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

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).

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?

graduationmatters@sa.ucsb.edu

See also

University of California Santa Barbara Catalog

https://registrar.sa.ucsb.edu/registration-enrollment/graduation-process