Graduation Guidelines and Procedures

Catalog of Graduation

In order to graduate, a student must fulfill catalog requirements in effect at matriculation or any subsequent catalog during the enrollment. A catalog over six years old may be used to determine requirements for a degree only if the student has been enrolled continuously in fall and spring semesters. If a student has not enrolled at UT Tyler in the past year, the student is required to complete a readmission application. Students who complete a readmission application are admitted under the catalog in effect at the time of readmission.

Filing for Graduation

All students at UT Tyler must formally apply for graduation by completing the following guidelines:

1. Pay the non-refundable graduation fee at the Enrollment Services Center* (ADM230).
2. Exchange the receipt of payment for an Application for Graduation form at the Enrollment Services Center*.
3. Complete the Application for Graduation form and return it to the Enrollment Services Center*.

In order to facilitate a timely pre-graduation review of their graduation eligibility, all students are highly encouraged to apply prior to the Priority Filing Date for their term of graduation, as listed below.

*Students attending the Longview or Palestine campuses may complete all steps above at the main offices on those campuses.

Priority Filing Dates:

Students must file for graduation no later than the Final Filing Deadline, as listed below, for the term in which they wish to graduate. All Final Filing Deadlines will be extended to the next available business day in the event they fall on a weekend or holiday. The Final Filing Deadlines for Fall and Spring terms are also the deadline for inclusion in the commencement program. Late applications will be automatically deferred to the next available term.

Final Filing Deadlines:

*Summer graduates must participate in the following Fall commencement ceremony, and are automatically included in the program. Early participation in the preceding Spring ceremony is not permitted.

Students will receive updates on the status of their Application for Graduation from the department of their major field of study. Updates about the commencement ceremonies will distributed by the Office of the Registrar.

Graduation with Honors

Candidates for the Baccalaureate degree may graduate with academic honors if they complete a minimum of 45 semester hours of undergraduate credit at UT Tyler. Only semester hours which earn grade point credit may be used to satisfy the 45-semester hour requirement. Second Baccalaureate degree candidates are eligible for academic honors if they complete a minimum of 45 semester credit hours of resident credit in addition to the hours required for the first degree. No duplication of hours from a previous degree can be used toward the 45 hour requirement. Second Baccalaureate degree candidates are eligible for academic honors if they complete a minimum of 45 semester credit hours of resident credit in addition to the hours required for the first degree. No duplication of hours from a previous degree can be used toward the 45 hour requirement. Honors will be awarded to the following final grade point averages:

This recognition will be noted on the student’s transcript and diploma after official verification of final grades. Honor Cords will be presented at the Commencement Ceremony based on the students’ semester credit hours and grade point average as-of the semester prior to graduation; this may differ from honors earned after official verification of final grades.

Verification of Degree

A degree will not be granted until all requirements have been verified. All graduation requirements (e.g. grades of incomplete, transcripts from other institutions) must be satisfied within 30 days following the commencement ceremony. If the requirements have not been verified by this date, the student will be denied graduation and must re-file for graduation subject to the filing for graduation guidelines.

Economics of Timely Graduation

Students need to understand that there are real and significant economic benefits to maintaining good progress toward their degrees and graduating in four years or less. Students who take five years to graduate will pay an additional $115 in academic costs, and students who take six years to graduate will pay an additional $232 in total academic costs compared to students who graduate in four years. More important than these costs are the earnings students lose by delaying graduation. Data from the United States Census Bureau indicate that young college graduates earn about $13,000 more per year than young adults with only some college. Thus students who graduate in five years forfeit $13,000 in earnings, and those who graduate in six years forfeit $26,000 compared to students who graduate in four years.