Undergraduate Graduation
Process and timeline
Graduation v. Commencement
Graduation (receiving a degree from UCSB) is separate from Commencement (participating in the ceremony).
Declaring candidacy to graduate is mandatory to receive a degree; participation in commencement in optional.
Students can graduate during any of the 4 quarters, but there is only one commencement ceremony each year.
Participation in the ceremony has no effect on graduation and receiving a degree from UCSB.
Effective Spring 2017, students are required to declare degree candidacy for graduation before signing up for commencement.
Process overview
Students can graduate during any of the 4 quarters (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer).
Undergraduate students MUST declare their degree candidacy online (GOLD) by the deadline (usually the second week of the quarter)
See http://registrar.sa.ucsb.edu/calinfo.aspx for deadlines.
Option to declare candidacy becomes available 3-4 months before the deadline, in GOLD.
Students may request to be added to the degree list after the deadline (students should email graduationmatters@sa.ucsb.edu).
4 degree analysts; degree check processing divided by major (single majors) and alphabetical (double majors).
Degree Checks
A degree check is processed for every undergraduate student on the degree list for that quarter.
AAA/GOLD major progress check is used as the final degree check. A copy is archived in AAA and GOLD.
Used to determine if all degree requirements have been fulfilled (or not).
Students notified of the results (U-mail).
Clear-degree awarded
Will clear with satisfactory completion of work in-progress
Not clear
Students who are “not clear” are notified first.
After all degree checks are processed, students who are still not clear are notified of their degree deficiencies a second time.
Students are given a deadline (NILS deadline) by which they must resolve all deficiencies, or their name will be removed from the degree list (“NILS” students).
For a specific quarter NILS deadline, email graduationmatters@sa.ucsb.edu
Timeline/Calendar
See Registration Calendar for specific quarter dates: http://registrar.sa.ucsb.edu/calinfo.aspx
January | Fall-awarding degrees Fall-final notices of degree non-clearance (NILS) Winter-quarter begins Winter-declaration deadline Winter-processing degree checks |
February | Fall-NILS deadline Fall-class finalized Fall-diplomas ordered/mailed Winter-processing degree checks Spring, Summer, Fall-declaration of candidacy opens in GOLD |
March | Winter-processing degree checks Winter-quarter ends Winter-grades due Winter-awarding degrees |
April | Winter-awarding degrees Winter-final notices of degree non-clearance (NILS) Winter-NILS deadline Spring-quarter begins Spring-declaration deadline Spring-processing degree checks |
May | Winter-class finalized Winter-diplomas ordered/mailed Spring-processing degree checks |
June | Spring-processing degree checks Spring-quarter ends Spring-grades due Spring-awarding degrees Summer-quarter begins |
July | Spring-processing degree checks Spring-awarding degrees Summer-declaration deadline Summer-processing degree checks Summer-awarding degrees |
August | Spring-processing degree checks Spring-final notices of degree non-clearance (NILS) Summer-processing degree checks Summer-awarding degrees Winter-declaration of candidacy opens in GOLD |
September | Spring-NILS deadline Spring-class finalized Spring-diplomas ordered/mailed Summer-processing degree checks Summer-quarter ends Summer-grades due Summer-awarding degrees Fall-quarter begins |
October | Summer-processing degree checks Summer-awarding degrees Summer-final notices of degree non-clearance (NILS) Summer-NILS deadline Fall-declaration deadline |
November | Summer-class finalized Summer-diplomas ordered/mailed Fall-processing degree checks |
December | Fall-processing degree checks Fall-quarter ends Fall-grades due Fall-awarding degrees |
Questions?
See also
University of California Santa Barbara Catalog
https://registrar.sa.ucsb.edu/registration-enrollment/graduation-process