UNC Charlotte Academic Policy and Procedure: Graduation

I. Executive Summary

This policy and procedure outlines applying for degrees and certificates earned and participating in commencement ceremonies.

II. Policy and Procedure Statement

Application for Graduation

All students must submit an application for their degree and/or certificate no later than the published deadline specified in the academic calendar for the term of the student’s intended graduation. The application may be submitted through MyCharlotte. The student’s diploma and transcript will reflect the term in which all requirements were completed, and the diploma will be mailed to the diploma address submitted by the student on their graduation application.

DegreeWorks (available via MyCharlotte) contains the degree audit for each student, based on the approved curriculum for the program. Students are encouraged to review their individual audit each semester to ensure they are making satisfactory progress towards graduation.  All program requirements specified in DegreeWorks must be met before the degree or certificate will be awarded. If an audit does not appear accurate, a student should consult with their academic program(s). Undergraduate students should also consult with the Office of the Registrar, and graduate students may consult with the Graduate School, to determine if an academic petition is necessary. All academic petitions (including course substitution and waiver requests), should be submitted by or on behalf of the student at the time of registration for the student’s intended term of graduation.

Teacher Licensure (Undergraduate or Graduate)

 Students who have completed all degree requirements, which includes the successful completion of the 16-week student teaching internship, and satisfied North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s testing requirements, can be recommended for an Initial Professional License through the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office and the Cato College of Education. The Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office and the Cato College of Education will communicate the specific licensure application requirements to students during the program.

Commencement Ceremonies (Undergraduate and Graduate)

Students are eligible to participate in a commencement ceremony within their graduation term. Undergraduate students who wish to attend commencement must attend the ceremony designated for their college; doctoral, master’s, and graduate certificate students who wish to attend commencement must attend the appropriate Graduate School ceremony. All students must have a valid UNC Charlotte ID or a government-issued photo ID and their UNC Charlotte ID number to participate in commencement.

Students completing their degree and/or certificate requirements in the Fall term are eligible to participate in the December commencement ceremony. Students completing their degree and/or certificate requirements in the Spring term are eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony. Students completing degrees and/or certificate requirements in a Summer term,  are eligible to participate in the August commencement ceremony.

Participation in the Commencement ceremony is not synonymous with graduating. While the ceremony is an important representation of the conclusion of a student’s academic program, the official process of clearing a student to graduate and conferral of the degree occurs separately.

Commencement Marshals

The University honors academically outstanding undergraduate and graduate students by inviting them to serve as student marshals during the commencement ceremonies.

Undergraduate student marshals must be individuals who have completed a minimum of 75 credit hours of degree work with the highest grade point averages,and have been enrolled full-time during the two most recent semesters. Graduate student marshals must be currently enrolled in a graduate program, have an outstanding grade point average within their program of study, and be nominated by their program.

In order to serve as a student marshal, individuals cannot be graduating within that academic semester and must be able to attend the ceremony to which they are invited.

III. Academic Record Changes after Graduation

All grade changes, removals of incompletes, major and minor changes, departmental honors, transfer work, or other changes to an academic record necessary for the completion of degree requirements must be on file in the Office of the Registrar by the census date of the term following the student’s graduation term. Academic records are sealed and not editable after the conferral of a degree, with the exception of records related to determinations of responsibility under the Code of Student Academic Integrity, the Code of Student Responsibility, the Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy, or the Title IX Grievance Policy that are made after the graduation term for conduct that occurred prior to graduation.     

IV. Definitions

  • Commencement (also known as Graduation) – A formal ceremony in which the University recognizes degree candidates at the en dof each Fall and Spring semester
  • Degree – Diploma or title awarded to a student who completed a prescribed course of study.
  • Registrar – The official at the University who is responsible for maintaining student records. The Office of the Registrar plans and oversees registration, academic record maintenance, transcript preparation, graduation, a degree audit report system, and curricular records.
  • Semester or Term – A period of study, usually a third of the academic year (i.e., Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters). Fall and Spring semesters generally include a period of study of one 15-week and two 7-week half terms. The Summer semester generally includes one eleven-week and two five-week half terms. UNC Charlotte offers courses for the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, as well as varying term lengths associated with each semester.  For the definition of each term refer to the Office of the Registrar.

V. Policy Contact(s)

VI. History

  • Revised: June 6, 2012 [Removed phrase “Degrees are awarded at commencement exercises held at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.”]
  • Reviewed: January 25, 2017 [Reviewed by FAPSC under five-year review]
  • Revised: August 28, 2019 [Added information about Commencement Ceremonies attendance]
  • Revised: December 1, 2022 [Corrected incorrect definition of commencement]
  • Revised: September 13, 2023 [Replaced “Students must have completed or be on track to complete their degree requirements for the term they plan to participate in the commencement ceremony” with “Students must participate in a commencement ceremony within their term of graduation.”]
  • Revised: March 19, 2026 [Adds summer commencement ceremony, adds that academic records are uneditable after degrees are awarded, and makes several procedural edits to align policy to current processes]

VI. Prior Versions

VII. Related Policies, Procedures and Resources

VIII. Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where is this policy and procedure referenced?
    The policy and procedure is published on the Academic Policies & Procedures webpage of the Provost website and in the Degree Requirements & Academic Policies sections of the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
  • Which students are covered under this policy and procedure?
    This policy and procedure applies to all undergraduate and graduate students at UNC Charlotte.
  • What if I reach 100% of my degree requirements and have not applied to graduate?
    If all of your degree requirements have been met after commencement and the term ends, the Office of the Registrar will make every attempt to contact you using information from your student record. If no substantive reason is provided or found for continuing after fulfilling all degree requirements for your program of study, the Office of the Registrar will confer your degree.