Students should monitor their degree requirements throughout their academic career to ensure that they are on track when graduation approaches.
Students must apply for graduation and it is recommended that they apply three terms prior to the term in which they will meet their degree requirements.
Once you’ve applied you need to monitor the progress of your degree review. It is the responsibility of the student to verify that their requirements are met and the degree awarded.
Finally, celebrate your accomplishment by receiving the diploma you’ve worked so hard for; better yet receive it at the commencement ceremony where you can celebrate with your friends, family, and classmates.
Maintaining contact with your advisor is critical to the successful and timely completion of your degree requirements. Regular advising is required for undergraduate students. How often advising is required varies by college; contact your college head advising office for further information.
Use the general catalog to research program requirements and to review the course descriptions of courses you are considering enrolling in.
From the very beginning of your academic career you have access to the degree audit tool to monitor your progress towards your degree. Students can access the tool by clicking this MyDegrees link.
Academic advising is invaluable to the successful completion of your education goals. Your academic advisor is there to provide guidance in regards to course selection, degree requirements, academic success strategies, career plans, and integration to the campus culture. Each academic college has developed an advising structure that facilitates the needs of their programs and students. However, all colleges recommend that you:
1) Meet with your advisor once per term.
2) Keep your PIN and GAP codes in a safe place.
3) Take responsibility for learning your degree requirements.
You may contact the college head advisor for more information about the advising resources and requirements of your program. Contact information for individual departments is available online under the subject area contacts heading.
You may view and search the general catalog online. The general catalog contains information about admissions procedures/policies, degree requirements, course descriptions, academic policies, and more. Use the catalog to research program requirements and to review the course descriptions of courses you are considering enrolling in. You are assigned a “catalog term” for your program. Your catalog term is the term in which you declared your current program of study (degree & major). You are subject to the program requirements that were in effect at that time. Use the general catalog that applies to your catalog term when reviewing your program requirements. There are archived catalogs for prior terms available online.
From the very beginning of your academic career you have access to the MyDegrees degree audit tool to monitor your progress towards your degree. To access the tool, click this link to MyDegrees. You will be required to enter the login information for your student online services. Then choose the Submit MyDegrees button and you will be taken directly to your MyDegrees degree checklist. Keep in mind:
1) Here you can review your Degree Checklist
2) Your Planner is also available for use in future planning
The degree checklist will indicate which degree requirements are met by a check in the box to the left of the requirement. Requirements that are expected to be met by in progress courses will appear with a blue box to the left. Requirements that you still need to complete will have an empty box to the left and will have the words "Still Needed" in the course requirement area. Bear in mind that the inclusion of in progress courses indicates where you will stand if you successfully complete all of your in progress courses. You should review your audit again after the term is complete to verify the results.
The audit is a useful tool for students, but it is not a replacement for regular consultation with your advisor.
Students do not automatically get evaluated for graduation. They must apply for graduation. Access the online application for graduation via Online Services. It is recommended that students apply for graduation three terms prior to the term in which they intend to complete their degree requirements. Applications must be submitted no later than the end of the second week of the term in which the student plans to complete degree requirements
According to Academic Regulations 26 a student may earn two or more degrees simultaneously. A student must complete a minimum of 32 credits above the minimum number of credits needed for one of the degrees. Students may also earn two or more majors within a single degree program, per Academic Regulations 27. Students completing the honors college curriculum receive a honors degree in the college of their major, e.g. HBS Honors Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, or HBA Honors Bachelor of Arts in English.
The Office of the Registrar will communicate your progress to you in two ways; 1) emails will be sent to your ONID email account with information about the clearance process and any deficiencies you may have, 2) any deficiencies that would prevent the awarding of your degree will be recorded as a graduation hold on your record and are visible in Online Services.
Applications for graduation must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. They may be filed up to three terms before the expected graduation term so progress can be monitored each term. However, applications must be submitted no later than the end of the second week of the term in which the student plans to complete degree requirements.
Click here for the application for graduation (you will need to enter your Online Services login information before being taken to the application).
From the Student Records menu you may also view existing applications for graduation, cancel an existing application for graduation, and confirm your intention to attend commencement.
A student may earn multiple degrees simultaneously. Additional degrees may also be earned subsequent to a prior degree award. The degrees may be offered by the same college, or by different colleges. For each additional degree, a student must complete a minimum of 32 credits above the minimum number of credits needed for one degree. Each degree application is reviewed by the appropriate academic advisor. Advisors complete a separate graduation audit for each of the degrees. Each degree awarded will be recorded as a separate degree award on the student’s record. The student will also receive a separate diploma for each degree awarded (See Academic Regulations 26).
Some programs, such as the Education Double Degree or the International Degree, require that a primary degree be completed in order for the secondary degree to be awarded. When multiple degrees are not dependent on one another, one of the degrees may be awarded even though the requirements for the other degree is not yet met.
Though less common, a student may receive a single degree with multiple majors. Often the number of credits required to complete the requirements for multiple majors allows a student to earn multiple degrees, but that is not always the case. Dual majors are most often obtained within the same college. The degree requirements for both majors are reviewed by your advisor.
When the degree is awarded there will be one degree award with two majors recorded on the student’s record. The student will receive one diploma. Dual majors may be obtained concurrently with the completion of the degree, or in some cases may be earned as a credential subsequent to completion of the degree (See Academic Regulations 27).
Students completing the honors college curriculum receive an honors degree in the college of their major, e.g. HBS Honors Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, or HBA Honors Bachelor of Arts in English. In some cases it might be possible for an Honors College student to earn multiple degrees simultaneously, each of which would be recorded as an Honors degree.
Students seeking an honors degree must meet the requirements of the Honors College in order to receive their degree. Students that complete an Honors degree will have the honors degree recorded on their academic record. The student’s diploma will also include the honors degree designation (e.g. Honors Bachelor of Science, etc…).
Students completing a certificate concurrently with their major must apply for graduation twice – one graduation application for the major and another graduation application for the certificate.
When the certificate is awarded, it will be recorded on the student’s transcript.
When an application for graduation is submitted the Office of the Registrar will inform your advisor that you are pending graduation for the term. Check your degree progress using your MyDegrees degree checklist. If you haven’t done so recently, you should meet with your advisor to verify that you are on track to meet your requirements. Any unmet requirements indicated on your degree audit must be resolved prior to a degree being awarded.
College/departmental advisors will review your record to verify the completion of baccalaureate core, degree, major, minor, option, and college requirements. The Office of the Registrar verifies completion of the remaining institutional requirements.
Academic Regulation 25 defines Institutional Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees. Questions regarding your ability to graduate as planned or regarding specific college/major/minor/option requirements should be directed to your academic advisor.
During the term in which you have applied to graduate your record will be evaluated several times to determine if you have met graduation requirements. Any deficiencies will be recorded as a graduation hold on your student record. Check your holds by logging into your Online Services, choose the Student Records menu, and click on View Holds. Also, continue to monitor your progress in MyDegrees. You will be responsible for monitoring your progress and checking your holds throughout your final term because your progress and holds will be updated continuously as changes to your record occur. Check your ONID email regularly.
In the event that you will be unable to graduate at the end of the term for which you have applied you should cancel your existing application for graduation and submit a new application for the future term in which you will complete your requirements.
Degree clearance requires approximately 4 weeks after the conclusion of the term. When your degree requirements are completed your degree award will be posted to your transcript where you may view it. Also, the Office of the Registrar will send a notice of congratulation to your ONID student email address once your degree is awarded. It is your responsibility to consult your OSU transcript to confirm your degree award.
Students who have applied after April 1 for (Summer or Fall term) graduation will not be mailed a Commencement pamphlet. The pamphlet is published on the web, accessible through the Registrar’s homepage via the Commencement link. Information is also located on the Commencement website: http://oregonstate.edu/commencement/.
Verifying your degree on the Web
Degrees awarded by Oregon State University are recorded with the National Student Clearinghouse. Students, employers, and other organizations may request verification of a degree directly from the NSC by visiting their website and submitting a request.
Verifying your degree with a transcript
A student may verify degrees awarded by ordering an official OSU transcript. The official transcript may be ordered through Online Services and sent to whatever address you specify. You may also elect to pick up your diploma at the Office of the Registrar. Be prepared to show your picture identification if picking up a transcript. Transcripts may be ordered in advance with the special handling instruction “Hold for Degree”. Orders with this instruction will be sent automatically upon the completion of the degree award process.