Frequently Asked Questions

Graduation is the conferral of a degree and the issuance of a diploma. A student gradautes when they have applied to graduate online, have met all formal degree requirements and their degree has been officially conferred. 

Commencement is the formal ceremony that is held each May to recognize the achivements of degree candidates and graduate receipients. 

Degree candidates for November 2024, December 2024, February 2025, May 2025 and August 2025 are eligible to participate in the May 2025 commencement ceremony. Completion of degree requirements next Fall 2025, will place you on the May 2026 Commencement list.

Students planning to complete requirements by Summer 2025 and who meet the minimum grade point average requirements prior to the spring term, may be listed as candidates for their degree in the May 2025 ceremony.

No, if you participate in the commencement ceremony, this does not guarantee that you have completed your degree requirements for your degree to be posted.

To view announcements related to the May commencement event, please visit our commencement site below. Information is updated as the event date grows near — be sure to check back for updates.

Visit commencement site

It is recommended that you meet with your Advisor or Program to review your program requirements before applying for graduate.

Please submit the Graduation Application Update Request Form to make any edits/updates, including your graduation term, diploma name or mailing address.

Note: Changing your name or address with the University does not automatically change the information on your application.

You will be notified vai you Cal Lutheran email address that you are missing degree requirements. You may need to change your graduation term and complete the remaining requirements. 

Some factors that intefere with completing degree requirements are:

• GPA below 2.0 - Baccalaureate degrees
• GPA below 3.0 - Master's and Doctorate degrees
• Failure of required course(s)
• Incomplete grades
• Not enough overall credits
• Failure to submit final transcripts from other colleges attended

You will need to submit a Graduation Application Update Request Form. 

This is the date recorded on your transcript signifying when your degree was officially recognized. All requirements must be met by this date. Degrees are posted to the students academic record within 30-44 days from the conferral date.

Review of your academic record begins approximately two weeks after your graduation term or the degree conferral date. Once all grades have been received, it takes 6 weeks to review all graduation applications. You will be notified via your Cal Lutheran email address when the degree has been conferred.

An Anticipated Degree Letter Request can be submitted. We can provide an official letter recognizing a student's candidicay for graduation.

You can view the details of your graduation application in Self-Service through your MyCLU portal. If you need to change the information, contact us as soon as possible, by submitting the Graduation Application Update Request Form.

Diplomas are not presented at the commencement ceremony, you can expect your diploma to arrive approximately 6-8 weeks after your degree has been awarded/posted to your academic record.

Only students who have paid their graduation fee and have no Business Office holds can receive a diploma. You will be notified via your Cal Lutheran email address when your diploma has been ordered.

Replacement or duplicate copies of your diploma can be ordered through the Academic Services office. See replacement diplomas

Transcripts are the the formal verification of degree(s) earned. You can request an official transcript online

Contact Academic Services to report a damaged or lost diploma.

Students have up to six months to report a lost or damaged diploma without having to pay the duplicate diploma fee.

Make sure you have recevied two separate email notifications from Cal Lutheran, indicating that your degree was conferred and diploma was infact ordered.

If you have not, contact Academic Services for more information. Your degree requirements may not be complete or you have outstanding items that need your attention.