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Graduation

Graduation Application

Steps to Graduation

  1. Submit a graduation application. Submit a graduation application. Log into your Student Information System (SIS) on or before the first Friday in the semester you plan to graduate, see Semester Calendar for dates. Students pursuing multiple degrees (Bachelors, Masters, Certificates) will need to apply to graduate for each degree separately.
    • Undergraduate students should submit an application upon reaching 90 completed hours with at least 20 credits at UM-Flint. 
    • Graduate students must submit an application for graduation. Please check with your academic advisor to find out when to apply. 
    • Submitting the application on or before the first Friday in the semester you plan to graduate (see Semester Calendar for dates) assures a student’s inclusion in the commencement program booklet, commencement emails, official university graduation publications, Maize and Blue consideration, and honors recognition.
  2. Run a degree evaluation through your SIS account and make an appointment with your advisor. We STRONGLY recommend students review their progress on a regular basis with their advisor.
  3. Complete the First Destination Survey. This survey is administered to all graduates from the university and information obtained adds measurable value to the university. For questions regarding the survey, contact Career Services.

Any changes to the original application must be communicated to the Registrar’s Office via a Graduation Update Form. Log into SIS to make your changes. Failure to inform the Office of the Registrar of changes to the original application may result in delayed graduation plans. If a student does not complete degree requirements the semester s/he declared on the graduation application, the graduation application becomes inactive. To reactivate the application, you must submit an Update Graduation Application form through your SIS account.

Ceremony Information

Approximately two months prior to the ceremony, you will receive an invitation through your University of Michigan-Flint email account. This email will give you instructions on how to RSVP for the ceremony. Watch your UM-Flint email for information on the ceremony date, time and purchasing cap and gown. It is imperative students RSVP if they wish to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Each year, UM-Flint holds one ceremony in late April or early May and one in December. August graduates are invited to attend either ceremony. Graduates are eligible to attend only one commencement ceremony per degree earned at UM-Flint. Students completing a certificate only are not allowed to participate in commencement.

Transcripts

A UM-Flint academic transcript is the most official document a graduate can offer as proof of a degree. Degrees post to a student’s record approximately 3 weeks after the end of the semester.

Students can request transcripts online through the National Student Clearinghouse. This partnership allows you to request transcripts 24 hours a day, seven days a week with tracking via text message or email. The NSC website provides instructions for submitting a request, including delivery options and fees.

Please note that tuition, fees, and all financial obligations must be paid in full before an official transcript can be requested.

Graduation Honors

Commencement Honor Cords
UM-Flint undergraduate students may walk in commencement ceremonies with honor cords if they applied to graduate and have a 3.5 overall GPA. Courses in progress are excluded from GPA calculations. Eligible students completing their degrees in August may choose to participate in either the April or the December ceremony.

Honors are officially posted to the transcript and diploma based on the GPA calculation following the final audit and degree conferral. Walking with honor cords at commencement does not guarantee honors will be posted to the transcript and diploma. 

Honor cords are awarded to honor students at their schools’ Honors Convocation Ceremony or Graduation Celebration Party. These functions are usually held the week before commencement. Invitations to these ceremonies are sent out to students through the various deans’ offices.

For all other departmental awards or fraternity/sorority awards, please contact your department. These awards will not be handed out at the commencement.

If you have any questions about the Honors Convocation Ceremony or Graduation Celebration Party, please contact your dean’s office.

Maize & Blue
The Maize & Blue award is the university’s highest undergraduate award and is presented to no more than thirteen graduates at the May and December Commencement Ceremonies. Maize & Blue Award winners receive a stole and pin at the commencement ceremony and the award is noted on their official transcripts and diplomas. The commencement student speaker is chosen from the group of Maize & Blue Award winners. August graduates are eligible for the award only after finishing their degree requirements.   

Students who have earned at least 58 credit hours at UM-Flint (including the current semester), with an overall GPA of 3.75 or better in all completed credits earned at the UM-Flint, are eligible to be nominated for the Maize and Blue Award. This GPA requirement constitutes a “firm” or minimum criterion. Once the list of eligible students is determined, the academic departments are asked for nominations from that list. Nominations are submitted to the Scholarships, Awards, and Special Events Committee, and the committee elects the award winners from the students who were nominated.

If you have questions regarding the Maize & Blue Award, please contact the Provost’s Office.

Master’s and Doctorate Level
The official Hooding Ceremony of graduate students takes place during commencement. This process adds to the graduation experience by making it possible to focus on advanced degree candidates and their accomplishments. It allows graduate faculty and staff, family and friends a chance to witness the ceremonial hooding of the graduate student, recognizing the completion of their graduate studies during commencement. Hoods are essentially the most expressive component of the academic regalia. They serve to communicate the graduate’s school, degree and field of study through their length and the colors of the lining and binding.

Diplomas

Diploma covers are distributed to graduates at the commencement ceremony. Graduates should expect to receive their actual diplomas in the mail approximately four to six weeks after their degree is posted. There is no charge for this diploma. Diplomas are mailed to the graduate’s address on file in the Office of the Registrar unless otherwise noted on the graduation application. Please note that tuition, fees, and all financial obligations must be paid in full before a diploma can be issued.

University of Michigan diplomas do not list majors or minors, only degree names (e.g. Bachelor of Arts). Academic honors, Maize & Blue Award, and Honors Scholar Program are listed on the diploma under the degree name.

Graduates have 30 days from the receipt of their diploma to notify the Office of the Registrar of grammatical errors or other issues on their diploma. After 30 days, a duplicate diploma order and payment are required. 

Online Replacement Diploma Services
Graduates may order additional copies of their diplomas for a fee. Duplicate diplomas should not be ordered until the original diplomas have been received.

Prices
Free: eDiploma
$20.00: Undergraduate and Graduate Diploma, 8.5×11
$30.00: Doctorate Diploma, 11×14

The following services for your University of Michigan diploma are available online through our official diploma vendor, the Michael Sutter Company:

Once you submit a diploma request you will receive a secure ID by email within 48 hours. If you have received your diploma recently then you may already have this secure ID in an email or with your actual diploma.