage you to monitor your degree status by accessing your unofficial transcript on Patriot Web. When you see the phrase: “Degree Awarded” followed by your graduation date, that is your indication that you have officially graduated. We post degrees in real-time so please check your transcript often. We will contact you only if there is a problem with your application. Please keep in mind that participation in the May Commencement Ceremony does not guarantee degree conferral. "I am a Bachelor's Accelerated Masters student. What do I do to make sure my credits are counted properly?" Undergraduates: Make sure all graduate courses taken for Reserve or Undergraduate Credit and Extended Studies courses are accurately reflected on your Patriot Web transcripts. Students in a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s program must complete a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition Form, available on the Registrar’s Office Forms web site.
“My degree audit on Patriot Web is telling me that I have not met the requirements of my degree. What should I do?” The Graduation Department does not offer student advising. If you feel that your degree audit does not reflect your academic record correctly, your Academic Advisor is best equipped to provide you with help. Speak with your advisor right away for the sooner you resolve your conflicts, the smoother your degree conferral process will go. If you realize you will not complete the requirements of your academic program during the term in which you have filed to graduate, you must withdraw your intent to graduate. You need to submit the Withdraw Graduation Intent Form to the Graduation Department. You may fax it to 703-993-4032 or bring it to us personally. You may also send an email to graduate@gmu.edu with your request to have your graduation intent withdrawn. Please be aware that you will not be able to register for classes until you withdraw your intent. “I received a letter from the Registrar’s Office saying that my academic department has denied me for graduation. What do I need to do?” If your academic department denies you for graduation, they have determined that you have not met the requirements of your major. If you feel this is in error, please speak directly with your academic department. If you realize you will not meet the requirements of your program during the semester you have filed to graduate, you will need to withdraw your intent. “I have met the requirements of my major but not my minor. Can I graduate from my minor in a future term?” You must meet the requirements of both academic programs in order to graduate. You cannot graduate from your minor in a different semester than your major. However, if you do not meet the requirements of your minor but you have fulfilled the requirements of your major, you may drop your minor and still be eligible for degree conferral. To drop your minor, please visit the Registrar’s Office to obtain the necessary paperwork. You do not need departmental approval to drop a minor. “Where do I order my cap and gown?” Caps and gowns will be available in the spring through the GMU campus bookstore. Please contact the bookstore for more information. “How do I change my expected graduation date?” Students can now update their Expected Date of Graduation on Patriot Web. Click on "Student Services and Finanical Aid", then "Student Records", then "Expected Date of Graduation." Select a graduation term from the drop down menu and click "submit." The new expected graduation date will appear on the degree evaluation. "What is the 6-week grace period?" After each conferral date, students are given six weeks to resolve conflicts delaying degree conferral. Eligible circumstances include incomplete or in-progress grades, outstanding study elsewhere grades, graduate transfer of credit to be posted, and dropping an unmet minor. If the issue is resolved by the end of the six-week deadline, your diploma and transcript will still name the official graduation date. Please keep in mind that certain circumstances are not eligible to be resolved during this six-week grace period. Such examples are the thesis and dissertation library deadline, the posting of comprehensive/Foreign Language/Credit by Exam/Oral exam grades, and the submission of scholarly papers. "Will my diploma list the name of my academic program?" The name of your major, for both undergraduate and graduate programs, will appear on your diploma. George Mason does not, however, print the name of the minor, graduate certificate program, or in most cases, concentrations, on the diploma. Concentrations are listed for students who graduate from the Bachelor of Individualized Study, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. Minors, undergraduate and graduate certificate, and all other concentrations will appear only on your final academic transcript. "What requirements must I fulfill in order to receive Latin Honors or wear the Honor Cord in the May Commencement Ceremony?" If you refer to the Academic Policies section of the University Catalog, you can find detailed information about earning Latin Honors. The level of honors you receive will be printed on your final official transcript as well as your diploma. Receiving an Honor Cord for the Commencement Ceremony is determined differently. You will wear the cord for the Honors Level based on your cumulative GPA after your final grades are posted from the previous Fall semester. It is possible that the Honor cord you wear during Commencement will differ from the final Honors Level you are awarded on your transcript and diploma.
"What is the difference between Graduation Pending and Degree Conferral?" "Graduation Pending" simply refers to the decision made collectively by your academic department and the Graduation department that you are eligible to graduate. However, since we cannot officially confer degrees outside of the three conferral dates in an academic calender year, the Graduation department will place a "Graduation Pending" status on your record. Please be aware that "Graduation Pending" is only granted for students who have fully met the requirements of their academic program, including having all final grades posted. Once the date of official graduation arrives, the Graduation department will update your status to "Degree Conferred." "How do I run my own degree evaluation? This tool is available to you on Patriot Web. It is one of the best ways to independently monitor your progress as a student and to see if you are fulfilling the requirements of your academic program. Please be aware that the online degree evaluation is not available to students of catalog years earlier than Fall 2001. If you are in a catalog year prior to Fall 2001, you must run a "What-If" analysis. Directions are below: Directions are the same for Graduate, Graduate Certificate, and Undergraduate students.
Click "Submit"
"I thought I graduated previously but I just learned that I did not graduate. What do I do?" If you completed all degree and University requirements within 6 weeks of your date of requested graduation, but your degree was never officially conferred, you may submit a Retroactive Graduation Request. To qualify, there may be no changes or additions to your record since the time of the requested graduation date. You must submit the Retroactive Graduation Request Form to your academic department for preliminary review and approval, than forward the form to the Registrar's Office for processing. If an academic action such as a substitution or waiver, or dropping a minor or second degree is required to meet graduation requirements, please contact the Registrar's Office for guidance at graduate@gmu.edu or 703-993-2431.
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