Graduation Information
Preparation
As you are working towards completing your degree, make sure you have completed other tasks that may be required for graduation.
- Performance and Admission Requirements:
- Must be completed by the deadline stated in your admissions letter.
- Transfer Credits:
- Must be completed within the 1st year of program enrollment, prior to submission of program of study. One Transfer Credit Approval Form must be submitted for each course.
- Petitions:
- A student may Petition the Dean of the Graduate School for exceptions to the rules and procedures stated in the Graduate Catalog. You may need a petition to use outdated credits or to transfer more than 9 credits towards your degree. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog to review a list of common petition requests.
- Change of Grade forms for all incomplete (I) and in progress (IP) grades
- All incomplete grades must be cleared prior to posting of degrees. Talk with your instructor of the course to submit a complete grade. Faculty are responsible for submitting final grades.
- Dates & Deadlines
- Meet important dates and deadlines outlined by the University.
Apply to Graduate
Congratulations, you're getting close to finishing. There are some final steps and milestones before your degree can be awarded.
- Final Program of Study:
- Programs of study are due the semester before your graduation. If you are defending early, you must submit your program of study before you schedule your defense. Talk with your advisor or department chair to help prepare your final program of study. Failure to submit the final program of study on time may delay your graduation.
- Graduation Application
- Submit a graduation application on BengalWeb. Students who miss graduation application deadlines will need to apply for the following semester.
- Comprehensive Examinations:
- Deadline varies by department. Must be completed before final oral defense (see Graduate Catalog).
- Scheduling your defense
- Thesis or Dissertation Defense/Oral Examination:
- Students who are defending a thesis or dissertation must meet the deadlines. Students who have non-thesis defenses must defend and complete all requirements by the last day of the term. Talk to your advisor or department chair to schedule your oral exam with the Graduate School.
| Dates & Deadlines | Fall 2022 | Spring 2023 | Summer 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Program of Study | August 5, 2022 | December 16, 2022 | May 05, 2023 |
| Application for Graduation | September 06, 2022 | January 30, 2023 | May 19, 2023 |
| Thesis or Dissertation Defense | November 18, 2022 | April 14, 2023 | July 14, 2023 |
Theses & Dissertations
As you are working on your thesis or dissertation, refer to the Thesis and Dissertation Manual to ensure your final draft is approved for graduation. A student’s final draft must meet Graduate School guidelines outlined in the manual. Students must submit the final PDF draft online to the Graduate School two weeks following the final oral defense.
Commencement & Diplomas
- Caps and Gowns
- Attend Grad Finale to pick up everything you need in the spring semester. You can also order your regalia. Contact the ISU Bookstore or Jostens for more information
- Commencement
- A virtual commencement ceremony for Fall has been rescheduled to December 12. Please continue to check your email and the university’s commencement webpage for updates.
- Verify Official Mailing Address
- Address updates in BengalWeb will not change where your diploma is mailed. You must notify your Graduate Pathway Specialist, or email gradschool@isu.edu, as soon as possible to change the address you wish to mail your diploma to.
- Diplomas
- Degrees will be processed after grades have been posted. We review each student’s record to confirm all degree requirements have been met. The review process takes about 4-5 weeks to award all degrees. After your degree has been posted, you will receive an email when your diploma has mailed.
