Graduation Process
Getting you to the finish line - are you ready to earn your degree?
To graduate from California Lutheran University means you've earned your degree and
completed all degree requirements. Academic Services will post the degree to your
academic record, which is the official statement from Cal Lutheran that you have graduated.
Once you have applied for your degree you may be able to participate in the commencement
ceremony. If you do participate in the commencement ceremony, this is not a guarantee
that you have met your degree requirements for your degree to be posted.
Commencement ceremonies are held once per academic year in May. Eligible participants include those who graduated in November, December and February/March, and those who intend to complete degree requirements by August of the current academic year. Information regarding eligibility can be found at the official commencement website.
Apply to Graduate
To start the graduation process, you must inform the University of your intent to graduate in a specific term by submitting an online Degree Application and submitting your graduation fee.
Note: That submission of an application does not confirm eligibility for graduation. All students submitting a degree application will have their eligibility for graduation verified to confirm completion of all degree requirements.
- Submit your Degree Application
- Go to Self-Service in MyCLU
- Select Graduation Overview
- Select your Program of Study. Students earning a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts, will need to submit an application for both programs. Credential programs do not require a degree application.
- Select your expected graduation term. Note: this is the term/semester when you will be completing your final degree requirements.
- Provide your preferred diploma name and diploma mailing address. Make the necessary edits before submitting your application. You may request an official address change at any time.
- Submit your Graduation Fee
- Sign into the graduation fee payment portal using your CLU credentials to pay the fee.
- Note: Please allow up to 24 hours for your application to appear and be available for payment in the portal, in order to ensure the correct fee is shown.
If you are Veteran student, receiving benefits reach out to veterans@CalLutheran.edu to see if your gradution fee is covered.
3. Review your Degree Requirements
Got questions about your requirements? Contact your Advisor or Counselor.
If a student is unable to complete their degree requirements by the degree conferral date they will receive a letter of "Missing Degree Requirements." Students will need to reapply for their degree once they have completed the missing degree requirements.
Need to change your info after you've already submitted your degree application?
Change Graduation Application Information
Degrees are conferred 5 times during an Academic Year:
| Months | 2024-25 Conferral Dates | Degree Completion Terms (requirements met) | Degree Posted By (on your transcript) | *Diploma Received By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 03/14/2025 | Winter Term & Term 3 | 04/27/2025 | Late May* |
| May | 05/16/2025 |
Term 4 Spring Term/Semester |
06/30/2025 | Mid to Late August* |
| August | 08/09/2024 |
Term 5 Summer Term/Semester |
09/22/2024 | Mid to Late October* |
| November | 11/08/2024 |
Term 1 Fall Term only |
12/22/2024 | Mid to Late January* |
| December | 12/20/2024 |
Term 2 Fall Semester only |
01/19/2025 | End of February* |
All work for your degree must be completed before the degree conferral date. This includes any incomplete work, classes taken outside of CLU going towards your degree and any comprehensive exams.
Degree posting period is 30-44 days and begins on the conferral date. Our goal is to complete this process within 30 days. The degree must be posted for the details to appear on the academic transcript.
Students who want their degree reflected on the transcript are advised to wait or confirm that the degree conferral is complete prior to ordering a copy. You will receive official communication regarding your degree conferral to your CLU email address.
If you are using transfer work to complete degree requirements, the Academic Services
Office must have received the signed Transfer Approval Form(s) and official transcript(s)
from the institution(s) within 30 days of the end of the degree conferral date. Items
received after that date will not be applicable to the graduation term and will cause
the application to be cancelled.
*Diploma receival dates are estimated timeframes. Outstanding fees & nonpayment can cause delays.
** Students must apply for a degree before the degree conferral date. Applications received after the degree date will be posted in the next degree conferral posting period. Academic Services is not able to post degrees for previous terms before the next degree conferral date, even if all work has been completed by the end of the term.
| Degree Conferral Time | Filing Dates |
|---|---|
|
January through August degree completion. This applies to the February, May & August conferral dates. |
October 1st of the previous year |
|
September through December degree completion. This applies to November & December conferral dates. |
March 1st of the same year |
- The graduation fee is $130 if paid by the priority deadline and $160 thereafter.
- When applying for your degree please make sure your degree and major are current. If you change your major after you apply, you may need to submit your application again.
For all Undergraduate and Graduate Programs:
Diplomas for recent graduates are ordered at the end of the posting period and may take approximately 2 to 3 months for students to receive their paper diploma and Certified Electronic Diploma.
Diplomas can be delayed if the graduation fee has not been paid and/or you have a current Business Office hold on your Student Account.
The diploma mailing/shipping address that is submitted on the degree application and may be different from the address listed in the student’s official record. Diplomas are sent via USPS. Students who need to update the diploma mailing/shipping address should contact Academic Services and submit the request in writing no later than 30 days after the degree conferral date.
Note: Changing the diploma address will not automatically change the official record and vice-versa; these are two separate processes.
For Undergraduate Programs:
Your diploma will list the degree type, major and/or majors, honors and date of degree on undergraduate diplomas. Minors/emphasis are not listed on the diploma but will be noted on the student's transcript when it is completed in conjunction with a bachelor's degree.
Latin honors are awarded to baccalaureate candidates only according to the following grade point criteria:
- Cum Laude
Minimum grade point average: 3.5 - Magna Cum Laude
Minimum grade point average: 3.7 - Summa Cum Laude
Minimum grade point average: 3.9
These grade point averages must apply to institutional as well as to cumulative credits and GPAs are not rounded, they are truncated.