Graduation & Commencement Information

When to Submit a Graduation Application

Undergraduate students will need to submit a Graduation Application through their departmental major adviser.  The Graduation Application can be submitted by your adviser up to 3 quarters before you plan to graduate, but no later than the third Friday of your graduation quarter*.  

Tip: Allow at least 1 week, before the Friday deadline, for the Math Advising Office to review and process your Graduation Application request.

Students who are graduating summer quarter 2025 and plan to participate in the UW Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025, will need to have their Graduation Application submitted by the third Friday of spring quarter. 

Once you apply for graduation, you are eligible for Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) registration. Math majors planning to graduate Spring or Summer quarter 2025, and would like to have GPS registration for both winter & spring quarter, must email their Graduation Application request to the Math & ACMS Advising Office by Thursday, October 24, 2024; preferably sooner.  
 

How to Request a Graduation Application

Update your MyPlan to show what courses you tentatively plan to register for to complete your remaining degree requirements and then audit your plan. If the MyPlan audit shows you're on track to graduate, email advising@math.washington.edu with following information:

Tip: Copy and paste the bulleted statements as an email template.
 
  • Name
  • Student Number
  • Quarter/Year you intend to graduate
  • Confirm your MATH major option
  • Any other majors and/or minors you will be completing 
  • Graduating with honors? Indicate College Honors, Interdisciplinary Honors, or Departmental Honors
  • Additional notes for the adviser; i.e. transferring credits from another institution, UW Plan Audit not recognizing projected course, dropping or adding minor, etc.
  • Acknowledge that your MyPlan schedule has been updated and that it is ready to be reviewed

 The Math Advising Office will not process or respond to graduation application requests during the first 7 days of each academic quarter.  An adviser will review your request and if eligible to graduate (see guidelines below), a Graduation Application will be submitted on your behalf.  

Graduation Application Guidelines:

  1. You're planning to graduate in less than 11 months.
  2. You will meet degree requirements with a reasonable quarterly schedule; ideally with no more than 2 MATH classes per quarter. If in a given quarter you have not successfully completed 2 MATH classes with good to strong grades, it is not advised to attempt 3 or more MATH courses in your final quarters.  DO consider extending your graduation one quarter.
  3. Students who are planning to double major/double degree must submit a second Graduation Application with their other department adviser, and must graduate with both undergraduate majors in the same quarter.
     

Confirm Your Application to Graduate

You will receive an email from the Graduation & Records Office (ugradoff@uw.edu) with the subject line: PLEASE CONFIRM - Your Application To Graduate, the same day the Math & ACMS Advising Office submits your Graduation Application. Read this email carefully for important details, and confirm your Graduation Application within 7 days.  

Tip: Check your spam/junk folder. 

Once the student has successfully confirmed their Math major Graduation Application, they will receive the following notification: Thank you! We have received your confirmation.
 

Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) Registration

Graduating Senior Priority (GSP) allows students to register for classes on the first day of Period I. Students are eligible for a maximum of two quarters of GSP.  Academic Calendar > Registration Deadlines > Registration Period 1

Students will receive the GSP designation within 1-2 days of successfully confirming their Graduation Application. 

After a student has used two quarters of GSP, their registration priority will revert to regular senior priority.  GSP does not need to be used in consecutive quarters. You can save your GSP by registering during regular senior registration. 

Tip: If you're trying to save a GSP quarter, don't register too soon.  Registering a moment before 6am (Pacific Time) on your regular senior registration day, will count as using your GSP quarter.

 

45 of the last 60 credits in Residence Requirement

To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, a student must complete at least 45 of the last 60 credits in residence at the UW. Residence credits are UW credits earned through the campus granting the degree. See the UW Residence Credit policy for details.

See University Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree for additional information.
 

Graduation Checklist for International Students

International Students are highly encouraged to refer to the ISS Final Year Checklist, or check in with their International Student Services adviser, as they can provide helpful information, especially regarding any requirements and suggestions as you approach your final quarter at the UW.
 

Changing Your Graduation Date

If you need to change your graduation date, contact the Math & ACMS Advising Office as soon as possible. This will help to ensure that your registration for the additional quarter(s) opens as quickly as possible.

Request to Change Graduation Date Form 
 

Commencement and Departmental Graduation Ceremonies

You can visit the UW Commencement website for information regarding the Commencement Ceremony that occurs each June. On this site, you will find event information, including guest tickets, eligibility, ordering announcements & photos, purchasing parking permits, etc.

You may complete your degree any quarter of your choice, however, you may participate in the June ceremony if you complete your degree in the previous December or March, June or the following August. Click here for a helpful checklist and click here for eligibility information.

The Department of Mathematics holds a graduation celebration each June, inviting families and friends to celebrate with you. Details of the Mathematics Departmental Graduation Celebration will be posted as they are finalized. 

Registration for both the UW Commencement and the Department of Mathematics Graduation Celebration will begin in May.
 

Diplomas and Degree Validation

Did you know that UW diplomas only lists the graduate's name, the degree earned, and any applicable honors? Majors, minors, and options are not listed on UW diplomas unless they are part of the honors designation.

It takes 3-4 months for diplomas to arrive in the mail. Please be sure to check your MyUW address settings to ensure that your diploma will arrive to the correct address. For more information, visit the University Registrar's website for Graduation and Diplomas.

  • Diploma Name and Diploma Mailing Address
  • Certified Electronic Diploma (CeDiploma)
  • Replacement Diplomas

Degrees are posted to your transcript by the UW Office of Graduation & Academic Records approximately 2-3 weeks after the end of the quarter, upon verification that you have completed all degree requirements. 

Unofficial UW Transcript:  my.uw.edu > UW Resources > Academics > Grades & Transcripts
Order Official Transcripts: registrar.washington.edu/students/transcripts/

Prospective employers, graduate programs, and others who require verification that you’ve earned your degree can access this information through a UW Degree Validation website.

After a student has earned their UW degree, the "Graduation Date" on the Degree Audit will go back to "not found". This is considered normal, as the degree will have already been posted to the student's transcript, making the Degree Audit irrelevant.
 

Baccalaureate Honors

Baccalaureate Honors are: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude. These honors are awarded upon graduation to undergraduates who are earning their first bachelor’s degree with at least 90 credits taken at UW.  Of these 90 credits, 60 must be numerically graded (extension credits do not count toward these 60 credits). These honors awards are not directly related to the Departmental or College Honors Programs. They also represent the top 10% of students in each of the UW's schools and colleges.

Students graduating with Baccalaureate Honors are given a gold honor cord to wear for the UW Commencement Ceremony. For students graduating in the spring, the honors listed in the Commencement Program (and honor cord distribution), are based on the student’s cumulative GPA through the preceding Winter Quarter. Spring Quarter grades are ultimately included in the credit totals and GPA calculations, determining wither the honors are posted to the student’s final record. You can find more information about baccalaureate honors, the Dean’s list, and other honors societies on the UW Baccalaureate Honors site.
 

Planning for Careers, Internships & Graduate School

Take advantage of the Career & Internship Center, which offers help in job-hunting skills, career planning, and more!

Handshake is the UW's primary resource for job searches, recruiting, and on-campus workshops & opportunities to network with employers. Current students and alumni are welcome to utilize Handshake. 

Consider seeing a Career Coach, who can be a helpful guide in career exploration, strategies on job & internship searching, and interview advising.

Thinking about graduate school? The UW Graduate School offers a great course that can help students explore the graduate school application process, develop an understanding of the purpose of graduate education, and access helpful resources. Preparing for Graduate Education (GRDSCH 200) is offered nearly every quarter.

You may also want to start thinking about obtaining Letters of Recommendation and any future references that you may need down the road for jobs & graduate schools. Here are some helpful suggestions on how to start:

UW Alumni Association

The UW Alumni Association is a network of over 50,000 alumni Huskies, with chapters and regional groups all over the country and the world! The UWAA offers a complimentary one-year membership to its most-recent alumni, numerous opportunities to network with fellow Huskies, and alumni services such as library access and a UW alumni email account.

Join the UW Alumni Group on LinkedIn! 

Alumni Email & Cloud services update: What happens to my "@uw.edu" email?
 

 

 

 

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