Graduation and Diploma Frequently Asked Questions

Please read the information on our Apply to Graduate page.

All relevant Online Graduation Application deadlines can be found on the Important Dates and Deadlines for Graduation Applications page each semester.

Important: Late applications will not be accepted.

Students who have met with their program advisors and who have been informed by the advisors that they are close to completing their degree requirements should apply to graduate.

The Online Graduation Application accepts applications from both undergraduate and graduate students applying for graduation from associate, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degree programs. The Online Graduation Application also accepts applications for certificate programs.

If you are completing a degree in the College of Law or College of Medicine (MD program only), you must follow that college's procedures for applying for graduation. This Online Graduation Application cannot accept applications for College of Law degrees or from the College of Medicine's Doctor of Medicine degree students.

Prior to entering the Online Graduation Application, make an appointment with your academic advisor to be certain that you are ready to apply for graduation.

If you are a graduate student, review the Graduate School’s graduation process information prior to entering the Online Graduation Application.

If you are a graduate student, review the Graduate School’s graduation process information prior to entering the Online Graduation Application.

Graduate Students must first complete the Graduate School Exit Survey prior to submitting a graduation application. The Online Graduation Application will not accept a graduate student's application until he or she has completed the survey.

At some previous time, you may have asked UC to withhold releasing your UC Directory Information in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). If that is the case, UC cannot print your name in the UC Commencement Program. If a directory information hold currently is being enforced, the Online Graduation Application will ask for your authorization to override the FERPA block and print your name in the program.

The Online Graduation Application will notify you if currently, you have an unresolved obligation to the University of Cincinnati. You may submit your graduation application, but UC will not release either your diploma or academic transcript until this obligation has been cleared.

Once you have entered all requested information, the Online Graduation Application will display a confirmation page.

You can review your graduation status in Catalyst by clicking on the My Academics tile, opening the Graduation/Commencement drop–down menu, and selecting View Graduation Status. Successfully completed applications will show as Graduation Application has been Received.

The Online Graduation Application fee is $50.00. This is charged per term, not per degree. It is nonrefundable, so if you do not graduate, the fee will not be refunded or applied to the next term.

All graduate and undergraduate students are required to submit a non-refundable "Graduation Fee" payment by credit card to complete the degree application.

The graduation application fee was established to enhance services to the University of Cincinnati graduating students. The fee underwrites various costs related to All–University Commencement, degree certification, CeCredential creation, and other graduation–related expenses.

After having completed an online application for graduation, you will only be able to access and update information for a limited time. Please check the Graduation Application Dates and Deadlines page to verify the various deadlines. Students are able to update their CeCredential Name (Catalyst refers to this as either the "Diploma" or "eDiploma" Name) via the Graduation Application. It is highly encouraged that all students update their CeCredential/Diploma/eDiploma Name to ensure accuracy of CeCredential creation.

Make sure you check the Important Dates and Deadlines for Graduation Applications page so that you are aware of the last date to change this information.

Review the Commencement Ceremony page for the most current information regarding upcoming Commencement Ceremony.

You will RSVP for a Commencement Ceremony as part of completing and submitting your Online Graduation Application.

Make sure you check the Important Dates and Deadlines for Graduation Applications page so that you are aware of the last date to change this information.

The Registrar’s Office will be certifying degrees for Spring Semester 2023 Graduates by May 31, 2023. Students will receive an email at their UC email account with confirmation of degree certification. Check out the After Commencement page for more details.

First, know that certifications may take through May 31 to be processed. If you do not receive a confirmation email of your degree certification—and do not have a degree when you check degree status in Catalyst after May 31, 2023—you will need to reach out to your academic advisor.

Students can verify their degree in various ways. The day after degrees are certified students can check their degree status via Catalyst, download an unofficial transcript, or download a degree verification letter. Students do not need to order an official transcript until after degree status is confirmed. Once students verify their degree, they can order an official transcript. 

Students can order and download their official transcript via Catalyst. Be sure to read all information found on the Transcript Ordering page before ordering. Transcripts are nonrefundable, so make sure your degree has been certified before you order.

CeDiplomas will be available for download six–eight weeks after commencement (end of June 2023). You will receive an email sent to your UC email address with a secure link to download your CeDiploma once it is available. CeDiplomas CANNOT be expedited.

Ceremonial Diplomas will be available for six–eight weeks after commencement (end of June 2023). You will receive an email sent to your UC email address once the diploma has been placed in the mail. Ceremonial Diplomas CANNOT be expedited.

You will receive an email with a link to download your credential when it is available from our trusted partner, CeCredential Trust®. To request a new download link, please use the CeCredential Trust site to resend the link.

Visit the CeCredential page for additional resources.

Graduates with a hold on their account will be redirected to our service indicator page encouraging them to resolve any outstanding items. The CeDiploma will be available once any holds are removed.

Note: A CeDiploma may not be available for all conferral dates. CeDiplomas are available to graduates beginning Fall Semester (December) 2017. CeCertificates are available to graduates beginning Fall Semester (December) 2019.

For security reasons, the CeDiploma/electronic credential cannot be printed.

The CeDiploma includes the CeDiD on the actual PDF that you download. You need to download your CeDiploma, then the CeDiD will be located on the top left–hand corner of the CeDiploma. You can share this with whomever needs to validate your degree through our website. Please be aware the CeDiD must be entered accurately for employers and others to validate on our CeCredential Validation page. Zeros can be mistaken for the letter O, and a lower–case L can look like the number one.

CeDiploma® is trying to open in an application called "Preview," which comes standard on Apple devices. You will want to make sure you are using Adobe Acrobat Reader or Pro since Adobe is the primary viewer for PDFs. If you already have Adobe, you can go into your settings and make this change. If not, it is a free download if you search in Google. Once you have set your Adobe Acrobat application as your primary PDF viewer, please move the download to your desktop before re–opening.

Note: Ceremonial certificates are produced after the semester of graduation has passed and degrees/certificates have been certified. Students will receive an email notification when their credential has been posted.

Yes, you will receive a Ceremonial (paper) Diploma for each degree earned. Note that double majors will not receive two diplomas. Review the Double Majors and Double Degrees Policy for more information.

The below information is displayed on your ceremonial and electronic credential.

• Name of the college that granted your degree
• Name of the student as was provided to us in the CeDiploma Name field in the Graduation Application
• University and Latin honors earned at the time of certification

Note: Majors are not printed on the diploma unless it is part of the degree name as approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education and required by the appropriate accreditation body. (e.g., A Biology major receiving a Bachelor of Science will only have "Bachelor of Science" listed on their credential, but a Nursing major earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will have "Bachelor of Science in Nursing" on their credential because that is the name of the degree.)

You can determine the name of your degree by visiting Catalyst, clicking the My Academics tile, opening the Graduation/Commencement drop–down menu, and selecting View Graduation Status. The information provided in the Degree field is what will be printed on your credential. Program, major, or track information will not be printed.

Graduates who earn a minor credential do not receive a hard copy of this credential as it cannot be earned separate from your degree. This credential will, however, be found on your official University of Cincinnati transcript.

Many students choose to frame their ceremonial diplomas and certificates. Undergraduate and graduate (including PhD and PharmD) ceremonial diplomas are 8.5 x 11 inches. Law school (JD and LLM) and medical school (MD) ceremonial diplomas are 12 x 17 inches.

The University of Cincinnati Bookstore has frames and holders available for purchase.