The Graduate School
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
Phone: (217) 581-2220
Fax: (217) 581-6020
Email: graduate@eiu.edu
How to Apply for Graduation: Graduate Degree
Deadlines for applying for graduation:
Summer 2009
July 8, 2009
Fall 2009
November 3, 2009
Spring 2010
March 24, 2010
Summer 2010
July 14, 2010
Currently all applications for graduation must be submitted through the PAWS system. Please contact Patti Bailey in the Graduate School at: (217) 581-5937 with questions.
A Degree Requirements Review, indicating your progress toward completion of the degree requirements, will be mailed to you by the Dean of The Graduate School.
Commencement Information (including cap and gown) will be mailed to your permanent address. **(There is no commencement ceremony for Summer graduation. Students completing requirements during the Summer Term will automatically receive information regarding participation in the Fall ceremony.)
Diploma Covers are handed out at commencement ceremonies. Diplomas will be mailed to the address you put on the application (this can take up to three months.)
Important: Applications may be filled out and submitted at any time, do not wait until the last minute of the deadline!
Participation in Commencement Ceremonies by Exception
Requesting to graduate by exceptionality allows students to participate in a commencement ceremony prior to the term that degree requirements will actually be completed. Commencement ceremonies are only offered at the conclusion of the fall and spring terms, so graduate students who will complete their graduate degree requirements over the summer or who have only thesis, internship, or practicum to complete may be granted permission to participate in the commencement ceremony preceding their final term.
Participation in a commencement ceremony does not signify completion of a degree. No student will be certified for graduation and awarded a degree and diploma until the appropriate certifying dean has provided the Office of the Registrar with official verification of the completion of all degree requirements.
The deadlines to apply for participating in commencement by exceptionality are the first Tuesday in November for the fall semester and the Wednesday after Spring Break for the spring semester. To apply for exceptionality, please complete the form located at http://www.eiu.edu/~acaffair/forms/CommencementByExceptionality.pdf and deliver it to the Graduate School (mailing address: EIU, Attn: Graduate School, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, IL 61920). Students with questions can contact Patti Bailey in the Graduate School, 1211 Blair Hall, at 217-581-5937 prior to the following deadlines: Deadline for Fall 2009 Ceremony - November 3, 2009 Deadline for Spring 2010 Ceremony - March 24, 2010
Requests for Early Certification
If students have completed all requirements for a graduate degree prior to the end of a semester, they may request early certification from the certifying dean of the Graduate School. Early certification certifies that students have completed all requirements for a degree and early certification can be posted on transcripts. In addition, a letter from the Graduate School Office can be sent to a prospective employer, school district, or college/university verifying that all degree requirements were met on a specific date. The degree will not formally be posted until the end of the term. Students who wish to request early certification should complete the form located at http://www.eiu.edu/~graduate/forms/earlycertrequest.html and deliver it to Patti Bailey in the Graduate School. Students with questions may contact Ms. Bailey in the Graduate School, 1211 Blair Hall, at 217-581-5937.
