UNH Graduate School - Graduation

Important Dates
Be sure to check our calendar for all the important dates on when to submit your intent to graduate, thesis and dissertation submission deadlines, and deadlines for doctoral defense.

When Do I Get My Diploma?
The average time frame is to have the diploma's mailed out by the Registrar's office within 4-6 weeks from the day of graduation.

When Can I Graduate?
There are three graduations every academic year for graduate students: September (referred to as Summer YEAR), December (Fall YEAR), and May (Spring YEAR). For example if you are graduating in December of 2007 you would be graduating in the Fall of 2007.

The annual commencement ceremony is held in May. Students who have completed their degree requirements in the preceding September and December are invited to participate in commencement ceremonies in May.

Master’s and C.A.G.S. students who expect to complete their degree program in May, as well as those who expect to complete their programs at the end of the summer term following the commencement ceremony (September), are eligible to participate in May commencement. Students who file their intent-to-graduate form for either May or September by the last deadline for filing for May will be listed in the commencement book.

To participate in the May ceremony, doctoral students must have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. by the published deadlines. Only those candidates who have completed their program are listed in the commencement book.

The Commencement Office determines who is eligible to register on their website from a list including any graduate student who graduated in December or who has filed an intent to graduate form online for May or September. For more information on how to register for commencement go to the commencement website

What Do I Need To Do And How Do I File My Intent To Graduate?
Anyone who thinks they are ready to graduate needs to file an intent to graduate, online, at the beginning of the semester you expect to graduate in. You can file online at MyUNH. Login to your Blackboard/MyUNH account, and go to the Webcat/Student Services tab, then click the "continue" button to get into Webcat and then click on the "Student Services & Financial Aid" link. On the page that loads select the "Graduation Application Menu" and that will let you submit your intent and update your diploma mailing address. Be sure to select the correct term for graduation and please provide your most current diploma mailing address.

Selecting Your Term: Please note that the terms work the following way

Summer = September 1st (This is SUMMER graduation, so if your department said you are graduating in August you would actually be selecting the Summer September 1st option)
Fall = December 31st (This is the FALL graduation date).
Spring = May (date changes depending on ceremony date).

Please remember UNH only offers THREE Graduation months.

If any of the intent information displayed is incorrect please let our office know so we can make corrections. If your name is not displayed the way you would like to have it appear on your diploma then email the registrar's office. Include in the email your complete name, last 4 digits of your student ID, the semester you plan on graduating, the name of your program, and how you would like your name to appear. Also be sure to indicate why you are emailing them - its good to put in the subject line "Change of name for Diploma printing".

Problems Filing (Graduate Students Only)?
Please note ONLY GRADUATE STUDENTS CAN FILE ONLINE - if you are an undergrad please contact the Registrar's Office. If you are a graduate student and are having any problems with filing online (not everyone will be eligible to file online due to student coding conflicts) you will need to contact Cindy Glidden in our office immediately. Your student information will need to be reviewed in case we need to make any changes or corrections to your record. She can be reached by email or by phone at 862-3004. The deadline to file is posted on our calendar. Generally the deadline will fall sometime around mid-semester. If you are not sure if you will be able to graduate it is still recommended you file. Should you need to take another semester, you must submit another intent for each semester you think you will graduate in. Intents filed after the posted deadline will be charged a $25 late fee, however you can still file them online - the fee will applied to your account once it has been processed and must be paid for you to receive your diploma.

The paper form is no longer available except in special circumstances. Should you not have access to a computer to submit your intent online, then please contact Cindy Glidden in our office to discuss your options. If needed our office can either help you do it over the phone or we can mail you the paper version.

Should you fail to graduate you do not need to contact our office. Just be sure to file another intent for the next upcoming graduation. We will not reuse your previous intent - you must submit a new intent each time.

Need More Help?
If you have more questions please feel free to call our office or email our Academic Counselor with your questions. You should also visit the Commencement Office Website as they have all the details on the ceremony and graduation. However, keep in mind that the information they provide is geared towards all students; and graduate students may have slightly different necessary procedures to follow. When in doubt contact our office.

CGPS Graduate Students
If you are in a program at the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Manchester, you have the choice, in May, of either participating in the UNHM ceremony or the UNH ceremony. Please be sure to indicate to the CGPS staff what your plans are for graduation. Please contact their office directly for more information

Checklists
To help make it easier for you to remember some of the things you need to do, we have provided three basic checklists for you to use: one for actual graduation, one for submitting your thesis, and one for submitting your dissertation. These are general guidelines, and we cannot stress enough the importance of staying in communication with your department and our office while you prepare for your graduation.

	If you are working on a thesis or dissertation have you submitted a draft to our office, in advance of all posted deadlines, to make sure it is properly formatted? Review the thesis and dissertation manual for formatting details and contact our Academic Counselor should you have any questions. You should aim to submit your draft for review at least 3-4 weeks in advance of the posted deadline for submission of your final copy.
	Have you been registered every semester and are therefore an active enrolled student with UNH?
	Have you met with your advisor? Have you checked in with your department? It is important that you thoroughly review all of your degree requirements so you can be sure you will graduate on time.
	Have you filed your intent to graduate online by the posted deadline?
	Is your account balance up to date (all fees and charges paid)? You will not be issued a diploma until your account is clear.

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