Getting Ready to Graduate
Are you in your final semester? Then plan ahead for graduation!
Submit Your Degree Application
The first step toward graduation is submitting your degree application.
The Fall 2026 deadline is Friday, September 11, 2026.
Click here to submit yours
Your graduation involves two different acts at the University of Florida:
- Commencement is the ceremony at which UF publicly recognizes you as a graduate of your degree program. It takes place at the end of Fall, Spring, and Summer C Semesters.
- Degree certification is the official awarding of your degree after your degree program, the Graduate School, and the Registrar’s Office confirm that you met all requirements for it. It takes place in December, May, and August during the week after your commencement ceremony.
To graduate (whether or not you plan on attending your commencement ceremony), you must submit a degree application via the ONE.UF online portal by the deadline for the semester you plan to graduate:
Pay close attention to deadlines! Check with your academic unit for its own internal deadlines. If you are completing a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, make sure you submit your document to the Graduate School by its deadlines. To keep on track for graduation during your last semester at UF, use these online checklists:
- Thesis & Dissertation Final Semester Checklist
If you are a Project in Lieu of Thesis graduate student, follow your academic unit’s deadlines, as they differ from the Graduate School’s thesis and dissertation deadlines.
Plan on attending your commencement ceremony? Check the UF Commencement website for deadlines to order your cap and gown beforehand, along with other dates you must keep and preparations you must make:
Your diploma is available about eight weeks after degree certification. The Registrar’s Office will mail it to the address that you put on your degree application. For more details, go to this website:
