Monitor academic progress on Degree Works and complete all program requirements by the appropriate Graduate School deadlines. 

If you have questions about your program or any deadline, please contact your Graduate Program Director or Advisor.  

 General information about Graduation and Commencement:

• CougarNet:
  • Personal Information – Verify your mailing and e-mail addresses and update via CougarNet. If you have questions, please contact the Service Center.
  • Degree Works - Track your progress toward graduation with the degree audit feature at any time.
  • Registration – If you didn't take any courses this term, you will need to be registered in UNIV 500 to satisfy the Continuous Enrollment policy.  Students can either submit the Graduate Student Request form asking for enrollment in UNIV 500, email the Service Center to get registered or enroll in the course through CougarNet.
• Graduation Application changes:
  • Graduation Applications must reflect the term in which all requirements will be completed.  If you are unable to complete your degree by the end of the term, please send an email to graduation@siue.edu stating the term in which you plan to graduate.
  • Graduation applications are valid for three consecutive terms beginning with the initial term on your application. If your degree is not completed by the end of the third term, you will be required to re-apply and pay an additional graduation application fee.
• Degree awarding and diplomas:
  • During the weeks following final exams, degrees will be awarded and recorded on student transcripts.  This process will begin on the Thursday after finals week of your graduation term.
  • Please keep your mailing address current, as diplomas are mailed approximately ten weeks after the conclusion of your graduation term.
  • Certified electronic e-Diplomas are available for purchase at http://www.michaelsutter.com/siue
• Commencement:
  • Graduates wishing to attend the Spring 2025 commencement must complete the RSVP form on the Commencement webpage. 
  • Commencement participation is not mandatory; it is optional.

Only diploma covers are presented to participants.

 Offices to assist Graduate Students:

The Graduate School's functions are handled by two offices:

• Enrollment Management 
  • Graduate Admissions
    • Admission application criteria, deadlines, and processing
    • Combined Bachelor to Graduate Programs (CBGD) Admissions Applications
  • Office of the Registrar
    
    • Course Registration/Enrollment
    • Grades, Repeats, and Grade Point Average (GPA)
    • Graduation
    • Graduate Student Request Form requests 
      • Graduate Student Forgiveness to remove specific previously earned graduate-level grades from the cumulative graduate GPA
      • Registration in additional Thesis hours
      • Substitutions and waivers for program requirements
      • Time Limits Extensions for a course(s) to apply to a graduate degree
      • Transfer and Unclassified Credit evaluation at the graduate-level 
      • Undergraduate students' registration for a graduate-level course
• Graduate School
  • Graduate Council, Graduate Catalog
  • Assistantships, and Student Awards and Scholarships
  • Research and Grant Activity including Institutional Review Board
  • Thesis Review

Graduate Program Director Resources:

• System Access Request form 
• FERPA Training and Red Flag Training
• New GPD Resources
• Managing advisor's assignments and maintenance
• Removing Advising holds on students
• Curriculum codes
• Enrollment Reports and Census data
• Ad Hoc Data Requests
• Program Review Requests for Institutional Research
• Graduate Student Request Forms
• Graduate Student Summary of Completion Form 
• Graduate Student Academic Review Form
• Academic Scheduling forms