If you are nearing completion of your degree requirements and are preparing to graduate, you must submit an Application for Degree/Diploma. Applications will be accepted throughout the academic year; however, we suggest that you begin the application process early. We strongly urge you to not wait until the deadlines, as described below.
Students may obtain packets in any of the following ways:
- Stop by the Graduation Office in the Benedum Building on the Beckley campus;
- See the Director of Student Services at MSU Martinsburg, MSU Orlando or MSU Center Township;
- Telephone or email the Graduation Office and ask for a packet to be mailed;
- Download an electronic copy of the instructions and application
TRADITIONAL STUDENTS: Degrees for traditional students will be conferred on the following dates, once degree requirements are complete. You must be registered for all remaining degree requirements during the term selected in order to be eligible to graduate in that term. Any transfer, training and/or testing credit must also be completed during or prior to the selected term. Please use the following chart to identify the semester in which you will be enrolled in all remaining degree requirements and to determine which term is best suited to your situation:
To be eligible for graduation in: |
You must be enrolled in all remaining outstanding requirements, in the term identified in the first column, no later than: |
You MUST submit your Application for Degree/Diploma to Student Services by: |
Fall – December 15, 2009 |
December 15, 2009 |
October 9, 2009 |
Spring – May 11, 2010 |
April 16, 2010 |
January 22, 2010 |
Summer 1 – June 30, 2010 |
June 3, 2010 |
January 22, 2010 |
Summer 2 – August 5, 2010 |
August 14, 2010 |
January 22, 2010 |
Independent Study and Cohort Students: If you are enrolled in a cohort or independent study program, your degree will be conferred on the last day of the month in which you complete all program requirements, including any transfer, training and/or testing credit. Students with course end dates through August 31, 2010 are eligible to complete the 2009-2010 Application for Degree/Diploma and participate in the May 2010 Commencement ceremony. Applications must be received prior to the start date of your final semester. In order to participate in the May 2010 Commencement Ceremony, applications must be received no later than February 16 (regardless of a final semester start date deadline which might be later in the year).
Note: If your course end dates fall after August 31, 2010, you must request a Graduation Application for the next academic year 2010-2011, and thus become eligible to walk for commencement in May 2011.
ALL STUDENTS:Please consult with your academic advisor as you prepare your application. You may contact an academic advisor at http://www.mountainstate.edu/current/resources/advising.aspx. The graduation report must be attached at that time. This policy is in place for ALL campuses.
- Application for Degree/Diploma (Fully completed and signed by your advisor)
- Application Fee
- Undergraduate Diploma $ 75
- Graduate (Master) Diploma $100
- Each additional earned degree $ 50
- Late Fee $ 50 (If submitted after the deadline).
- Grad Report (Available online and/or through the Academic Advising office).
- Complete the Graduate Survey
Also, if you have had a legal name change, please send a copy of legal documentation to the Registrar’s office.
Once approved by your advisor and the graduation report attached, the completed applications can be:
- Hand-delivered to Advising or the Graduation Office located in the Benedum Building on the Beckley campus
- Mailed (after completion by your academic advisor) MSU – Graduation Office, Box 9003, Beckley, WV 25802
- Students enrolled at a branch campus should submit the Application for Degree/Diploma to the Director of Student Services at the branch campus.
Any illegible application, regardless of submission method, will not be processed.
Once the Graduation office has received your application, a formal audit of your academic record will be performed and you will receive a certified audit letter informing you of your status towards graduation. It is important that you address any questions with your advisor immediately upon receipt of your audit letter.
Degrees are certified once all academic requirements have been fulfilled and all grades, including any transfer, training and/or testing credit, have posted to your transcript. Unless special arrangements have been made with the Graduation Office in advance, your diploma and official transcript will be sent to you by mail within approximately 6-8 weeks after your certification date.
In the unfortunate situation that you are unable to complete all of the required academic requirements within the selected term, your application will be voided and you will need to submit a Change Date Form. You will be required to pay the fee each time your graduation date changes. If unable to complete your requirements within the 2009-2010 academic year, your application will be voided and you will be required to re-apply and pay the fee again in the next academic year.
In addition to curriculum requirements, every student must fulfill all financial obligations to Mountain State University before transcripts and/or diplomas will be released. If you have received a Federal student loan anytime during your college attendance, you must complete Loan Exit Counseling before you graduate. To meet this requirement, please follow the steps below:
Commencement Ceremony - Please Note: The commencement ceremony is a separate process from the degree application process. Participation in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee that a student has graduated; it also is not a requirement to graduate. However, this ceremony is traditionally a rite of passage which family and friends anticipate and remember as a formal marker in a graduate’s life.
If you have questions concerning graduation – the degree application process or the commencement ceremony – please refer to the MSU website link on graduation, (http://www.mountainstate.edu/depts/registrar/graduation.aspx) or contact one of the following at 1-800-766-6067:
Contact Information
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact one of the following:
Autumn Sturgill
(304) 929-1446
1-800-766-6067, ext 1446
aholley@mountainstate.edu
Michele Waddell
(304) 929-1513
1-800-766-6067,ext 1513
mwaddell@mountainstate.edu
