Graduation and Diploma Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a different question? For questions regarding graduation, email uhhgrad@hawaii.edu.

1. Graduation application deadlines

Graduate Students Only (Effective Fall 2017):

• Only for students pursuing a Graduate level degree (Masters and Doctoral Degrees)

In order to prepare the thesis/dissertation and oral defense, and to determine if the program can be completed successfully that semester, graduate students are allotted additional time to apply for graduation. The Graduation Application must be submitted no later than:

Spring 2023

March 15, 2023

Fall 2023

October 16, 2023

Spring 2024

March 15, 2024

2. How do I apply for graduation?

1. Download the following forms from the Office of the Registrar's Commonly Used Forms page:
   • Graduation Application
   • Graduation Application Instructions
   • Graduation Application Credit/Debit Card Authorization
2. Check your STAR Degree Audit Check and meet with your faculty advisor to ensure your timely progress toward graduation in the semester for which you've petitioned.
3. If necessary, submit an approved Request for Modification of Academic Requirements form (for undergraduate level students) or Petition to Transfer, Substitute, and/or Waive Courses form (for graduate level students) to the Office of the Registrar and keep a copy for yourself. All approved petitions will appear in your STAR Degree Audit Check under the "Academic Essentials" tab in the "Advisor Notes" section.

If you are planning to postpone or cancel your graduation petitioning term, change your major, concentration, minor, or catalog term, please go directly to the UH Hilo Office of the Registrar to update your graduation application.

3. How do I know if the Office of the Registrar received my application?

Your STAR account will have a note stating that you have petitioned for graduation.

• Log in to STAR
• Look in the "Events & Actions" column

If you do not see this statement in STAR within 7 days of submitting your graduation application to the Cashier's Office, please contact the Office of the Registrar via email at uhhgrad@hawaii.edu or call (808) 932-7447.

4. What is the difference between the priority deadline and the final deadline to apply for graduation?

Priority Deadline

Students meeting the priority deadline will receive a preliminary graduation evaluation by the end of the registration period in which the student is planning to graduate. Incomplete applications will only be considered as meeting the priority deadline if all outstanding information is received and payment is cleared by the priority deadline date. Applications that are completed after the priority deadline date will be considered as meeting the final deadline.

Final Deadline

Students meeting the final application deadline are not guaranteed to receive a preliminary graduation evaluation. Incomplete applications will only be considered as meeting the final deadline if all outstanding information is received and payment is cleared by the final deadline date. Applications that are completed after the final deadline date will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

All efforts will be made to provide the student with a preliminary evaluation. However, this is not guaranteed.

It is recommended that students review all graduation requirements in the catalog of the year in which the major was declared (or graduation year, if choosing exiting catalog requirements) and work closely with their College or Major advisors to be sure that all requirements have been met.

5. What if I miss the final deadline to apply for graduation?

After the final graduation application deadline has passed, a graduation application can still be submitted online. Please be aware that after the deadline, we are only allowing students to apply as an exception on a case-by-case basis. If your application is denied you will receive an email from the graduation specialist letting you know the reasons it's been denied.

Students who are granted approval by the Office of the Registrar to submit an application after the final application deadline will not receive a preliminary graduation evaluation and the student may not be listed in the Commencement program.

A change in the expected graduation date without an additional fee is possible only within the same academic year (i.e., fall to spring to summer). Students must immediately report any changes in their expected graduation date to the Office of the Registrar. A new application and processing fee is required if changes are made from one academic year to the next academic year (i.e. fall to the following fall).

6. Can I graduate in absentia?

Under extraordinary circumstances, students may earn their final credits at an institution other than UH Hilo and, upon official transfer of these credits back to UH Hilo, graduate with their degree from UH Hilo. This practice is called graduation in absentia.

Students must demonstrate a compelling personal reason to graduate in absentia, and their application must be approved by the appropriate college dean before any courses are taken in absentia.

Graduation in absentia is not automatic nor is it a right of students. In order to be eligible to be considered, a student must meet all of the specific conditions contained in the Application to Graduate in Absentia form.

Students whose application for graduation in absentia has been approved must also apply for graduation as described in Question 2 above.

7. Can I participate in the Commencement ceremony?

The Commencement ceremony is separate from filing for graduation. Participating in the ceremony does not confirm your degree. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs determines policies, procedures, and implementation of the Commencement ceremony.

A commencement ceremony is held in December for summer and fall graduation candidates; a ceremony is held in May for spring graduation candidates.

In order to participate in Commencement, you must register with the Commencement Office by their specified deadline.

8. Will my name be printed in the Commencement Program if I invoked FERPA (confidentiality)?

All students that have applied for graduation will have their names printed in the Commencement Program unless otherwise requested (this includes students that have requested confidentiality of their educational records under FERPA).

If you wish to have your name excluded from the Commencement Program, you must indicate it on the graduation application by checking the box and initialing the statement that reads "I would like my name to be excluded from the Commencement Program." The Office of the Registrar will notify the Commencement Committee of the students who do not want their names published in the Commencement Program.

9. What if I have questions regarding the Commencement ceremony?

The UH Hilo Commencement site is where you will find important information about commencement.

Contact Disabilities Services for information regarding Commencement and Disability Accommodations.

10. How much does a diploma cost?

A separate $25 diploma fee is required for each major/subject certificate being completed. The graduation application fee includes one diploma in both English & Hawaiian. Only one diploma cover provided.

Additional diploma covers can be purchased online using our Credential Trust Portal.

11. How will I know if I will graduate?

Notification regarding your graduation status will be posted to your STAR account whether you have met all graduation requirements or if you have any graduation deficiencies.

• If your degree has been awarded, your STAR account will have a note stating that you have been awarded for graduation. This information will be posted under the "Academic Essentials tab" in the "Events & Actions" column.
• If you have any graduation deficiencies, your STAR account will have a note under the "Academic Essentials" tab in the "Advisor Notes" section. Graduation can only be confirmed after grades have been submitted for the student's final semester course work.

12. Will I graduate with honors?

Honors in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and Economics, the College of Natural and Health Sciences, or Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language shall be determined in accordance with the cumulative GPA upon graduation in courses taken at UH Hilo in the following manner:

To be eligible to purchase an honor cord for the Commencement exercise, honors students must have achieved the minimum UH Hilo GPA of 3.50 and completed 45 of the 60 required credits by the end of the term preceding their graduation semester. The list of eligible honor cord recipients will be determined after the incomplete deadline for the previous term. This date is listed on the academic calendar and normally falls on or around April 15 and November 15. Students eligible for a honors cord will receive an email notification in their hawaii.edu email account.

Only undergraduate students who have earned at least 60 semester hours at UH Hilo, all of which are applicable toward a baccalaureate degree, are eligible for graduation with honors. In addition, at least 54 of the 60 applicable semester hours must be taken for a letter grade. The award of an honors diploma follows the commencement exercise and is subject to the final review of all grades and credits earned*.

*Undergraduate students in the School of Nursing who have earned at least 60 semester hours at UH Hilo, all of which are applicable toward a baccalaureate degree, are eligible for graduation with honors. In addition, at least 35 of the 60 applicable semester hours must be taken for a letter grade.

13. Who do I contact if I have questions regarding my graduation status?

Once the Office of the Registrar has received your graduation application from the Cashier's Office (after payment has cleared), you will receive notification via your STAR account concerning your preliminary graduation evaluation. The preliminary graduation evaluation will indicate whether you have met all graduation requirements or if you have any graduation deficiencies. This information is posted in your STAR under the "Academic Essentials tab" in the "Advisor Notes" section.

Any questions regarding your graduation evaluation should be directed to your faculty advisor. Your advisor's name can be found in STAR or MyUH Services.

14. Who can I contact if I have questions on interpreting my STAR Degree Audit?

It is highly recommended that you work closely with your faculty advisor in interpreting the STAR Degree Audit available on MyUH Services. Your advisor's name can be found in STAR.

The Office of the Registrar does not provide academic advising concerning the completion of your requirements.

15. What is the difference between a double major, earning multiple degrees, and earning a second baccalaureate degree?

• Double majors: A student may earn one degree (example, a B.A.) and graduate with two majors (double major) by meeting the requirements for both majors. All degree requirements associated with each major must be fulfilled before the degree is awarded.
• Multiple degrees earned concurrently: A student may earn and graduate with two degrees simultaneously provided:
  • The degrees are different (example, B.B.A. and B.S., but not two B.S. degrees).
  • The degrees are in different majors.
  • The requirements for both degrees are met .
• Second baccalaureate degrees: Graduating students who would like to pursue another degree will have to re-apply with the UH Hilo Admissions Office. Please note that the degree requirements for the second baccalaureate degree will be based on the term you re-apply with Admissions. Please work closely with your faculty advisor to determine if you are eligible for a Catalog Declaration form to declare your previous catalog.

16. When will I get my official diploma?

Students who are certified as graduates and who do not have financial obligations at the University will have their diplomas mailed to their diploma mailing address that they provided on their graduation application. If your diploma is unable to be delivered to the address that you provided and is sent back to our office, we will contact you for a new mailing address. Unclaimed diplomas will be kept in our office for 2 years from your conferral date. After 2 years it will be securely destroyed. Please note: participating in the graduation ceremony does not certify graduation.

Diplomas are distributed on or around:

Students who order a Replacement Diploma will have their diplomas mailed from our diploma vendor within 1-2 months after their order has been received.

17. I did not pick up my diploma. What are my options?

Effective Fall 2022, diplomas are mailed to students after graduation directly from our diploma vendor. If your diploma is undeliverable to the address that you provided and is sent back to our office, we will contact you for a new mailing address. Unclaimed diplomas will be kept in our office for 2 years from your conferral date. After 2 years it will be securely destroyed.

Unclaimed diplomas from 1985 - 2 years from the degree conferral date will be securely destroyed if not claimed. Unclaimed Diplomas from 1907 - 1984 are kept in our office indefinitely. If you are unable to pick up your diploma in-person with a photo ID, your diploma may be picked up by an authorized third party. The Authorization to Pick Up Official Documents form is available by download and at the Office of the Registrar. Please submit this form to our office prior to having the authorized third party pick up your diploma. The authorized third party must provide the Office of the Registrar with photo ID upon diploma pick up.

18. How much does it cost to have my diploma mailed to me?

If you graduated prior to Fall 2022, you must submit a Request to Mail Diploma form to have your diploma mailed. Diplomas are mailed by First-class USPS postage at no charge.

If you are petitioned to graduate or have graduated after Fall 2022, your diploma(s) with your diploma cover will be mailed to the diploma mailing address that you indicated on your Graduation Application. If your mailing address has changed since you applied for graduation, you can update your after graduation mailing address online on MyUH Services. The final date to make changes to your mailing address will be the Friday after commencement. Diplomas mailed within the United States are mailed by First-class USPS postage at no charge. If you would like to have your diploma mailed to an address outside of the United States, you must pay a separate international shipping fee for each major/certificate. Your payment can be made online using our Credential Trust Portal.

19. I haven't received my diploma yet. How can I obtain verification of graduation?

If you would like documentation (besides a diploma) to verify your degree, you may request the following in writing from the UH Hilo Office of the Registrar:

1. Congratulations Letter
2. Transcript Request
3. Certification Letter
4. Letter of Completion

20. I lost my diploma or I need additional copies. What are my options?

A Replacement Diploma is a diploma ordered outside of your graduation term. Replacement diplomas can be ordered online using our Credential Trust Portal. Please visit the Credential Trust Portal for available products and prices. All products are mailed from our diploma vendor by USPS. USPS tracking is only available for orders containing a diploma cover.

Our office will only accept requests made through this portal. A separate online request is required for each major/subject certificate being ordered. Payment by checks, cash, or in-person will no longer be accepted. All replacement diplomas have the word ‘Reissued’ printed at the bottom of the document. Once your request is submitted online you will receive an email confirmation. Your submitted request will be reviewed for approval. Once it's been approved, your payment is non-refundable. If you have any outstanding financial obligations on your account, your request will be denied. Please visit MyUH Services to see if you have any "holds". If you do not have access to MyUH Services, you may contact our office for assistance.

Note: The name that will be printed on the replacement diploma will be the name under which you completed your degree requirements. If your name has changed, you will need to submit the name change documentation to our office prior to submitting your replacement diploma order online. Please complete the Change of Name / Preferred Name Request Form and submit it to our office along with the requested legal document listed on the Change of Name / Preferred Name Request Form.

21. I want to keep taking classes after I graduate. What do I do?

Students who wish to continue enrollment after graduation must apply and be re-admitted by the Admissions Office. If you are already registered for the term following graduation, your status will be changed to Graduate Unclassified level during the conferral process and any WUE students will be changed to non-resident status; these changes may affect tuition rates.

22. Am I automatically withdrawn from classes because I’ve graduated?

No. If you have registered for classes beyond your graduation term and wish to discontinue enrollment at UH Hilo, you must drop all classes yourself. Failure to withdraw will result in tuition and fees being assessed to your account.

23. Now that the Commencement Ceremony is done, what can I expect regarding official confirmation of graduation and diploma distribution?

Here are some reminders of what to expect next regarding official confirmation of your graduation and diploma distribution. The degree conferral process will take approximately 3-4 weeks after semester grades are processed. You are responsible for checking the status of your graduation at the end of your graduation semester.

• Candidates who have completed all graduation requirements will receive a Congratulations Letter by mail at the address indicated on the graduation application.
• Candidates who have not completed all graduation requirements will have graduation deficiencies posted in STAR Advisor Notes and an email about these deficiencies will be sent to candidates hawaii.edu email address.

Your diploma(s) with your diploma cover will be mailed to the mailing address that you indicated on your Graduation Application. If your mailing address has changed since you applied for graduation, you can update your after graduation mailing address online on MyUH Services. The final date to make changes to your mailing address will be the Friday after commencement.