Registrar

There are two steps that must be followed. First, you must meet with your Academic Advisor and review your degree requirements. Upon review, your advisor will add a service indicator on your record making you eligible for graduation. This process will submit your graduation application on your behalf.

For your degree to be “awarded” (conferred), there are requirements that must be met first. The submission of your graduation application notifies the Office of the Registrar that you are planning to complete your degree requirements by the end of the term of the application. We will then review (audit) your degree progress to ensure you are on track to meet all requirements for graduation.

Once you have completed all your degree requirements, and a final audit of your record has been processed by the Office of the Registrar, your degree will be posted to your academic record (your degree will be “conferred”). As noted above, you must first apply to graduate, or your degree will not be flagged for conferral. If you have not already completed this step, please fill out the application for graduation through the myStThom portal.

Submitting your application for graduation the semester prior to your anticipated completion is required. An email will be sent to your @stthom.edu email address when the application window has opened. The deadlines to apply for graduation are:

• Spring and Summer Candidates – December 1
• Fall Candidates – May 1

If you have missed the deadline to apply for graduation, you may submit an appeal using the Graduation Appeal Form. This form should be sent to graduation@stthom.edu. Late application approval is not guaranteed, and your degree conferral may be deferred to the next available graduation term. (May, August, December).

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an on-screen confirmation that your application has been successfully submitted. The Office of the Registrar will review your record to confirm you are on track for the completion term selected. Your myStThom advising report is used by our office to determine if you have completed your requirements. It is important that you work with your advisor to address any remaining issues. You will receive correspondence to your @stthom.edu email address if there are any concerns about your degree progress.

First things first, if you need the course to fulfill your degree requirements, keep working! Don’t give up! If you are sure, you will not successfully complete all the degree requirements during your last semester, contact your Academic Advisor to confirm what is still required to complete your degree. Then, please contact the Office of the Registrar and notify us of your new plan so your record and graduation date may be updated.

If you do not have enough hours or have not completed all the degree requirements, you will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar indicating that you have not met the degree requirements. You will need to talk with your Academic Advisor about the specific requirements that still need to be completed.

Once final grades are posted at the conclusion of the semester you have applied to graduate, a final degree audit will be completed. The final audit verifies you have successfully completed all the degree requirements for your specific degree program. After the final degree audits have been verified, you will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar congratulating you on the completion of your degree. Please note that it may take up to 30 days from the term’s last date of final exams for your degree to be posted to your records.

Your degree conferral date is typically the day after the end of the final exam period of your graduation term.

Your minor(s) and/or concentration(s) will be reflected on your transcript. They are not listed on diplomas.

“Graduation” refers to the date you completed your degree or the date of your degree conferral. “Commencement” is the ceremony celebrating all the students who have graduated or anticipate graduating within this academic year. Since grades can be due after a commencement ceremony has occurred, walking during the ceremony is not confirmation that all degree requirements have been met.

Diplomas are printed by our 3rd-party partner, Parchment. You will receive a separate email from Parchment that will contain instructions on how to access your digital diploma after your degree has been conferred. You should receive a physical copy of the diploma in the mail 3-4 weeks after you receive your digital diploma. Please note that we do not hold diplomas for pick-up – they are mailed directly to the home address (or mailing address, if applicable) that you have on file. After the diploma is ordered, we cannot change the mailing address, so it is important to ensure that your home address is current in myStThom.

If you have a past due balance with the University, you will not be able to obtain your diploma until the balance is paid in full. If you have questions regarding your account balance, please contact the Business Office at 713.525.6992.