Graduating from OSU

No need to apply but check your email often!

  • MyDegrees and your advisor track your progress
  • Near the end of your second-to-last term, you are placed into the graduation pool for the term you are scheduled to complete all your courses
  • After your requirements are complete, our office awards your degree
  • This process is called Institutional Awarding

     

Graduate Students
  • You will receive notification that you are a candidate for graduation
  • You will work with your program advisor to apply to graduate
  • After your requirements are complete, our office awards your degree

Review Key Dates & Timeline

Know the difference between degree, diploma, & commencement

Dates Related to Degree Awarding:

Conferral Date

The graduation date that appears on the diploma and transcript.

Expected Degree Award Date

The date the Office of the Registrar has completed final degree clearance and posts degree awarded status on transcripts. Only AFTER the degree awarded status is posted, are students' degrees officially awarded and visible on the official transcript.

Notification Date

Once degrees have been awarded, students will receive an email at their OSU-issued email account inviting diploma orders. This email will come from [email protected], so please be sure to look for this in your OSU email.

Degree Timeline (Undergraduate & Postbaccalaureate students):

Graduation Term

Conferral Date

Expected Degree Award Date

Notification Date

Fall 2024

 12/13/2024 12/28/2024 12/30/2024
Winter 2025 3/21/2025 4/5/2025

4/7/2025

Spring 2025

 6/13/2025 6/28/2025 6/30/2025
Summer 2025 9/5/2025 9/20/2025

9/22/2025

Degree Clearance Timelines

The Term prior to a student's graduation term   The student's graduation term begins The Last Day to Add Courses           The student's graduation term ends    
Week 10 Week 0 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Weeks 5-8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 0 Week xx
A preliminary list of students who may be eligible to have degrees awarded next term are sent to advisors Students receive an email instructing them to check their progress in MyDegrees     Students who show they are 98%/100%  complete in MyDegrees & those with an Advisor Note are loaded into the graduation pool and notified Grad-level candidates are reviewed, program holds are placed and students and advisors are notified The Office of the Registrar continues to add students to the graduation pool as they become eligible Final reminders are emailed to students Pre-audit List sent to advisors   The OtR sends End of Term notification to advisors and students Late awarding begins

What is the difference between degree, diploma, and commencement?

Degree 

A degree is what is awarded on your official OSU transcripts after the term has concluded, final grades have posted, and you have successfully completed all requirements for that degree.

Diploma

A diploma is a commemorative document that we provide our students. Spring graduates that have their diplomas awarded at the OSU Commencement Ceremony and is provided based on preliminary grades submitted prior to the end of the term. A final review of requirements is conducted after final grades are submitted and the degree is only awarded if all requirements were completed with sufficient grades.  

Commencement

Commencement is a celebratory ceremony of the accomplishments of students who have or are expected to complete their requirements within that academic year. Participation in commencement does not correspond with whether a degree has or will be awarded. 

Learn more about Double Degrees, Dual Majors & Honors Degrees.

Why your OSU diploma is not your official record of earning your degree:

Oregon State has a long-standing tradition of providing students with their actual diplomas on Commencement Day. Students who are completing their requirements in spring still need to have their degrees officially awarded once final grades are posted. Until you have completed all your requirements with sufficient grades, your degree is not yet awarded. Monitor your OSU email for communication regarding your degree status and you should hear from the Degree Completion Team within a few weeks as they work through the final reviews. Once a degree is awarded it will appear on your official OSU transcripts. 

Don't assume you have earned your degree and graduated because you finished classes or received a paper diploma at the commencement ceremony. Check your MyDegrees and continue to monitor your OSU email for up to a month.

Diplomas Display: Degree, Major(s), and Latin Honors (if applicable). Double Degrees receive two diplomas. Dual majors receive one diploma.

Transcripts Display:  All your academic achievements including Degree(s), Major(s), Minor(s), Options(s), Concentration(s), applicable Certificate(s), and Latin Honors (if applicable).

What is institutional awarding?

In this process, the Degree Completion team identifies undergraduate students who have completed or are in the process of completing their degree requirements and advances them to graduation candidacy without requiring the student to apply for graduation. The Office of the Registrar works with academic advisors to check identified students' degree progress and enter any needed exceptions or substitutions. Both the Degree Completion team and the academic advisors work together to ensure those students who are close to completing their degree address any outstanding issues that may prevent them from advancing to graduation candidacy. Check out Institutional Awading FAQs. 

Graduation Pool

Each term students who we identify may graduate that term will receive an email message within the first week of the term to check MyDegrees. The students we put in the graduation pool will receive an email after the course add deadline to let them know they are pending graduation, followed by another reminder during week 9, and an email at the end of the term congratulating them or asking them to address issues.  Students should monitor their MyDegrees progess as it also reflects their Graduation Status.

The Office of the Registrar contacts advisors in the preceding term with a list of students who may be able to graduate in the upcoming term. During week 3 advisors may reference CORE report STU0451 to see students who have been added to the graduation pool.  Week 4 advisors receive a list of students in the graduation pool who have some outstanding requirements. A student’s graduation candidacy is visible in MyDegrees. Advisors may find additional information on Institutional Awarding in the Canvas for Advisors page.

In the event that you will be unable to graduate at the end of the term for which you have been identified for graduation, the Graduation Team will move you to the next term's candidate pool.

Degree clearance requires approximately two weeks after the conclusion of the term. When your degree requirements are completed, your degree award will be posted to your transcript. Also, the Office of the Registrar will send a notice of congratulation to your ONID student email address once your degree is awarded. It is your responsibility to consult your OSU transcript to confirm your degree award.

Diplomas

How to obtain your original diploma:

Starting Summer 2019, original diplomas are mailed free of charge via USPS first class mail (standard delivery with no tracking). This service is provided by the Michael Sutter Company, our vendor that prints OSU diplomas.

  • Once your final grades are recorded and your degree is awarded (see important graduation/diploma dates here), you will receive an email from [email protected] in your OSU email account.
  • This email includes your Secure ID to order your diploma. Please save this email for any future diploma requests; you use the same Secure ID for every transaction.
  • You will be able to designate your address and shipping type (standard - tracking not available / expedited - tracking available). It is recommended to ship internationally via expedited. International delivery may take up to two months or longer, depending on the recipient country. 
  • Within 9 business days after submitting your diploma order, the vendor mails your diploma at no charge to you. Please be aware that domestic delivery may take up to one month and international delivery may take up to two months.
  • To pick up your diploma from the Office of the Registrar, check the "I would like to pickup my diploma instead" box instead of entering a mailing address. Once the diploma arrives in our office, we notify you via your OSU email address. **Please note: you may only pick it up at the Office of the Registrar on the OSU Corvallis campus during in-person service hours.**
How to order another (duplicate) diploma:
  • Go to the OSU diploma vendor website. If you do not yet have a Secure ID then click on the “Request a Secure ID” button, complete the information, and then click on the “Submit My Diploma Request” button.  We will process your request and then send you an email with your Secure ID allowing you to complete the process.
  • If you already have your Secure ID then enter your OSU ID and Last Name, review your information, and then order your diploma.
  • The charge for a duplicate diploma is $36.
  • Choose your shipping method; shipping options start at $3.50.
  • Two business days following your order submission, your duplicate diploma will be mailed.

Students who were confidential students and never revoked their confidentiality request will need to work with the Office of the Registrar in person to order a duplicate diploma if they have lost their Secure ID from Michael Sutter.

Duplicate diplomas are printed on current diploma stock, which is 8.5 x 11 inches.

How to order an eDiploma:

After you received your original diploma, you may order an eDiploma (PDF diploma).

These are available for a one-time $8 fee. You will log in the same way you would to order a duplicate diploma (directions above), so be sure to have your Secure ID. If you have not received one, you can request one by clicking the ‘Submit a Diploma Request’ link and providing the requested information.

Once on the ordering page, you will see a button that says ‘Order my eDiploma’ in the upper right-hand corner. Click that and follow the instructions. You will receive your certified eDiploma minutes after you place your order.

How to order another (duplicate) diploma:
  • Go to the OSU diploma vendor website. If you do not yet have a Secure ID then click on the “Request a Secure ID” button, complete the information, and then click on the "Submit My Diploma Request" button. We will process your request and then send you an email with your Secure ID allowing you to complete the process.
  • If you already have your Secure ID then enter your OSU ID and Last Name, review your information, and then order your diploma.
  • The charge for a duplicate diploma is $36.
  • Choose your shipping method; shipping options start at $3.50.
  • Approximately two business days following your order submission, your duplicate diploma will be mailed.

Students who were confidential students and never revoked their confidentiality request will need to work with the Office of the Registrar in person to order a duplicate diploma. 

Office of the Registrar
B102 Kerr Administration
Corvallis, OR 97331-8519

Duplicate diplomas are printed on current diploma stock, which is 8.5 x 11 inches.

How to obtain your original diploma:

Call or email the Degree Completion team to request your original diploma. Please include your name while attended, degree awarded and graduation year.

541-737-2074
How to order an eDiploma:

After you received your original diploma, you may order an eDiploma (PDF diploma).

These are available for a one-time $8 fee. You will log in the same way you would to order a duplicate diploma (directions above), so be sure to have your Secure ID. If you have not received a Secure ID, you can request one by clicking the ‘Submit a Diploma Request’ link and providing the requested information.

Once on the ordering page, you will see a button that says ‘Order my eDiploma’ in the upper right-hand corner. Click that and follow the instructions. You will receive your certified eDiploma minutes after you place your order.

Frequently Asked Questions

 If you graduated prior to Summer 2019, your diploma is likely in our office. 

You may come to 102 Kerr Administration Building on OSU’s Corvallis campus to pick up your degree; please bring photo ID with you. 

There is also a way to designate a third party authorized to pick up the diploma through the Michael Sutter Company, our diploma vendor. 

While the mailing of the original diploma doesn’t allow for shipping upgrades, a student can order a duplicate diploma even before the original has been mailed. The duplicate diploma ordering process allows for upgraded shipping, including overnight delivery.

If you graduated prior to Summer 2019, please call or email the Degree Completion team to request your original diploma. Please include your name while attended, degree awarded and graduation year.

541-737-2074

If you never picked up your diploma, please call or email the Degree Completion team to request your original diploma. Please include your name while attended, degree awarded and graduation year.

541-737-2074

To order a duplicate diploma, please follow the process on ordering a duplicate diploma via Michael Sutter outlined above.

If you are a graduate of the current academic year and will attend your commencement ceremony, you will receive a diploma cover then.

If you are a graduate of the current academic year and do not plan on attending your commencement ceremony or graduated outside the current academic year and need a new or replacement diploma cover, you can call the OSU Beaver Store at 541-737-0041 and order one over the phone. The single diploma covers are $8.00 and the double degree covers are $10.00.  If you need to have one shipped, the OSU Beaver Store charges a flat rate of $6.00.

Diploma covers aren't available online at this time, but the OSU Beaver Store will be more than happy to help you over the phone at 541-737-0041.

Sure! We have a reference document on ordering diplomas. 

Diplomas Display: Degree, Major(s), and Latin Honors (if applicable). 

Transcripts Display:  All your academic achievements including Degree(s), Major(s), Minor(s), Options(s), Concentration(s), applicable Certificate(s), and Latin Honors (if applicable).

Yes, double degrees receive two diplomas. Dual majors receive one diploma.