Department of
Registration and Records

Steps to Graduation

General Information

• Complete an Application for Degree Card through your academic department approximately three (3) weeks after the start of the semester in which you intend to graduation.
• Be attentive to deadlines and fulfilling your responsibilities to secure your graduation clearance. Responsibilities include:
  
  1. completion of your Application for Degree Card;
  2. confirmation you have fulfilled all requirements for your degree;
  3. if applying for a minor, complete an application form and follow through on signatures and processing
  4. purchase academic apparel and announcements.
• An informational flyer will be mailed to candidate mid-semester. This will provide apparel purchase information, schedule of events, important reminders, student speaker application, and other opportunities.
• Academic apparel can be purchased through the NCSU Bookstore beginning in early December or May. Preordering is only required for special needs and those orders should be made in early November or April. Photo ID is required for apparel purchases. For more information about apparel and announcements please visit our Announcements and Apparel information page.
• All diplomas are 11x14" except for those students graduating from the Agricultural Institute.
  Their diploma size is 8.5x11". Frames are available for purchase at the NCSU Bookstore. Duplicate diplomas are available upon request for $25.00. Contact Registration and Records' Graduation Coordinator at 515-2572 or fax/mail a completed replacement diploma request form (pdf).

Diploma Distribution

• Only Doctoral students receive their diplomas at the main graduation ceremony. Diplomas will be distributed following the main ceremony just off the adjacent hallway at the RBC Center.
• December Graduates: Final clearance for candidates other than Doctoral is late January and diplomas will be mailed to the address on your Application for Degree card mid-February.
• May Graduates: All candidates, other than Doctoral, will receive their diplomas at their departmental ceremony. All unclaimed diplomas will be mailed to the address indicated on Application for Degree card approximately two weeks after graduation date.

Note: Students with a Financial Hold set by the Cashier's Office will not receive their diploma until the hold is released. It is the student's responsibility to alert the Graduation Coordinator of account clearance.

Degree Posting

• Graduates can expect degrees to be posted on their transcript approximately two (2) weeks after the graduation date.

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