Graduation

It sounds simple enough, but make sure you have completed your degree requirments as stipulated in your undergradate catalog, including concentration/cognate or minor if applicable. Consult with your advisior.

 

View the Undergraduate Catalog

The Graduation Application is required before a degree will be posted to a student's academic record. 

The application provides the Office of the Registrar with critical information about a student's chosen academic program. We need information including degree, major, (concentrations, minors, etc. if applicable), expected graduation year and term.

Applying to graduate is an easy process completed online through the Graduation Application Tile in MyPortal. During the graduation application process, a graduation fee will be added to the student's account. This is a one time fee of $25.

 

Apply to Graduate in My Portal

Once you submit your graduation application, you will be charged a one-time graduation application fee of $25. This fee will be be charged to your student account and can be paid through your eBill account in MyPortal.

The application fee includes the cost and shipping of your diploma. 

If you're applying to earn more than one degree, you will be charged $8 for each additional diploma. 

Students earning certificates must also submit the graduation application and $25 graduation fee before a certificate can be awarded.

Commencement Participation and Graduation Application Guide

Commencement is a ceremony celebrating your academic achievement, but it does not mean your degree has been officially awarded (i.e., graduation). To participate in commencement, here’s what you need to know:

Applying for Graduation

To officially graduate, you must submit a graduation application for the semester you will complete your degree. The application becomes available once you have earned  a certain number of credit hours:

• Fall or Spring Degree Completion: Eligible to apply after earning at least 101 credit hours.
• Summer Degree Completion: Eligible to apply after earning at least  92 credit hours.

If you haven’t reached the required earned credit hours threshold to apply, you must request an exception and provide proof of your progress toward completing your degree in the selected term. After this information is reviewed, you will gain access to a graduation application.

Commencement Ceremony Participation

Students who are on schedule to complete their degree requirements in the Fall are expected to participate in the Winter Commencement Ceremony in December.  All fall graduates who do not walk in the December ceremony will automatically be included in the lists to walk in May of the following year.

Students who are on schedule to complete their degree requirements in the Spring are expected to participate in the Spring Commencement Ceremony in May. 

Students who are on schedule to complete their degree requirements during the Summer may request to participate in commencement exercises in the preceding Spring (as an Early Walk) or the following Fall (as a Late Walk) of the same year.   To be considered to walk either early or late, students must first submit their graduation application.

Degree Works provides you with access to your unofficial degree audit which lists information regarding your current program(s) of study including institutional requirements, general education requirements, major requirements (with concentration, cognate or track, if applicable) and minor requirements.  

You and your advisor can access your degree audit via MyPortal and the Academic Services tab.  

Please note:  You and your advisor may use this on-line tool to view your progress toward meeting graduation requirements, but it is not an official degree audit. Official final degree audits are only performed by the Office of the Registrar at the time a student applies for graduation.

Graduation Status Notification

Students who apply to graduate will be e-mailed one or more Graduation Status Notification emails during their expected graduation term. 

Students who fail to apply to graduate will not receive a Graduation Status Notification email. 

 There are two types of e-mails: 

• Not Pre-clearing: Students are notified that they are lacking items to meet their graduation requirements for the term in which they applied. 
  
  
• Pre-Clearing: Students are on track to graduate as applied. 
  
  

A student’s diploma name is not required to match their primary/legal name.

You will have the opportunity to select your diploma name when completing the graduation application in MyPortal. A student can choose any preferred first or middle name as their diploma name. Some examples of preferred names can include but are not limited to:

• First name, initial, or an alternate form of the first name
• Middle name, initial, or omission of the middle name altogether
• Inclusion of former or maiden name
• Inclusion of maternal surnames as culturally appropriate
• The following suffixes can be used in a diploma name: I, II, III, IV, Jr., Sr.

Individuals should refrain from any of the following in their diploma name:

• Symbols, numbers, unusual capitalization, repeating characters or punctuation
• Characters from multiple languages
• Titles of any kind, ex. professional, religious
• Offensive or suggestive words of any kind
• Not permitted is a prefix or suffix related to a title or credential (e.g., Dr., DMD, Esq., Mrs., Mr., etc.)

During the term when they apply to graduate, students will receive an email confimring the diploma name selected. Any corrections to the diploma name must be updated by the student’s degree conferral date by emailing graduation@cofc.edu.

Failure to update or correct the diploma name prior to degree conferral will require the graduate to order a replacement diploma. Standard replacement fees will apply.

NOTE:
The College strongly suggests that students who plan to live, study or work outside of the United States use their legal name on their diploma to avoid issues with the verification of their educational records. Additionally, diplomas requiring notarization must reflect the individual’s legal name. If a student uses a preferred name on their diploma and later needs a new diploma with their legal name, they will be required to order a replacement diploma. Standard replacement fees will apply. 

 

Seal and Ribbon
When the diploma ships, graduates receive and email with the tracking information along with how to attach the seal and ribbon. Included in the mailing tube with a student's diploma will be a satin ribbon and the gold foil seal of the College of Charleston. Also included is a document detailing how these items should be placed on the diploma. If any item is missing, contact graduation@cofc.edu.

Majors and Honors
Major(s) and Latin honors (if applicable) are listed on the diploma (B.A./B.S./B.P.S./B.I.S.). PLEASE NOTE: A.B. (Latin) diplomas will not have the major listed. Minors and concentrations are not printed on the diploma, but are printed on the transcript. Information regarding earning more than one degree is available in the Undergraduate Catalogs beginning with the 2008-09 Catalog (see Second Bachelor's Degree Policy under Academic Regulations).

Dimensions/Material
College of Charleston undergraduate diplomas are among the largest in the country at 20" long by 16" wide. These diplomas are made of archival quality parchment paper – not sheepskin.

Signatures
Diplomas are signed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the President, the Provost and also by the current school deans and department chairs.

Diplomas will not be ordered for graduates who have outstanding financial holds. 

Please check your eBill and contact the Treasurer’s Office if you have questions about balances or financial holds on your record.  

Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar (graduation@cofc.edu) when a past due balance has been resolved.

Diplomas will be mailed to the diploma mailing address listed on the Graduation Application 6 to 8 weeks following degree conferral.  

Check MyPortal to ensure your account is current and your Diploma Mailing Address (as listed on your Graduation Application) is correct before leaving the College to avoid delays in receiving your diploma.

Your Diploma Mailing Address should be an address where you can receive mail up to 12 weeks after graduation.

You may review the address by clicking on the Graduation Application Tile in MyPortal and then selecting Submitted Graduation Applications.

• Complete and submit the Graduation Update Form if you have already completed a Graduation Application and need to update your expected graduation term or if you need to modify your program of study (i.e., change/add or undeclare a degree, major or minor, etc.) since applying to graduate.
  
  Graduation Update Form
  
  E-mail graduation@cofc.edu (for security purposes, e-mailed address updates will only be accepted from students' official college-issued email accounts

Receiving you College of Charleston diploma is much-anticipated and joyous occassion. Unfortunately, there can be some instances where not everything goes as planned.

If you experience any of the following issues contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance.

 

 

Contact the Office of the Registrar

Undergraduate alumni may request a replacement diploma by downloading and submitting the Diploma Replacement form along with payment by check. 

Please allow 4-8 weeks for processing. Alumni who wish to have a diploma name that is different than what appeared on their original diploma may order a replacement and indicate a diploma name in keeping with the policy.

Graduate alumni may request a replacement diploma by submitting a Graduate Diploma Replacement form along with payment to the Graduate School.

The replacement diploma fee is $25 (subject to change without notice).  The signature of the graduate is required since this is an official document.  Expedited processing is available for an additional fee.  Diplomas may be notarized for an additional processing fee of $15.  Contact graduation@cofc.edu for information and required forms.

Diplomas will be reproduced on the engraver's current paper stock using current faculty signatures.   As a result, the replacement diploma may not be an exact duplicate of the original.  However, the diploma will match your official academic record on file (name, degree, major, and conferral date).  All replacement diplomas are 20" x 16". 

Download Diploma Replacement Form

Diplomas are ordered by degree:

• Bachelor of Arts (BA)
• Bachelor of Science (BS)
• Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)
• Bachelor of Integrated Studes (BIS)
• Artium Baccalaureatus (AB).

Students will receive one diploma per degree earned. If a student completes two (or more) majors on the same degree in the same term, all majors will be included on one diploma (note: majors are not listed on the AB degree).

Degrees earned for each major are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog.  Minors, concentrations, emphases, etc., are included on the transcript, but are not listed on the diploma.

In the case of multiple majors in different degree programs where the student has not completed the requirements for two degrees, the degree awarded will default to a Bachelor of Science (BS).

Students who do not wish to receive the default degree must send an email to graduation@cofc.edu by the Friday prior to the commencement ceremony. 

Additional diplomas will not be ordered for students completing a second major in a different term from the first; the second major will be noted on the transcript but a second diploma will not be issued.

Students who choose to complete the requirements for two programs normally offered under different degrees, but have less than 153 earned hours, will receive one diploma; typically the degree type defaults in this order, AB/BS/BA.

The AB degree replaces the degree type normally associated with the program of study/studies without regard to the number of hours earned.   Information regarding earning more than one degree is available in the Undergraduate Catalogs beginning with the 2008-09 Catalog (see Second Bachelor's Degree Policy under Academic Regulations).

Contact graduation@cofc.edu if you have applied to graduate and have specific questions regarding your diploma or to discuss any unusual circumstances regarding diplomas for multiple majors/degrees.

Graduation at the College of Charleston is a celebration for all graduates and their families. In the past and with special consideration the College has allowed family members who are on the faculty or staff of the College to present their graduates with the "diploma" during the ceremony.

While this is a special moment for both the graduate and the family, the presentation of the diploma by a family member creates difficulties during the diploma distribution which causes problems for others, most notably those immediately behind the graduate whose family member is participating.

Effective spring 2011, any College of Charleston graduate whose family member who is on the faculty or staff of the College and wants to participate in a graduate's ceremony will no longer be allowed to present the diploma to the graduate, but instead will be allowed to join the line of College representatives and faculty from the graduate's school and department at the end of the stage and will be able to shake hands with and embrace the graduate.

This will provide the opportunity for the graduate and the family member to celebrate the occasion in a more meaningful way and will also allow the procession of graduates to move across the stage more smoothly.

A posthumous degree may be awarded for a deceased student upon the recommendation of the relevant dean or deans and as approved by the provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs or the president. 

  

View Policy on Posthumous Degrees