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Graduation Information

Commencement

  • All graduates, including students graduating in the prior summer and fall terms, are invited to participate in the annual ceremony.
  • For more information about Commencement at Vanderbilt, please see Commencement.

Degree Requirements

  • Degree requirements vary based on your course of study and school.
  • For more information about specific degree requirements, please see your school’s catalog at Catalogs.

Diplomas

  • Spring graduates will receive their diplomas at Commencement.
  • Summer and fall graduates will receive their diplomas by mail within three to four weeks of degree posting.
  • Students must meet all financial obligations before their diplomas can be released.
  • For more information about diplomas at Vanderbilt, please see Diplomas.

Graduation Confirmation

  • All students scheduled to graduate in a given term will receive an email from the Office of the University Registrar containing a link to the Graduation Confirmation form. On the form you will be asked to provide information that will help ensure the information listed on your diploma and in the Commencement program is accurate.
  • For more information about the Graduation Confirmation form, please see Instructions.

Intent to Graduate

  • Students enrolled in the Graduate School who are scheduled to graduate in a given term must complete the Intent to Graduate form in YES.
  • For more information about the Graduate School’s Intent to Graduate application, please see Graduation Intent user guide.

Latin Honors

  • Latin honors are awarded to eligible undergraduate students upon graduation and noted on diplomas and published in the Commencement program.
  • Summa cum laude is awarded for those students whose grade point average equals or exceeds that of the top 5 percent of the previous year’s Vanderbilt graduating seniors.
  • Magna cum laude is awarded for those students whose grade point average equals or exceeds that of the next 8 percent of the previous year’s Vanderbilt graduating seniors. 
  • Cum laude is awarded for those students whose grade point average equals or exceeds that of the next 12 percent of the previous year’s Vanderbilt graduating seniors.
  • For more information about eligibility for Latin honors–including the thresholds for cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude–please see Latin Honors.

Transcript and Degree Information

  • Spring graduates will have their degree posted on their official Vanderbilt transcript no later than the Monday following Commencement.
  • Summer and fall graduates will have their degree posted on their official Vanderbilt transcript no later than two weeks following the end of final exams.
  • To verify your degree has been posted to your record, please log in to YES and then click “Academic Record.”
  • For information on ordering your official transcript, please see Transcripts.

Vanderbilt Computing Environment

  • Recent graduates will continue to have access to the Vanderbilt computing environment for four months after graduation.
  • Undergraduate students can use their VU Gmail account indefinitely after graduation.
  • For more information about undergraduate VU Gmail accounts, please see Gmail .
  • Vanderbilt alumni may join the VUconnect online community.
  • For more information about VUconnect, please see VUconnect.
  • Current faculty and staff who are graduating from Vanderbilt will not lose access to their Vanderbilt email.