Graduation Application FAQs.

You can view your current expected graduation date on the MyBU Student portal under Academics/Programs.  This date is populated with an approximate graduation date and you can update it with our office.  The date listed is not a guarantee that you will graduate in a particular term.  You still need to apply to graduate and go through the graduation application process.

If the graduation application is open for your intended graduation date, you need to fill out the appropriate Graduation Application on our forms page.  Make sure that you apply by the listed deadline.  If the graduation application is not open for your intended graduation date, you can send an email to sphregr@bu.edu from your BU email with your BUID and your intended graduation date.

You need to fill out a Graduation Application for the appropriate term on our forms page.  Make sure that you are filling out the grad app for the correct term.  If you do not see a grad app for your desired term, applications have likely not opened yet. The grad app deadlines can be found in our registration emails, on our forms page, and on our graduation page.

Students who are planning to graduate in a given term should complete the Graduation Application. The Grad App will also double as your registration request for Module 6. The SPH Registrar’s Office will review your record and confirm you are eligible for graduation; if you are, we will enroll you in Module 6.

Online MPH students graduate in January and August. The SPH Registrar’s Office will contact students enrolled in Module 5 to provide them with the link to the Graduation Application. The Graduation Application for the appropriate term can also be found on our forms page. Make sure that you are filling out the grad app for the correct term.  If you do not see a grad app for your desired term, applications have likely not opened yet. Grad app deadlines can be found in our registration emails, on our forms page, and on our graduation page.

New graduation application links are sent out with BUSPH registration emails.  After you apply to graduate, you will receive a confirmation email that includes important deadlines and a timeline of the review process.  There are 3 graduation statuses during the grad app cycle:

• Applicant Status- All students who apply to graduate by the deadline are marked with applicant status on or just after the grad app deadline. Grad app reviews begin on the grad app deadline for that cycle—for example, May grad app reviews begin on November 10th.  Reviewers in the SPH Registrar’s Office review each application and identify any deficiencies on the record.  If there is a deficiency on your record, our office will notify you of those deficiencies.  It is important to rectify these deficiencies as soon as possible and to notify our office when you have done so—your notification will prompt a re-review.
• Tentative (In Review) Status- Once we are able to confirm that you are on track to complete all of your requirements; we will make you tentative and send you a confirmation email of your tentative status. If you are an MPH student, we will also register you for your ILE.  This status is based on assumed successful completion of all registered courses and any thesis/dissertation requirements (if applicable).  If you change your registration or your academic program after we have made you tentative, it is your responsibility to contact our office to make sure that you are still on track to graduate.
• Official Status- After all final grades are in for the semester, reviewers in the SPH Registrar’s Office review all active grad apps to confirm that all degree requirements have been met. If we are able to confirm successful completion of all of your requirements, we will change your status to official.

Graduation application status is not yet visible for students in MyBU Student; we hope this functionality will be available soon. If you have applied to graduate (and received automatic confirmation that your application was received), you will be receiving email updates from our office as we review applications.  Make sure that you read any emails from our office regarding your grad app.

You should receive a grad app confirmation email within a day of applying to graduate.  If you do not receive that email, you should contact our office as soon as possible at sphregr@bu.edu to ensure that your application has been received.  We will let you know if you need to reapply.  You should not fill out another application if you’ve received a confirmation email.  Grad apps are reviewed in the order that they are submitted and a duplicate application could delay processing of your application.

The most common reasons for not having a response yet are the following:

• You have not applied to graduate or we did not receive your grad app. If you haven’t applied, you should do so.  If you think you applied but did not receive a confirmation email, contact us as soon as possible at sphregr@bu.edu.
• Grad app reviews have not started yet. Read the confirmation email for the review timeline.  You can also read the FAQ question regarding the grad app process.
• We have not reviewed or re-reviewed your application yet. We complete reviews and re-reviews as fast as we can, in the order that they are received.  For the May and January cycles, we have anywhere from 250-400 graduation applications.  Since the reviews are manual process, it takes some time to complete reviews for every application.
• You applied after the deadline. Please note that there is a longer wait time for applications that are submitted after the grad app deadline.

If your final semester has started, you applied prior to the deadline, and you have not heard from us regarding your graduation application; please contact us as soon as possible at sphregr@bu.edu.

We recommend that you consult your unofficial transcript, academic bulletin and your advisor prior to each registration cycle to ensure appropriate course selection.  After you apply to graduate, check your unofficial transcript and bulletin again to complete your own review of your record.  Our program requirements page has links to the most recent academic bulletins and instructions on how to view your degree advice.  If you rectify issues prior to the grad app deadline, it will make our review of your grad app smoother and will allow for faster processing.

Our program requirements page has links to the most recent academic bulletins and instructions on how to view your degree advice.

Program requirements are based on matriculation year.  If you have a course that was allowed in later years, you can request that the course count towards a requirement using the Course Substitution form that is available on our forms page– note that you will need your program or certificate director’s signature on the form.

MPH students need to complete a practicum to fulfill degree requirements.  Students must be registered for their practicum before they can be registered for their ILE.  It can take some time to secure a practicum and get a proposal approved, please see the Practicum page on practicum timing with regard to the graduation application and the ILE.

Students take the ILE or Integrative Learning Experience in their last semester.  To register for this course, you will need to fill out a graduation application by the appropriate deadline.  Once the SPH Registrar’s Office is able to determine that you are on track to complete all remaining degree requirements in the given semester, we will register you for your ILE. You need to resolve any graduation application issues by the ILE registration deadline, which is listed on the BUSPH Academic Calendar.  The ILE registration deadline is also listed in the BUSPH registration email and your grad app confirmation email.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you check your schedule and ensure that you have been registered for your ILE by the ILE registration deadline.

After final grades come in, the SPH Registrar’s Office completes a systematic review of all students in tentative grad app status. Note that due to high volume, we are not able to complete individual requests for review during the time between the end of classes and the graduation date.

After final grades come in, the SPH Registrar’s Office completes a systematic review of all students in tentative grad app status.  If requirements are not successfully completed by the end of the semester, you will not graduate in that term (ex. not complete in spring means no May graduation).  Grades that are not considered successful completion:

• Incomplete/”I” or “J” grades or Missing Grades “MG”– if you receive an “I” grade, you will need to submit an incomplete contract that is signed by you and your instructor.  Your term of graduation will be dependent on when you successfully complete coursework.  You will need to re-apply for graduation in the term that you intend to complete the coursework.  A student cannot graduate with any incomplete or missing grades on their record.
• Withdrawals/”W” grades or drops– if you drop or withdraw from a course that was needed for you to graduate, that requirement will be unfulfilled.  You will need to fulfill the requirement in a future semester and apply for graduation in that term.
• Deficient grades– deficient grades are defined in the SPH Academic Standing Policy.  If you receive a deficient grade in a course that was needed for you to graduate, that requirement will be unfulfilled.  You will need to fulfill the requirement in a future semester and apply for graduation in that term.  You will also receive an Academic Standing letter with instructions– you must read and abide by any instructions in that letter.
• Late or incomplete thesis or dissertation– if you do not meet department, school, and library requirements for your thesis or dissertation by the required dates on the MS and Doctoral Student Workflow, you will need to complete the requirements in a later semester and apply for graduation in that term.  You will also be registered for continuing study in subsequent semester(s), through the semester that you graduate.

Please note that receiving one of the above grades does not affect your eligibility to participate in the convocation ceremony.

Official students’ degree awarded notation will show up on the transcript on the day of graduation (January grad date, May all-University graduation date, August 25).

Students in tentative status receive an email requesting diploma name and address information about a month before the conferral date.  Please contact our office at sphregr@bu.edu if you are in tentative status and you have not received this email.  Once the graduation date passes, official status students will have their diploma mailed to that diploma address.

Please contact our office to discuss your plans for Reduced Course Load.  It is important to discuss the relevant deadlines with us as soon as possible so your RCL can be approved in time.  You also need to be in contact with the ISSO about your plans.

You can contact us at sphregr@bu.edu — please include your BUID in your email.  You can also call us at 617-358-3434 or via Virtual Office hours located on our contact information page.

You need to fill out Graduate Student Life’s RSVP form to indicate that you want to attend the May convocation ceremony.  If you change your expected graduation date from May to August, you are still able to walk at graduation. Students who graduated in January and students who expect to graduate in May and August are invited to attend the May convocation ceremony.

The SPH Convocation Ceremony page has more information about the ceremony.  You can also contact Graduate Student Life if you have additional questions.