Graduation, Commencement, and Diplomas

Congratulations! Just a few more steps to graduate!

As you prepare to graduate, please make sure to complete all your academic and financial obligations.

How To Apply for Graduation

• Students apply to graduate through Bison
  • Students log into Bison http://bison.gallaudet.edu/
  • Click on the “Classic” icon
  • Click on “Self-Service” under the Menu on the top left.
  • Click on “Student Center”
  • Click on “Apply for Graduation” and follow the steps.

Online Graduation Application – after the deadline:

• For Undergraduate Career – Please contact Laurie Miskovsky if you have any questions.
• For Graduate Career – Please contact Kai Gagnon if you have any questions.

Graduation Application Deadline

• Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the deadlines

Any questions?

• Please contact Laurie Miskovsky if you have any questions.

Participation in the Commencement Ceremony:

Once the application for graduation has been filed, students who have completed all work toward their degrees are automatically eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony. Undergraduate students who are eight or fewer credits hours short of completing their degrees will be permitted to participate in the ceremony if they are registered for summer school. Information on the commencement ceremony is sent only to those students who apply for graduation. Graduate students who have not completed all requirements by the end of the spring semester may march in the commencement ceremony only if they are eligible to march through the Petition to March policy.

Diploma:

Diplomas are issued only once, however, if there is an error on your diploma, please contact the Registrar’s Office within 90 days of receipt, so that a corrected diploma can be produced. Diplomas will not be released to students with a balance owed to the University or an incomplete Exit Interview.  

Diplomas for May graduation are typically released between August to October.  Diplomas for August and December graduation are typically released between May and June of the following year.  Students will be contacted via their Gallaudet email accounts once diplomas are ready for distribution.

Access to your records:

Your access to all Gallaudet platforms (i.e., email, BISON, Blackboard, etc) is valid for three semesters after your graduation date. After three semesters, the Gallaudet-issued email address will expire (i.e., Graduation in May, then three semesters after summer, fall, and spring). Please ensure that you have a plan to transfer all your files to your personal email account since your account will be deactivated at the end of the three semesters. Please keep an eye out for communication and/or reminders from Gallaudet Technology Services (GTS) either by email or IT Service Desk ticket.