Undergraduate Graduation

Your Success is Our Mission

Achieving your educational goal – your degree – is such an exciting event.  Having a clear path can be crucial to the success of achieving your degree.  Make sure to take advantage of your Degree Progress Report (DPR), allowing you to see at-a-glance how you are progressing, and making the final steps in your journey that much easier.

Are you Ready to Graduate?

As an undergraduate student, once you have completed 90 units, you will be eligible to apply to graduate.  Your Degree Progress Report (DPR) and the guide below will help you through the process.

 

Step 1 | Review your DPR

The DPR link location in the student center.

Open your DPR

  1. Go to the Student Center
  2. Open the other academic... menu
  3. Select Degree Progress Report

Instruction Guide >>

Visit our DPR Instructions for more detail, and consult with an academic advisor for questions about degree requirements. 
The Current Academic Objective box in the DPR that lists student plans

Confirm your Major or Minor are accurate

In the Current Academic Objective section of your DPR, review your listed plan(s).

Need to Correct your major or minor? >>

  • Online Change of Major/Minor:  If you need to make a change to your major or minor, and you have have not yet applied to graduate, please open your Student Center and submit an online change of major/minor request. For a guide on how to do this, visit our Change of Major or Minor FAQ.
  • Paper Change of Major/Minor form: If you need to make changes after you have applied to graduate, you can make these changes using a PDF forms here.
  • If your request was Approved but not changed, contact records@sfsu.edu.
A view of the DPR and how to ID unmet course requirements.

Quickly Identify Unsatisfied Requirements

  1. Click the Collapse All link.
  2. Review each section status to locate unmet or in-progress requirements.
  3. Open unmet (red box) or in-progress (yellow diamond) sections to get course details.

Note about DPR requirements >>

  • All requirements must be complete by the end of your final term for your degree to be awarded.
  • Visit our DPR Instructions for more detail, and consult with an academic advisor for questions about degree requirements.
  • If you've taken degree-applicable courses at another institution(s) that are not appearing on your transfer credit report, please request that official transcripts be sent to SF State's Admissions Office upon completion of the course(s).
  • Send by Mail:
    • Attn: Undergraduate Admissions
    • San Francisco State University
    • 1600 Holloway Ave.
    • San Francisco, CA 94132
  • Send Electronically if the transfer institution offers electronic transcripts, please follow their online instructions.

 

Step 2 | Resolve unmet requirements you believe you have satisfied

If your Degree Progress Report (DPR) does not list an exception that your advisor has approved, please review the below solution list for guidance.

Missing Exception Solution
Approved Course Substitution
  • Contact your academic advisor to verify what exception was covered and when the request was sent.
  • If already sent to the Registrar's Office, please email regweb@sfsu.edu.

Processing Times Note >>

  • Contact your academic advisor to verify the exception was submitted.
  • Requests are processed within 3 to 5 days. If the exception was sent more than 5 days ago, please contact regweb@sfsu.edu.
Transfer Credit
  • Review your Transfer Credit Report in your Student Center.
  • If you think a transfer course could be used to meet a degree requirement, contact your advisor about a possible exception or course substitution.
  • If you have questions about the transfer credit process please contact transfer credit.

Transfer Credit Contacts >>

Courses taken @ CA Community College
415.338.6132 | tcredit@sfsu.edu
Courses taken @ UC, CSU or Out-of-State Institutions
415.338.6486 | ugadmit@sfsu.edu
Courses taken @ International Institutions
415.338.2382 | ugintl@sfsu.edu
Issue not Listed? We'd be happy to help you if you have any DPR issues not covered here. Just email us at regweb@sfsu.edu

 

Step 3 | Create a Plan to Graduate

An opened course detail menu in an unmet DPR section.

Review your DPR

  • All unmet requirements will show as red boxes.
Opened unmet DPR section that lists course requisites

Create a plan to meet your remaining requirements

  • Map out your remaining requirements to determine when you can graduate.
  • Consult your advisor if needed.

 

Step 4 | Apply to Graduate

The Apply for Graduation link location in the student center

Apply to Graduate

  • To be eligible to apply for either Summer or Spring graduation, a student must have completed a minimum of 90 units.
  • To be eligible to apply for Fall graduation, a student must have a combined minimum of 90 units - including completed and in-progress units.
  1. Open the Student Center
  2. Open the other academic... menu
  3. Select Apply for Graduation

Note about future registration >>

Once you apply to graduate, we won't assign a registration appointment for terms following your intended graduation. If your plans change, email us at regweb@sfsu.edu.

 
Charges Due link location in the Student Center

Pay your Fees

The $100 application fee helps fund our yearly commencement ceremony and pays for your e-diploma and paper diploma. 

After the Priority Application Period a $5 charge is added. See the table below for Priority Application Period submission dates.

Graduation Fee Payment Guide
The name and address update link locations in the student center.

Verify your Diploma Name & Address

If a diploma name is not specified then the first, middle, last name, and any suffix will appear on the diploma as it is recorded in the Student Center (preferred name is not used).
  1. Open the Student Center
  2. Navigate to your Personal Information section
  3. Select either the Names or Addresses links
  4. Edit, add, or verify your Diploma Name and Address

Note about names >>

Changing your preferred or Diploma name does not change your primary (legal) name. To change your primary name, complete the Name Change Request form and submit using the below process:

  1. Send the completed form as an attachment from your SFSU email directly to the Registrar's Office. 
  2. A physical signature is not needed if submitting forms via SFSU email.
  3. The Registrar’s Office will review and process.

 
Graduation exit survey that front facing page, enter ID number

Take your Senior Exit Survey

Your voice matters! Complete the senior exit survey and tell us about your time at SF State.

Priority Application Periods

Graduation Term

 Priority Application Period Opens

Priority Application Period Closes
Summer Every February 1 First Friday in March

Fall

 Every March 1

First Friday in April

Spring

 Every September 1

Third Friday in October

Application submission note >>

You can submit your application until the end of the term for which you are applying.  However, we encourage you to apply during the priority period to avoid the $5 late fee and so we can provide ongoing, timely feedback about your degree completion. In addition, to attend the yearly commencement ceremony, your application needs to be submitted by April 1 of the commencement year.

 

Step 5 | Register for any final courses

The gator scheduler link location on the Student Center
  • As soon as your registration appointment opens, register for any courses on your graduation plan.
  • If a class on your graduation plan is not available, you can discuss alternative options with your advisor.
  • Gator Scheduler video guide
An opened course detail menu in an unmet DPR section.
  • Your plan should address all unmet requirements on your DPR (red boxes).
  • Meet with an advisor if you need to review your graduation plan.

Additional Registraton Options

Current Class Search >>

SF State offers an in depth search tool for finding classes. The tool is publicly available via the SF State home page by selecting Quicklinks > Class Schedule > Class Schedule or via the Student Center by clicking SEARCH FOR CLASSES (top right).

For image and text guides, please visit: Searching and Enrolling in Classes

 

Gator Scheduler >>

The Gator Scheduler is the way to plan a class schedule. Having a schedule ready before registration will simplify the registration process. The Gator Scheduler allows students to create class schedules based on their specific class requirements, availability, and preferred class locations. For instructions on how to use the Gator Scheduler, please visit Using the Gator Scheduler.

 

 

Step 6 | Ensure you remain on track to Graduate (Check your DPR!)

Collapsed DPR that has completed and unmet reqs shown.
  • After you register for classes, your DPR will update based on your registration. Confirm all unmet requirements are now showing as in-progress (yellow diamond).
  • If you still see unmet requirements in your DPR, you'll need a plan to resolve them before you graduate. Review previous sections for guidance.
If you won't meet graduation requirements by the end of your expected graduation term, or if you find that you need to postpone your graduation, then it is important to keep us posted. Once you apply to graduate, we won't assign a registration appointment for terms following your intended graduation. If your plans change, email us at regweb@sfsu.edu.