Graduation
- Deadline to apply: Students must apply for graduation no later than the end of the Schedule Adjustment Period at the beginning of the semester in which they intend to graduate.
- Degree Conferral: Submitting an application for graduation does not guarantee that a student will receive a degree. A student's degree will be conferred only after all final grades have been submitted, and it has been verified that they have adequately completed all degree requirements.
- Graduate Certificate Students: Students applying for a master's degree who are completing a graduate certificate in the same term should submit the Graduate Certification Completion form in addition to submitting a graduation application for their master's degree.
UMD hosts a commencement ceremony each May which includes graduates from the previous summer, previous winter, and current spring term.
Guidelines on participation in commencement activities for undergraduate and graduate students with pending degree requirements
Undergraduate and graduate students who are close to completing their degree requirements may be permitted by their college, at the request of the student, to participate in spring departmental, college, and/or campus commencement activities if they can demonstrate that they intend to complete all degree requirements before the first day of classes in the next fall semester. Colleges may define criteria for summer graduates to be considered for participation in May commencement ceremonies, such as the number or type of credits or courses left to complete the degree. Students should consult school or college commencement websites for details.
Participation in commencement activities (including the main commencement ceremony) does not imply degree completion or graduation, nor official degree completion in that particular spring semester. All degree requirements must be completed before a degree and diploma can be awarded.
Undergraduate students who are pursuing a double degree, and who intend to complete all graduation requirements for one of the degrees before the first day of fall classes, may participate in the ceremonies for that degree. Students who are pursuing a double major must complete all degree requirements for both majors before the first day of fall classes to be able to participate in these ceremonies.
Procedurally, students who plan to complete their degree requirements in summer and wish to participate in spring commencement ceremonies must contact their academic college (in the case of undergraduate students) or academic department (in the case of graduate students). If the request is approved, the college or department will notify the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) as soon as possible by sending the student’s name, UID, and email address to Diploma Services (diploma@umd.edu). OUR will then communicate with the student and the ticketing office accordingly. Once this process is completed, the student will be eligible to receive tickets for the main ceremony and may participate in the department or college ceremonies. In the interest of having the printed main commencement program be as accurate as possible, students’ names will be included in this printed program only if they are expected to graduate in the spring. Depending on the timing of when OUR receives notification, however, late additions and deletions may not be accurately recorded in the printed program. Colleges and departments have the discretion to include the names of summer graduates who participate in the spring ceremonies in their printed programs if they wish.