Graduation Checklist

Related Pages

Apply for Your Degree
Vergil
Commencement Website
Request a Replacement Diploma

Congratulations on your upcoming degree conferral! 

Review the information below to ensure that you are up to date on all of the moving pieces required for the awarding of your degree and the processing of your diploma.

Need help? Should you have any questions beyond the information shared below, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

We celebrate your significant academic accomplishments and wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Complete the Following Steps to Prepare for Graduation

If your School participates in the SSOL/Vergil Application for Degree, confirm that all relevant academic programs display as “Submitted” under the rubric via the View My Degree Application Status page. Ensure that you have submitted your application in full for the appropriate conferral date.

  • NOTE: This is not the way that you register to participate in the University’s annual Commencement events. This step simply ensures that your degree candidacy will be reviewed at the correct time.
     
  • Stay in Touch: You should keep in touch with your adviser, Advising Dean, or School Student Affairs Office should you have questions about whether you are on track to receive your Degree.
     
  • Post-Graduation: On or after your Degree Conferral Date, you can check SSOL. If your Degree was awarded, your Degree Application Status will read “Graduated” and your newly conferred Degree will appear near the bottom of your Academic Profile in the box headed Columbia Degrees and Specializations.

Check your Diploma Name as it is submitted on your Degree Application Status page in SSOL. 

  • Your Diploma will be printed with the Name submitted on the Degree Application. This can be updated until 10 days before the Date of Degree Conferral. Once the Application is closed, email us at [email protected] to make any further changes. Review our Preferred/Chosen Name policy.
    • NOTE: We cannot print a diploma with a Last Name that does not match the Legal Last Name on your Academic Record. 
       
  • Changes and Special Formatting: If your Name does not display precisely as you would like (e.g., it is truncated or requires special accent/diacritical marks), email [email protected] with specific instructions.
     
  • Legal Name Changes: If you would like to officially change the Legal Name on your Academic Record, and not just on your Diploma, you must fill out a Name Change Affidavit.

Check your Diploma Address as it currently appears on the Degree Application Status page in SSOL.

  • How to Update: Use the “Update Diploma Address” button at the bottom of the page to make any changes.
     
  • Deadline: We will accept changes until 5:00 p.m. on the Monday of the week of your Degree Conferral. 
     
  • Critical Note: Your Diploma will be sent only to the "Diploma Address" on file. Local or Permanent Addresses visible on Vergil will not be used. If there is no Diploma Address on file in SSOL, your Diploma will not be ordered.

Special Circumstances

  • Uncertain Address: If you don't have a stable Address yet, enter your Diploma Address as “HOLD FOR MAILING.” Once you have a Permanent Address, email us at [email protected] to release the Diploma.
     
  • International Shipping: We strongly urge you to use a U.S. or Canadian address. For International Delivery, the best method is to provide a prepaid shipping label (UPS, FedEx, or, if necessary, DHL) in PDF format to [email protected].
    • If sending a label, please enter your SSOL Diploma Address as “HOLD FOR MAILING.”

Columbia partners with Parchment to provide certified Electronic Diplomas to all new graduates.

  • Timeline: If you are cleared for your degree and have no holds, your Electronic Diploma will be issued to your Columbia email approximately 12 to 15 business days after Degree Conferral.
     
  • Retrieval: Look for an email from Parchment containing retrieval instructions. The eDiploma can be shared or downloaded immediately.
     
  • If you have not received the ediploma four weeks after the degree has been conferred. Please email [email protected].

Your printed diploma will be sent to the Diploma Address on file as of your Degree Conferral date.

  • Dispatch Timeline: Printed Diplomas are dispatched approximately five to six weeks after the Date of Degree Conferral.
     
  • Domestic Delivery: Approximately seven to eight weeks after Degree Conferral.
     
  • International Delivery: Within three months of Degree Conferral (varies by Country).

A hold will NOT keep you from having your degree awarded, but it WILL keep you from receiving both your digital and hard-copy diplomas.

  • Monitor Status: Check Vergil/SSOL regularly as holds can appear very close to Degree Conferral.
     
  • Resolution: The Office of the University Registrar does not place or remove holds. You must contact the specific Office that placed the hold.
     
  • Release: If a hold is cleared after your Degree Conferral Date, you must notify us at [email protected] to confirm your address so we can release your diploma.

If a Diploma is lost or damaged in transit, the Office of the University Registrar will offer one reprint free of charge sent only to a U.S. Address.

Once your Degree is awarded, you are entitled to a 5GB LionMail quota. 

DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR DEGREE CONFERRAL CHECKLIST OR DIPLOMAS?

Please contact your school for all questions related to the fulfillment of degree requirements. For any additional questions regarding diplomas, please email us at [email protected] or visit our Contact Us page to find other assistance.