Columbia University in the City of New York

Graduation and Diplomas

Degrees are awarded in October, February and May and, for some Health Sciences programs, June. Every candidate, regardless of graduation date, is invited to participate in the May Commencement ceremony.

For complete Commencement information, please visit the official Columbia University Commencement website.

Graduation Requirements

You should consult with your academic advisor within your school or department to be sure all of your graduation requirements have been met.

Students in Columbia College, undergraduate SEAS, the Premedical Post Baccalaureate program, MIA, and MPA, as well as some programs in the Schools of Business, Social Work and Public Health, can use the Degree Audit Report (DAR). The DAR is used by both students and staff of these schools to aid in advisement and analyze students' progress toward degree. The DAR is only an aid to advisement, not an official document.

Note: Deans and advisors are the final authorities on whether graduation requirements have been met.

Degree/Certificate Application

In order to be considered for a degree or certificate, you must file an application with your school or department.

Exceptions: Doctoral & M. Phil. degrees: Go to your department or follow instructions from the Dissertation Office.

Application Deadlines

You should submit the Application for Degree or Certificate by the appropriate deadline.

For 2023-2024, the dates are:

  • September 1, 2023 - Degrees conferred October 18, 2023
  • November 1, 2023 - Degrees conferred February 14, 2024
  • January 1, 2024 - Degrees conferred May 15, 2024
  • March 1, 2024 - Degrees conferred June 30, 2024

 

Diplomas

Diplomas will be ordered and mailed by our printing vendor roughly three weeks after the conferral date. It is important to have a Diploma Address on file that will be current for at least two months after graduation to allow for successful delivery.
If you are unsure of your address after graduation, you can choose to have your diploma held for future release by designating your Diploma Address as "HOLD FOR MAILING." Once you have a stable address, you must contact the Office of the University Registrar at diplomas@columbia.edu to release your diploma.
We strongly recommend using a United States or Canadian address for diploma delivery, as our shipping partners often encounter difficulties delivering to locations outside of major global cities, especially in Asia and Africa. The very best way to ensure successful international delivery is to send a prepaid shipping label from UPS, FedEx, or DHL in PDF format to diplomas@columbia.edu. We will work with the carrier to ensure safe and timely dispatch using the provided label.
You can update your Diploma Address through Student Services Online (SSOL) until 5 p.m. on the Monday before graduation. Navigate to the Degree Application Status tab on SSOL and click "Update Diploma Address" to make changes.
Your diploma will only be sent to the Diploma Address on file. Local and/or Permanent Addresses on Vergil will not be used. You must enter a Diploma Address on SSOL in order to receive a diploma.
If a diploma is lost or damaged in transit, the Office of the University Registrar will offer one free reprint. Reprints must be sent to a US address, and requests for reprints must be made within eight weeks of the original diploma's shipping date.
For any additional questions regarding graduation and diplomas, please email diplomas@columbia.edu.