Apply for Your Degree
When students expect to fulfill all academic requirements for a school or program by the end of a given term, students are required to apply for their degree by a corresponding deadline in order to progress toward graduating.
Degrees are awarded in October, February, and May each year. Certain VP&S programs, and select Morningside Schools, including Columbia College and Undergraduate Engineering, also award degrees in June on an as-needed basis.
Every candidate, regardless of degree conferral date, is invited to participate in the University's annual Commencement ceremony held in May.
Required Steps to Apply for the Degree
Deans, advisors, and departments are the final authorities on whether graduation requirements have been met. Consult with your school to confirm you have fulfilled all requirements for your degree.
Stellic
The following schools use Stellic to track program requirements and progress towards degree fulfillment:
- Arts
- Climate
- Engineering (Undergraduate and Graduate)
- General Studies
- Nursing
- Public Health
- School of International and Public Affairs
- School of Professional Studies
- Social Work
Vergil Degree Audit
The following schools use Vergil's degree auditing tool to track program requirements:
- Columbia Business School
- Columbia College (Core Only)
Check with your adviser or program administration if you have any questions about degree audits.
Vergil Application Procedures
Most schools instruct students to complete the online application for degrees in Vergil:
- Click the View My Degree Application Status link under Student Records followed by the button labeled Apply for Degree or Certification. (Only students eligible to apply for a degree on Vergil will find these buttons available to them.)
- The student is required to select the correct graduation date for their program from the dropdown menu of available dates.
- After submitting, you may check the status of your degree application in Vergil at any time.
Schools With Different Application Procedures
Students in the following schools will receive alternative application instructions managed by their schools:
- General Studies students apply internally through a form specific to the School of General Studies. GS and post-bacc pre-med students should write to their academic advisor with any questions.
- GSAS Doctoral & M. Phil. candidates should consult with their department and follow instructions from the Dissertation Office.
- For students attending schools not mentioned here, please check with your program to confirm application procedures.
Application Deadlines (Morningside and Manhattanville)
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the application deadlines are as follows:
For Degrees Conferred October 15, 2025
- September 1, 2025
For Degrees Conferred February 11, 2026
- November 1, 2025
For Degrees Conferred May 20, 2026
- January 1, 2026
For Degrees Conferred June 30, 2026
- March 1, 2026
Application Deadlines (CUIMC)
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the application deadlines are as follows:
For Degrees Conferred October 15, 2025
- August 1
For Degrees Conferred February 11, 2026
- December 1, 2025
For Degrees Conferred May 20, 2026
- February 1, 2026
For Degrees Conferred June 30, 2026
- February 1, 2026