Conferral of Degrees

Petition for Graduation Quarter

Registration is required for the term in which a student submits a dissertation or has a degree conferred. Students who meet the following conditions are eligible to be assessed a special tuition rate for the quarter in which they are receiving a degree.

1. All course work, degree requirements, and residency requirements have been completed; Graduate students must have enrolled in the applicable 801 or 802 section relevant to their degree during the Graduation Quarter.
2. The student has formally applied to graduate via Axess.
3. The student has filed all necessary forms regarding Graduation Quarter before the first day of the term chosen as the Graduation Quarter.
4. A graduate student must have enrolled in the term immediately preceding the term chosen as the Graduation Quarter (not applicable for undergraduates).
5. A graduate must have passed the oral examinations and successfully defended the dissertation/thesis. The graduate student has only to submit the dissertation/project or Master's thesis by the deadline for submission in the term designated as the Graduation Quarter (not applicable for undergraduates).

Students on Graduation Quarter are registered at Stanford and, therefore, have the rights and privileges of registered students. There is a registration fee of $100 for the Graduation Quarter; students will be assessed University health insurance (unless waived) and ASSU fees.

Only one Graduation Quarter may be requested for each degree program. Students who, for whatever reason, are not graduated during the Graduation Quarter will be assessed a higher, standard tuition rate in subsequent terms.

NOTE: Graduation Quarter is not available to undergraduate students who are completing an honors thesis.

Download the Graduation Quarter Petition here: registrar.stanford.edu/pdf/grad_qtr.pdf

The form must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by the first day of the term.

Application to Graduate

All students who intend to graduate must notify the University by filing an Application to Graduate through Axess.

Applications are collected by Axess for each conferral date within a set period of days. Axess always tells the student which quarter or quarters it is collecting applications for at the moment; if there is a choice of quarter, the student chooses from a menu. The last date for which applications are accepted by Axess is the one published in the University Calendar.

If you file an Application to Graduate and then do not fulfill the requirements before the deadline you must file another Application to Graduate in the next quarter.

Students who need to file a late Application to Graduate must submit a paper form to the Student Services Center in Tresidder.

To withdraw or change any part of your application (wrong quarter, wrong diploma name, etc.), students should contact the Student Services Center as soon as possible.

Spring Commencement

Commencement ceremonies are held each June for students who have received degrees in the previous summer, autumn, and winter Quarters and for students who are graduating in June. Students completing programs in June must submit an Application to Graduate by mid April to receive a diploma at the June Commencement and have their names appear in the Commencement Bulletin.

Information on Commencement activities and distribution of diplomas is sent by the Registrar's Office in early April to addresses provided on the Notice of Intention.

Students who wish to participate in commencement activities in advance of conferral of their degree may file a Graduate Student Petition to Walk Through Commencement Exercises with the Degree Progress Officer. 

A WalkThrough petition should be requested only if there is no possibility of completing degree requirements for June conferral. Ph.D. students are required to have completed their oral exam, and need their adviser's signature on the petition. EE Student Services approves walk-through petitions.

Return to Degree Programs.