Degree Candidate Information

1. What is the minimum GPA required to graduate?
2. Who is eligible for honors and how are they calculated?
3. What are the responsibilities of the Degree Certification Staff in the Registrar's office?
4. When is Summer Commencement?
5. How do I order a duplicate diploma?
6. When will my diploma arrive?
7. Which degree candidates will be allowed to participate in the commencement exercise?
8. Where do I get information about caps, gowns, invitations, photographs and commencement day activities?
9. When and where can I pick-up my honor cord?
10. Where can I find the spring commencement participation policy and petition form for Summer Candidates?
11. Do I have to have my concentration selected before submitting an OAG?
12. How do I select my concentration?
13. I'm also pursuing a minor. Do I have to officially declare my minor?
14. How will my minor be evaluated?
15. I have more than one program I'm applying for. Do I have to submit more than one OAG?
16. My curriculum is incorrect on the OAG screen. What do I do?
17. I applied for my degree in a previous term and it was not awarded. When and how can I apply again for this degree?
18. Where can I find more information about the Online Application for Graduation (OAG) including my current status?

General Information

1. What is the minimum GPA required to graduate?

• The minimum GPA required for graduating with an undergraduate degree is 2.0
• The minimum GPA required for graduating with a Master or Master of Science degree is 2.7
• The minimum GPA required for graduating with a PhD degree is 3.0.

**Please note, your academic department may require a higher GPA for graduate degrees.

2. Who is eligible for honors and how are they calculated?

Tentative and Final Honors at Graduation 

• For graduation with highest honor, the minimum grade-point average (GPA) shall be 3.55.
• For graduation with high honor, the minimum grade-point average (GPA) shall be 3.35.
• For graduation with honor, the minimum grade-point average (GPA) shall be 3.15.

Academic Honors are awarded to undergraduate degree candidates only. 

A student must have earned at least 60 semester credit hours (excluding remedial coursework) at Georgia Tech to graduate with highest honor, with high honor, or with honor.

In order to qualify for graduation with honors, all grades or grade corrections affecting the honors designation must be received and certified by the Office of the Registrar no later than noon on Wednesday following Commencement.

Tentative honors at graduation (recognized at Commencement) are determined by the grade-point average (GPA) entering the graduating term and the sum total of graded hours accumulated prior to the graduation term plus graded hours registered for and pending during the graduation term.

3. What are the responsibilities of the Degree Certification Staff in the Registrar's office?

The Degree Certification Staff in the Office of the Registrar is responsible for evaluating degree candidates and certifying that all graduation requirements have been met prior to the awarding of degrees.

Commencement and Diploma

4. When is Summer Commencement?

The Commencement Office has updated its Summer Commencement policy.

Summer Graduates

5. How do I order a duplicate diploma?

Should you ever need a replacement copy of your diploma complete the following request form. There is a $100 replacement fee, plus mailing.

Replacement Diplomas

6. When will my diploma arrive?

Diplomas are printed by an outside company and it normally takes 6-8 weeks after Commencement to be printed and mailed.

7. Which degree candidates will be allowed to participate in the commencement exercise?

Students who are active degree candidates at the time of commencement are eligible to participate in the ceremony.

8. Where do I get information about caps, gowns, invitations, photographs and commencement day activities?

Toward the middle of your graduating term, you will receive a packet from the Special Events Office located in the Wardlaw Building. This packet will provide detailed information about the commencement ceremony. Visit the Special Events - GT Commencement website for more information.

Commencement

We highly encourage you to visit the bookstore to purchase graduation regalia approximately the fourth week of the term that you are graduating. Cap & gown information is also available at the GT Commencement website. Please be sure to check your graduation regalia before you leave the bookstore to make sure you have the correct regalia and that you have all pieces, including tassel.

To purchase graduation announcements visit the Balfour website.

balfour.com.

9. When and where can I pick-up my honor cord?

Georgia Tech will provide honor cords for undergraduate students based on their previous semester's cumulative GPA.

Graduates are permitted to wear additional items if given by officially sanctioned Georgia Tech honor societies or student organizations. You are responsible for obtaining from the student organization any honors accessories to which you are entitled.

Please note that the distribution of honor cords for commencement and the notation of tentative honors in the commencement program are based on whether the student meets the minimum number of hours (60) and the required minimum GPA for the three levels of honor at the time they enter their graduating term. In other words, honors at commencement are based on the hours accumulated and the GPA that exists at the beginning of the graduating term.

GPA Requirement with a minimum of 60 institutional credits earned:

• 3.15 for HONOR (double white cords)
• 3.35 for HIGH HONOR (double gold cords)
• 3.55 for HIGHEST HONOR (double white and gold braided cords)

If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar's Office at comments@registrar.gatech.edu.

10. Where can I find the spring commencement participation policy and petition form for Summer Candidates?

Spring Commencement Participation Policy for Summer Candidates

Summer Graduates

Concentration Selection

11. Do I have to have my concentration selected before submitting an OAG?

Yes, you should submit your concentration as soon as you know which concentration you are pursuing, and definitely prior to applying for graduation. Always speak with your advisor prior to selection.

12. How do I select my concentration?

Students must select their concentration within OSCAR. More information can be found on the DegreeWorks main website

Concentration Management

Minors and Degree Designators

13. I'm also pursuing a minor. Do I have to officially declare my minor?

Yes, in order to submit your OAG including your minor, you will need to officially declare your minor. Forms can be found here.

Change of Minor

14. How will my minor be evaluated?

All undergraduate students pursuing a minor will need to submit a minor program of study form to the Office of the Registrar. Forms can be located here.

Undergraduate Minors

Online Application for Graduation (OAG)

15. I have more than one program I'm applying for. Do I have to submit more than one OAG?

Yes, a separate OAG is needed for each program you are applying to graduate in.

16. My curriculum is incorrect on the OAG screen. What do I do?

Stop immediately.

Do not proceed if your curriculum is incorrect. Instead, please contact dc@registrar.gatech.edu for assistance.

17. I applied for my degree in a previous term and it was not awarded. When and how can I apply again for this degree?

You will submit an OAG during dates specified for the term you are graduating.

18. Where can I find more information about the Online Application for Graduation (OAG) including my current status?

More information about the OAG, including details prior to and after applying to graduate can be found here.

Online Application for Graduation (OAG)

The requirements for bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctorate degrees are outlined in the Catalog.

Degree Works provides a comprehensive set of web-based academic advising, degree audit, and transfer articulation tools to help students and advisors negotiate curriculum requirements.

To learn more about the Degree Works responsive dashboard or to access the classic dashboard see the Degree Works Upgrade page.

Before Applying

Make sure all program information is up-to-date, including major(s) as well as any minors or concentrations you may be pursuing. For more information, and the form needed to officially change your program on record, please visit the following:

• Change of Major Information
• Change of Minor Information
• Concentration Information

How to Apply

In order to graduate from Georgia Tech, a student must first submit an application for graduation. 

• Log into BuzzPort

• Select Registration (OSCAR)

• Select Students tab

• Select Graduation Application

• Curriculum Selection, this is not necessarily your graduation term. Select the current term or the most recent term in which you registered for classes from the drop down menu.

• Select your program

• Select Graduation Date

• Select Diploma Name (You can edit your middle and suffix)

• Select Diploma mailing address. If your diploma is being mailed to an international address, an international phone number is required in Line 3.

• Review Information & Submit
• Students will not receive an email confirmation the application was submitted. Instead, to verify the graduation application(s), review Degree Candidate Information in Oscar or in Degree Works with the graduation information and status.

After Applying

Academic departments will conduct the first degree audit on your record shortly after the graduation term starts. The Registrar's Office Degree Certification team will conduct the Registrar's Office audit on your application, and update your graduation status and add notes. Below is a breakdown of the timing of the two audits:

• Advisor Audit- begins 1-2 weeks after Phase II closes, and completed mid-semester 
• Registrar's Office Audit - is after the Advisor audit completed. Students will be notified when the audit is completed via GT email. 
• Final Audit - Tuesday following Commencement
• Degrees Awarded - Thursday following Commencement

To view your degree status, login to DegreeWorks. Near the top of your audit, under a section titled "Student View," you will see a field "Graduation Status." The text that appears in that field is your current degree status.

DegreeWorks

Please remember that your status will change throughout the semester, depending on updates, grade and registration changes, etc. Always check your status periodically, and connect with your advisor if there are any questions. Additionally, it is wise to look at the bottom of your audit, in case there are any notes placed on by your advisor or Degree Certification.

Before Applying

Make sure all program information is up-to-date. For example, if you are a PhD student, but applying for a Master's "along the way," you must officially declare the Master's program as a secondary major. For more information, and the form needed to officially update your program on record, go to the Forms page.

Forms

Change of Major/Level for Graduate Students

How to Apply

In order to graduate from Georgia Tech, a student must first submit an application for graduation. 

• Log into BuzzPort
• Select Registration (OSCAR)
• Select Students tab
• Select Graduation Application

• Curriculum Selection, this is not necessarily your graduation term. Select the current term or the most recent term in which you registered for classes from the drop down menu.
• Select your program
• Select Graduation Date
• Select Diploma Name (You can edit your middle and suffix)
• Select Diploma mailing address. If your diploma is being mailed to an international address, an international phone number is required in Line 3.
• Review Information & Submit

• Students will not receive an email confirmation the application was submitted. Instead, to verify the graduation application(s), review Degree Candidate Information in Oscar or in Degree Works with the graduation information and status.

   

   

After Applying

Academic departments will conduct the first degree audit on your record shortly after the graduation term starts. The Registrar's Office Degree Certification team will conduct the Registrar's Office audit on your application, and update your graduation status and add notes. Below is a breakdown of the timing of the two audits:

• Advisor Audit- begins 1-2 weeks after Phase II closes, and completed mid-semester 
• Registrar's Office Audit - is after the Advisor audit completed. Students will be notified when the audit is completed via GT email. 
• Final Audit - Tuesday following Commencement
• Degrees Awarded - Thursday following Commencement

To view your degree status, login to DegreeWorks. Near the top of your audit, under a section titled "Student View," you will see a field "Graduation Status." The text that appears in that field is your current degree status.

DegreeWorks

Please remember that your status will change throughout the semester, depending on updates, grade and registration changes, etc. Always check your status periodically, and connect with your advisor if there are any questions. Additionally, it is wise to look at the bottom of your audit, in case there are any notes placed on by your advisor or Degree Certification.

Responsibility for degree program coordination, curriculum development, and curriculum review rests with faculty degree program coordinators. These faculty are designated by their respective school chairs or deans within the academic unit (school or college) offering a given major. Depending on the school or college, degree program coordinators may have a variety of titles including, but not limited to, graduate coordinator, undergraduate coordinator, associate chair, director, assistant dean, or associate dean.

A list of faculty degree program coordinators may be found in this file.

Updated Oct. 2023