Graduation Information

Application for Degree (Graduation)

To graduate, a student must submit the Application for Degree to the Office of the Registrar. This application must be submitted in the term of expected graduation by the deadline noted in the academic calendar. If a student applies for graduation and is not approved, a new Application for Degree must be submitted by the deadline in a new term. In order for the degree statement to appear on a student’s academic record, the student must file the aforementioned application whether or not participation in the commencement ceremony is desired.

The application for a graduate degree is available online at  http://www.registrar.usf.edu/forms/Graduate_Degree_Application2009-01-08_13_07_28.pdf.

The application must be submitted to the College advising office prior to the graduation application deadline.  Inquiries concerning approval or denial of graduation should be made to the appropriate college.

It is the student’s responsibility to clear all “I” (Incomplete) and “M” (Missing) grades in all courses and to provide official transcripts of all transferred course work needed for graduation at least three weeks prior to the end of the term in which he/she expects to graduate.

Graduation Requirements
It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that he/she has met all degree requirements as specified in the Degree Requirements section of this publication, as well as any College and Program requirements for the degree.

Commencement

Graduate students may not participate in commencement exercises until all requirements for the degree sought have been fulfilled.  Students graduating from programs based from USF Tampa  (despite location, i.e. may be located in USF St. Petersburg, USF Sarasota-Manatee, USF Polytechnic, etc., such as students in Marine Science) participate in commencement exercises at USF Tampa.

  Diplomas
Diplomas are mailed to the student’s permanent address approximately six (6) weeks after commencement. Students with a change of address need to fill out a change of address form at the Registration and Records office. Questions regarding diplomas and degree certification should be directed to the Registration and Records Office at 727-873-4545.

Letters of Certification

Students in need of verification of the degree prior to receiving their diploma may request a Letter of Certification. This letter specifies that the student has finished all of the requirements for the degree and the date the degree will be conferred on. The letter must include the student’s social security number, name of degree program and official name of the degree. The Major Professor, the College Dean (or designee), the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the Registrar must sign the Letter of Certification.  A template for the Certification Letter is available on the USF Tampa Graduate School website at

http://www.grad.usf.edu/newsite/forms/grad_forms.asp.

 Posthumous Degrees or Degrees in Memoriam

Degrees in Memoriam

The University may award a posthumous master’s or doctoral (and medical) degree to a student who was in good standing at the University at the time of his or her death and who had completed all substantive requirements for the degree. The University may also award masters, doctoral and medical degrees in memoriam to a student who was in good standing at the University at the time of his or her death.

To award a non-thesis degree, the student would need to have completed all courses required for the degree. Courses required for the degree, in which the student is enrolled at the time of his or her death, must have been completed to the satisfaction of the faculty so that passing grades might be posted. All other requirements (e.g., grade point average, tests, etc.) must have been satisfied as well.

To award a thesis degree, all courses must be completed as described above and the thesis must be sufficiently complete to the satisfaction of the faculty so that certification of completion may be posted to the student’s record.

Procedures for Award of Posthumous Degrees or Degrees in Memoriam

The Program Director or Department Chairperson, on his or her own initiative or upon the request of the family of the student, may recommend a posthumous degree, or a degree in memoriam, by forwarding the recommendation to the respective dean of the College. If approved by the Dean, the recommendation with supporting documentation will be forwarded to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for approval. If the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs approves the recommendation, the Office of Registration and Records will be notified and the degree will be awarded at the next commencement ceremony or will be presented to the student’s family in an appropriate setting.

Diplomas for posthumous degrees will be identical to other degrees awarded in the same colleges and majors. Diplomas for Degrees in Memoriam will be prepared to read “Master of Arts in Memoriam, Master of Science in Memoriam,” “Doctor of Philosophy in Memoriam,” etc., depending upon the degree the student was pursuing at the time of his or her death.

Transcripts

Transcripts of a student's USF academic record may be requested by the student through the Office of the Registrar (Tampa) or the Office of Registration and Records (USF St. Petersburg). A student's academic record can only be released upon authorization of the student. Students requesting transcripts may do so in person or by writing to the Office of the Registrar. By law, the request must include the student's signature and date.  For transcripts to be issued, the student must have no financial obligations to the University. Procedures for requesting a transcript are available on the Office of the Registration and Records website at  http://www.stpt.usf.edu/records/forms.htm.

Degree statements are posted approximately five weeks after the graduation ceremony. Current term grades are posted approximately one week after the final exams end. If grades for the current term are needed, clearly indicate that the transcript request is to be held for grades.

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