Bachelor's Degree Candidates
Master's or Doctoral Degree Candidates
Commencement
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Bachelor's Degree Candidates

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Undergraduate Candidates for the Baccalaureate
Each prospective graduate must file for graduation. A student is eligible to apply for graduation after accumulating 85 units. Undergraduates must pay the $115 graduation/diploma fee and file a request for a grad check with the Office of Admissions and Records one year (two semesters) prior to the date on which they anticipate completing all requirements for a degree.

Apply for Graduation On-line
Beginning December 1, 2008, you may apply for graduation on-line via your Titan Online Student Center. You must meet the minimum application requirements to apply on-line. Your major, minor and emphasis must be accurately reflected. If they are not, please contact the Admissions and Records Service Center (LH-114) regarding the process for officially changing your academic program. You are not required to pay the $115 graduation fee at the time of application for graduation. However, you will be required to pay the graduation fee before you can become a candidate for graduation. Watch your campus e-mail and Student Center checklists for information on the graduation process once you have applied.

Titan Degree Audit Graduation Checks
Beginning with those students initially applying for graduation with the spring 2009 term, the Titan Degree Audit will be the document used for your official graduation check. You will not receive a paper Grad check form in the mail. Your Titan Degree Audit will become your electronic Grad Check. You are advised to access your TDA via Titan Online and review it for accuracy.

Certain majors have additional information available on their major specific website. Please note that not all majors have additional website information. Check below for major specific websites currently available.

• If your major is within the College of Business and Economics please click here:
  http://business.fullerton.edu/Undergraduate/GradCheckQuestions.htm
• If you have a major in Communications, please click here:
  http://communications.fullerton.edu/advisement.center/
   

General Information on the Degree Checkout Process

Applying for Graduation - Once you meet the criteria listed below, you will receive an e-mail alerting you to apply for graduation and a checklist item "Apply for Graduation" will be assigned to you in your Titan Online Student Center. You will also be assigned a checklist item "Graduation Fee Required". You can apply for graduation prior to paying the $115 graduation fee and your application will be processed. However, you will need to pay the fee before you can advance to the degree candidacy status required for inclusion on the candidacy list and awarding of your degree.

Criteria to apply for graduation are as follows:

• Declared major; not a "pre-major" or "undeclared"
• Minimum of 85 earned units towards your degree
• Minimum overall grade point average of 1.85
• Must be currently active in an academic program of study leading to a bachelor's degree

After receiving your notice, you will need to go to your Titan Online Student Center and apply for graduation by giving us your anticipated term of graduation. If you meet the criteria and have not yet received a notice, you can still apply on line. Please note that application for terms a maximum of 2 years in the future are available. It is advised that you apply 1 year in advance of your anticipated graduation term. Applications for graduation will not be accepted any later than the end of the second week of the fall term for January candidates and the end of the 2nd week of the spring term for May and August candidates.

Academic Department Review - Once you have applied on-line, your major/minor/emphasis academic departments will be notified of your intent to graduate and requested to review your TDA. The Academic Department will review your academic program indicating their "approval" or if "exceptions" have been approved. Approved exceptions to degree requirements will be entered on the TDA by the TDA Unit of Admissions and Records. Once any exceptions are noted, your status will change to approved.

Graduation Fee for Candidacy - After your academic program(s) are approved by the respective departments, if you have already paid your $115 graduation fee, your status will be moved to "candidate". If you have not yet paid your graduation fee, your status will remain as "approved" and you will not advance to "candidate" until the fee is received. You must move to "candidate" status in order to participate in commencement activities and be considered a candidate for graduation for the term. Remember your "Graduation Fee Required" checklist item in your Student Center will tell you whether or not a fee is still required.

Anticipated Graduation Date Changes - If your anticipated term of graduation changes, you must contact the Graduation Unit in LH-114 for instructions on updating your record to the correct term. You will be required to fill out a form and pay a $10 fee to make this change.

Completion of Degree Requirements - At the end of your anticipated term of graduation, as a degree candidate, the Admissions and Records Graduation Unit will review your file based on your completion of your final courses. If all requirements are met, your degree will be posted. Please be advised that the posting of your degree completion is usually 6-8 weeks following the "grades due" date for the term. Your diploma will be mailed to you once the degree is confirmed. If you are requesting transcripts prior to your degree being posted, be sure to indicate on the request if you want the transcript request to be held until the degree is awarded.

Degree Requirements Not Met - If you do not meet all degree requirements, you will be sent a "deferral" letter, requesting a revised date of when you will complete the outstanding degree requirements. Please remember that all work for your degree requirements must be completed by no later than the graduation date. Any requirements not completed by the graduation date will delay your graduation to the next eligible term.

Tips to Avoid Graduation Requirement "Surprises" – The following tips will help you avoid those last minute disappointments of unmet degree requirements.

• Review your TDA at least once a term to monitor how you are proceeding on your degree requirements.
• If you see a discrepancy on your TDA, be sure and contact the TDA unit at tda@fullerton.edu to review your record.
• If your academic department has approved an exception to a degree requirement, be sure that the exception is reflected on the TDA. If it is not, check with your academic department advisor.
• If you have taken courses elsewhere be sure to have an official transcript sent to CSUF for evaluation and inclusion on your academic records as soon as possible following completion of the course.
• Apply for graduation at least 1 year in advance of your anticipated graduation term. This gives you time to "correct" any problems or take needed courses.
• Remember that the TDA is the official grad check document. All requirements should show as "OK" (e.g. met) or that the requirement will be met by the courses in progress (IP) during your last term.

Available Resources for Questions related to degree requirements

• How to access the Titan Degree Audit
  Titan Degree Audit Tutorial
   
• General Education requirements and overall unit requirements
  Academic Advising Center in University Hall, Room 123.
  www.fullerton.edu/aac
   
• How to read the Titan Degree Audit
  http://www.fullerton.edu/cms/ ... /Interpret_TDA.htm 
   
• Examination in Writing Proficiency (EWP)
  www.fullerton.edu/testing/ewp.htm
   

Master's or Doctoral Degree Candidates

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Graduate Candidates for Master’s or Doctoral Degree
Graduate students are required to file and pay for a graduation check by the deadline listed below. Beginning December 1, 2008, you may apply for graduation on-line via your Titan Online Student Center. You must be a currently enrolled Classified student at CSUF to apply for graduation. You are not required to pay the $115 graduation fee at the time of application for graduation. However, you will be required to pay the graduation fee before you can become a candidate for graduation. You will be required to pay the $115 graduation fee to Student Financial Services (UH-180). Watch your campus e-mail and Student Center checklists for information on paying for the graduation check once you have applied.

Commencement

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Once you have completed the graduation check process, whether graduate or undergraduate, you are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremonies appropriate to your graduation date. If you graduate in January 2009 or become a candidate for May or August 2009, you will be eligible to participate in the May 2009 ceremonies. If you graduate in January 2010, May 2010, or August 2010, you will be eligible to participate in the May 2010 commencement ceremonies.

Please see the commencement website for detailed, updated information about the ceremonies. Click here for the commencement website: http://www.fullerton.edu/commencement

Need additional help?

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For additional information contact the Graduation Unit inside Admissions and Records located in LH-114, Station 3 or call (657) 278-2300.