Apply to Graduate (Graduate Students)

The 3 Things You Need to do Before You Apply to Graduate Online:

1. Advance to candidacy
Contact your Graduate Advisor.

2. Maintain good academic standing.

3. Have no financial obligation to CSULB.
Please contact Student Financial Services if you have any financial obligations to CSULB.

You are now ready to apply to graduate!

Apply to graduate online via your MyCSULB Student Center.
You’ll be able to verify how your name will appear on your diploma through your Student Center and your diploma will be mailed to you.

Those graduating in Winter 2026 and beyond will have their fee adjusted annually to reflect inflation as measured by the Higher Education Price Index. See the Commencement website for more information about commencement ceremonies.

You can still apply for graduation online after the established deadlines, but you will need to pay an additional missed deadline fee of $10 (in addition to the Apply to Graduate fee).

The following 5 things occur after you apply to graduate online:

1. A degree audit is performed by Enrollment Services to determine if you have any outstanding requirements, such as required courses, transcripts for transfer work, course substitutions, grade changes, petitions, etc.

• Every effort is made to complete your degree audit before you register for your final semester, provided that you apply for graduation online before the appropriate deadline. However, delays can occur, so we recommend that you keep in contact with your department advisor to review your progress.
• Keep your current address on file with us so that important notices reach you. Go to MyCSULB Student Center to maintain your contact information.

2. The final review of your record begins about 3 weeks after your final semester.

• All documents that affect your degree, such as substitutions, grade changes, petitions, waivers, official transcripts for transfer coursework, etc., must be on file no later than the last day of your declared graduation semester.
• If you have outstanding requirements, you may attend your commencement ceremony. However, attending the ceremony does not constitute degree conferral. Visit the Commencement web site for more information.
• If all necessary documents are not on file by the  deadline below, you will not graduate, and you will need to establish a new graduation semester. This requires a Request to Change Graduation Term (DocuSign) and a $10 filing fee.

3. Within 3 months after the final review, you will be notified of one of the following:

• You have successfully completed all requirements, and your diploma has been ordered.
• You will not be able to graduate because you have not met one or more of the requirements. Your graduation will be in an inactive status and you will be required to change your graduation date to a future term.

4. If your degree has been awarded, you'll be notified via email when your diploma is mailed.

•  Make sure to update your diploma address in MyCSULB before the end of your last semester.

5. Degrees are posted to your transcript once Enrollment Services verifies that all of your requirements have been met.

• A transcript is considered official verification of your degree and may be ordered online.

If you are a graduate student and have already applied to graduate and need to change your graduation term, you will need to submit a Request to Change Graduation Term - Graduate Students (DocuSign).

All printed diplomas will feature a student’s Primary Name unless otherwise specified in MyCSULB Student Center. To view your Primary Name, log into MyCSULB Student Center and view under Personal Information.

If you would like a different name listed on the diploma, follow the steps below before the last day of the semester you intend to graduate:

1. In MyCSULB Student Center, under the "Personal Information" section, select the Names link from the left-side menu.

2. Your current preferred names will display in the featured table. To add a new Diploma Name, select "Diploma" from the Name Type drop-down menu at the bottom of the page. Then select, the "Add" button. 

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3. You may then request a different First or Middle Name to be printed on your diploma. All requests are reviewed for approval. Select the "Save" button to confirm your request.

• To request a a Diploma Last Name (that is different than your Primary Last Name), please complete and submit a Request to Change Diploma Last Name (DocuSign).

Yes, your application for graduation can be denied. You will receive an email explaining the requirements that you have not met and what you need to do to fulfill them.

For example:

• You have not met all degree requirements.
• You do not have all necessary documents on file in Enrollment Services by the appropriate deadline.
• You have not completed any Incomplete (I), Report in Progress (RP), or Report Delayed (RD) grades. You need to complete any I grade prior to the granting of your degree or at the time of your graduation it will be calculated as an F, which may lead to the cancellation of your graduation. I, RP, and RD grades may also result in the cancellation of your graduation.
• Your GPA is below 3.00 in your major and/or overall coursework.
• You were not enrolled during your graduation semester or failed to be enrolled in the fall and spring semesters without being granted an Educational Leave.
• You will need to follow the instructions to reinstate your program, which requires department approval, and to reapply to the University if you have outstanding requirements to complete.

Your graduation will remain in an inactive status until you declare another semester within the graduation filing deadline for that new semester and again pay the appropriate fees.

Once you apply to graduate for a specific term, you cannot enroll in classes after your expected graduation term. If you want to continue to take classes after your degree is awarded, you will need to reapply for admission to the University as a graduate or post-baccalaureate student (see Graduate Admissions for more information) or take classes through “Open University” offered by the College of Professional and Continiung Education (CPaCE). 

For the latest information about commencement ceremonies, visit csulb.edu/commencement.

For additional FAQs about graduation and commencement ceremonies, visit Commencement FAQs.