Congratulations! You've made history with the best and the brightest who choose to Go West!
Now it's time to prepare for graduation. The steps listed here will guide you through the graduation process; please read and follow these steps closely. Should you need assistance, the Graduation Team in the Registrar's Office is here to help you make your mark as you transition from student to Alumni.
Apply for Graduation
All students intending to graduate must apply for graduation and pay the required fee regardless of whether they intend to participate in the commencement ceremony. The Graduation Application and fee is valid for one year from the student's intended term of graduation. Students must apply by the Graduation Application deadlines listed below. Late applications may be accepted without an additional fee. Students who apply late will have their degree audit reviewed after those students who applied prior to the deadline. Students who do not apply for graduation will not have their degree or stand-alone certificate awarded and will not receive their diploma. The Graduation Application fee is $40 per degree and $20 per stand-alone certificate.
Graduation Application Dates
Semester of Graduation | Application Opens | Application Deadline |
---|---|---|
Fall | February 1st | August 1st |
Spring | April 1st | October 1st |
Summer | September 1st | March 1st |
-
Semester of Graduation: Fall
Application Opens: February 1st
Application Deadline: August 1st -
Semester of Graduation: Spring
Application Opens: April 1st
Application Deadline: October 1st -
Semester of Graduation: Summer
Application Opens: September 1st
Application Deadline: March 1st
How to Apply for Graduation
To access the Online Graduation Application and Fee Payment, logon to MyUWG, select the BanWeb tab, select the "Student Services & Financial Aid" link, and then, select the "Graduation Application" option. Follow the instructions listed on the Graduation Application to submit your application and pay the application fee.
- Undergraduate students are required to have at least 85 overall earned hours prior to applying for graduation. Earned hours does not include in-progress or future registration courses. There is no minimum hour requirement for graduate students. Students who have not attended UWG for three consecutive semesters must readmit into their degree or certificate program prior to applying for graduation. Contact the Undergraduate or Graduate Office of Admissions for assistance.
- During the Graduation Application process, students will be asked to indicate their Commencement Ceremony attendance preference, to verify the name to be printed on their diploma, and to provide the address where their diploma will be mailed after degrees are conferred.
- Students who are graduating with dual degrees (ex. Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Science or Master of Business Administration & Master of Professional Accounting) must apply for graduation twice and pay two fees. Dual degree students will receive two diplomas. Students who are pursuing a double major for the same degree (ex. Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Sociology) will only apply once and pay one fee. Double major students will receive one diploma with both majors listed.
- Students who intend to earn a stand-alone certificate will apply to graduate through the online Graduation Application. Students earning a stand-alone certificate and a degree must apply and pay the fee for each degree and stand-alone certificate. Embedded certificates are awarded by academic departments; students must apply for that certificate through the academic department that sponsors the embedded certificate program. There is no fee for embedded certificates.
After Applying for Graduation
Once you have submitted your application for graduation and paid your application fee you are now on the list of degree candidates. Students should consult their academic advisor or program director for guidance on any remaining requirements that need to be fulfilled for graduation. Additionally, students should pay close attention to their West Georgia email account for important information about missing degree requirements (degree audits), the Commencement Ceremony, the Graduation Fair, and diplomas.
View Your Graduation Application
Students may view their completed Graduation Application in BanWeb. To view your Graduation Application logon to MyUWG, select the BanWeb tab, select the "Student Services & Financial Aid" link, and then, select the "View Active Graduation Application(s) option. By viewing your Graduation Application you can verify your intended term of graduation, your ceremony attendance preference, the name to be printed on your diploma and your diploma mailing address. If any of this information is incorrect, please contact the Graduation Team at graduation@westga.edu.
Degree Audits
The Graduation Team in the Registrar's Office is responsible for auditing degree records for degree completion and awarding degrees after graduation. Each student will have their degree audited three times prior to graduation to ensure all requirements are met. Students who are missing degree requirements will be notified via their UWG email account. Students can view their degree audit in Wolf Watch (Degree Works). Wolf Watch is the official university degree auditing system.
Updating your Graduation Term, Ceremony Attendance Preference or Diploma Mailing Address
Students who know they will not graduate in the term in which they applied or students who want to update their ceremony attendance or diploma mailing address should complete the Graduation Information Update Form for assistance. Once the requested changes are confirmed, students will be able to view the changes in BanWeb when they view their Graduation Application.
- Students may update their graduation term for up to one year from their original intended term of graduation. Students who need to update their graduation application past one year of their intended term will need to submit a new graduation application and pay an additional fee.
- Students who update their ceremony attendance from not attending to attending must do so at least 15 weeks prior to the ceremony to be guaranteed tickets to the ceremony.
- Students who update their diploma mailing address must contact the Graduation Team
at least one week prior to graduation. Updating your permanent or mailing address in BanWeb will not update your diploma
mailing address.