Preparing for Degree Completion

Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign confers (grants) degrees three times a year -- in May, August, and December. You need to submit an application for graduation in your final term in order to place your name on the degree list and receive your diploma.

We recommend that you submit your application for graduation while you are in Student Self-Service registering for your last course(s) for the program. Step-by-step directions for the application to place your name on the degree list are below.

  • Proceed to Student Self-Service
  • Click on “University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)”
  • Log in with your University NetID and password
  • Verify your identity with your 2Factor/Duo
  • Select "Registration and Records" from the Student Services section
  • Scroll to "Graduation" click "Apply to Graduate"
  • Select the appropriate term and “Submit”
  • Select the program (you should see only one; if more than one appears, be sure to select the correct one).

Continue to follow the instructions on the screen. Be sure that you follow these all the way through, and that you hit a final “SUBMIT” button at the end. Your application for graduation will not be complete until you click that final submission button. The program will communicate deadlines by which you must submit your application for graduation via email.

Use the Academic Calendar to identify academic dates, including the deadline to apply to graduate each semester:

Gies Online Graduation Course

As you approach your final semester of enrollment in a degree program, you will receive an email invitation to join the optional Gies Online Graduation Course. This informational course is specifically designed to assist graduating students as they transition from current Gies learner to alumni of the University of Illinois! Questions related to degree conferral, convocation ceremonies, diploma information, access to career resources after graduation, and how to stay connected as a Gies alum will all be answered in the course. 

You must be logged into Coursera in order to access the course through the link in your invitation. If you are completing your degree in the current term but do not see the course invitation or require any other assistance, please contact i-support@illinois.edu. 

Tracking Your Diploma

Visit the Receiving your Diploma page through the Office of the Registrar to ensure your personal information is up to date and to track your diploma. Gies Online Programs is not involved in the production or mailing of your degree certificate. Any questions about shipping or replacement copies must be directed to the Office of the Registrar

Non-Degree Coursework

Complete a Graduate College Request Form if you have taken courses as a non-degree student. You will indicate this as “transfer credit” and include all details of the coursework you took as a non-degree student (semester/year, CRN, Subject/Course Number). If you have not taken non-degree coursework, please skip this step.  

Removal from Degree List

If you have applied to graduate and no longer intend to graduate in your designated semester, you can remove yourself from the degree list. Please go to the Graduate College Forms Directory and select Add/Remove from Degree List under the Graduation and Degree Certification section. Should you be ineligible for graduation, you will be removed from the degree list by the program and must take action to add yourself tot a future degree list.