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Congratulations, you're almost there!
All of your hard work is paying off! It’s now time to apply for degree completion (graduation) and RSVP to the Commencement Ceremony! See below on what this means and how to make it happen!
Applying for degree completion (graduation) is what allows the Office of the Registrar to review your records to make sure you’ve met all of your degree requirements. Once they have confirmed you completed all requirements, your official degree will be awarded and your diploma will be mailed! Review the rest of this webpage for the details on this process.
RSVPing to the Commencement Ceremony is what allows the University Events Team to know you will be attending the Commencement Ceremony, which is where you walk across the stage and celebrate with friends and family! Read more about the Commencement Ceremony.
IMPORTANT: Attending the commencement ceremony does NOT mean you will be awarded a degree. The degree evaluation process and Commencement event are NOT the same.
First Step: Degree Progress Report
Before applying to graduate, please work with your advisor to ensure your requirements are met in the DPR. Do not apply for graduation if you have not completed your degree requirements!
Degree Progress Report DashboardApplying to Graduate
NOTE: Students meeting graduation requirements are not awarded automatically.
In order to be awarded a degree, you must apply for graduation (apply in the Student Hub during window listed below).
You must submit a separate graduation application for each credential you are seeking!
Degrees are awarded three times a year at the end of each semester in May, August, and December.
All Students Need to Apply to Graduate!
Submit a graduation application during the semester application window:
- Fall graduation
- Applications available April 13th through the last day of the Fall semester
- Spring graduation
- Applications available September 14th through the last day of the Spring semester
- Summer graduation
- Applications available February 8th through the last day of the Summer semester
Degree Evaluation
Some information you need to know if you are planning to graduate this semester:
Graduation audits occur three times a semester. Each audit review period takes approximately 2 weeks, and students will receive notification after each audit via the MSU-Denver email.
- Preliminary Degree Audit (After priority deadline passes)
- Secondary Degree Audit (After Census Date)
- Final Degree Audit (After Final Grades Post)
Official Graduation Dates
See below for official graduation dates for each semester.
Spring 2026 Graduation Date:
05/16/2026
Summer 2026 Graduation Date:
08/01/2026
Fall 2026 Graduation Date:
12/13/2026
Spring 2027 Graduation Date:
05/16/2027
Summer 2027 Graduation Date:
08/08/2027
Fall 2027 Graduation Date:
12/19/2027
Spring 2028 Graduation Date:
05/14/2028
Summer 2028 Graduation Date:
08/06/2028
Fall 2028 Graduation Date:
12/17/2028
Spring 2029 Graduation Date:
05/13/2029
Summer 2029 Graduation Date:
08/05/2029
Fall 2029 Graduation Date:
12/16/2029
Spring 2030 Graduation Date:
05/19/2030
Summer 2030 Graduation Date:
08/04/2030
Fall 2030 Graduation Date:
12/15/2030
Spring 2031 Graduation Date:
05/18/2031
Summer 2031 Graduation Date:
08/03/2031
Graduation Forms and Resources
MSU Denver Diplomas & Certificates
Information about official MSU Denver diplomas and certificates
Order a Replacement Diploma
Purchase a replacement diploma. Note: Rush orders change the delivery method and not standard processing and printing time.
Commencement Ceremony
Information regarding commencement for MSU Denver graduates
Graduation FAQ
Any student who wants to participate in a Commencement ceremony must Apply for Graduation for that semester through your Student Hub.**Summer graduates-you will automatically be invited to participate in the Fall Commencement ceremony and you do not need to contact us to participate in the Fall ceremony. If your degree has already been awarded and you now want to participate in commencement ceremony please contact the Degree Evaluation Team at [email protected].
Yes, please do apply for graduation for the semester you will be meeting all of your degree requirements (even if they are in-progress or haven’t yet registered for them).
Diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after the end of the semester. Diplomas are mailed to students. Make sure to update your delivery address prior to graduation.
NOTE: Placing a rush order on a replacement diploma order only means that the delivery service will FedEx Overnight instead of the regular mail through USPS. This does not expedite the processing and printing of the order.
No. Summer graduates will be invited to participate in the subsequent Fall semester’s commencement ceremony. Students wishing to participate in a Spring commencement ceremony must apply for Spring graduation.
For more information on commencement, please visit the Commencement Webpage.
If you receive a notification of this, you will need to complete the Graduation Application Addendum Form with the appropriate changes.
All graduation candidates should be aware of basic degree requirements, in particular the following policies:
- Students who have repeated courses, either at MSU Denver or in transfer, may show more credit than can be applied to degree requirements. Only the grade for the last attempt of the course will remain on the student’s academic record. Students are responsible for reporting this to the Office of the Registrar and failure to do so may negatively affect their ability to graduate.
- A minimum of 120 semester hours, along with all other requirements for a degree, is required to graduate.
- The honors designation is calculated twice: once for the commencement ceremony; and again at the end of the final semester for the official designation. The complete Honors Policy is located on the Commencement website under the Students/Candidates tab.
You do not have to reapply for graduation. The information about not meeting requirements is for your information and that there is a discrepancy needing to be addressed prior to graduation, but you will not need to submit a new application. Contact your academic advisor.
You will receive your first email from graduation after the PRIORITY application deadline for your semester window closes. You will receive another email after the drop/add deadline (census date) for your target graduation semester. You will receive a final email after final grades post for the semester.
Yes! Any student who graduated before Fall 2023 can get an electronic diploma by submitting a Diploma Replacement Order Form. Fall 2023 graduates and beyond, you can obtain an electronic diploma through your Parchment Account.
When you graduate, that is when your degree is officially awarded. This typically happens 8-10 weeks after your final semester.
Commencement is a celebratory event where students can celebrate the end of their MSU Denver journey. However, attendance at this event does not mean you are officially awarded your degree.
For more information on commencement, please visit the Commencement Webpage.