While commencement is the ceremony celebrating graduation, graduation itself is the completion of all your degree requirements. Because students may work on multiple majors and minors simultaneously, there is no way for the Office of the Registrar to know when a specific student plans to graduate. Thus, all students must notify our office and their own academic department of their intent to graduate by submitting an Application for Graduation in Pathway.
How to submit your application for graduation (PDF)
An application for graduation is required of all students.The application for graduation initiates the degree-check process.
The application for graduation should be submitted at least one semester prior to graduation.
In order to graduate in any given semester, students must apply prior to the deadline for that semester. Term deadlines are as follows: March 31 for the spring term; June 30 for the summer term; and October 31 for the fall term.
All undergraduate degrees have an assessment requirement. You will not graduate unless you have completed the appropriate assessment requirement(s).
Complete your assessment requirement
Students who need to alter their graduation plans must submit a new application for graduation to their academic unit.
The semester and other information listed on the new application for graduation will be used to replace the information previously submitted.
All deadlines for the new semester of graduation apply to applicants who are altering their semester of graduation.
When you have applied for graduation, your name will be selected to be printed in the commencement ceremony program. However, if you have restricted the release of your directory information per FERPA regulations, your name will not be included in the commencement program. During the semester in which you intend to graduate, you will be sent an email with instructions for requesting that your name be included in the commencement program. Likewise, if a student has not restricted the release of their information but does not want their name to appear in the commencement program, they can send an email to degreeinfo@umkc.edu with their request.
There are graduation fairs in October and March, where you can order regalia for that semester's commencement ceremony, as well as graduation announcements, class rings and other graduation memorabilia.
After the fair, visit the UMKC Bookstore to purchase graduation-related items.
All diplomas are printed as portrait style. Undergraduate and graduate diplomas are 8 1/2 by 11 inches. The diplomas for the professional degrees (law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and DNP) are 13 by 17 inches.
Diplomas (for Fall 2024 graduates and future) will be mailed to all graduates 6 to 8 weeks from the end of the term. An email notification will be sent to graduates once the diploma has been placed in the mail. Diplomas will be mailed to the degree address on file at the time the degree is awarded. This address is submitted on eh application for graduation. You can update your address after you have submitted your application for graduation in Pathway via the personal information tile.
