What To Expect When You Are Expecting ... To Graduate

You're almost done with the work. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You know there is something that you need to do before you get that piece of paper. But what? This page lays out everything you need to know about getting your diploma and participating in commencement.

Step 1. Do not wait to get started.

Preparing for conferral is not a difficult process. However, if you wait until it is too close to conferral date, then you will risk having to wait until the next conferral to receive your diploma. The sooner you get started, the likelier it is for everything to go smoothly. 

Step 2. Contact your advisor.

It is important to work with your advisor throughout your journey to ensure that you will be completing on the agreed upon time. Let them know that you are planning on graduating at a specific time so that they can tell you if that is possible or if there is more that still needs to be done. 

Step 3. Fill out the Intent to Graduate form.

The Intent to Graduate form needs to be completed. There is a fee of $125 that lets us process your graduation. This includes paying for printing, shipping and handling of your diploma. Additional copies can be ordered before conferral ($25 per copy) as well. You will be asked for a phonetic spelling of your name so that it is pronounced properly at graduation.

Step 4. Make sure that you have a $0 balance and no library loans.

Contact the business office (billing@gratz.edu) and the library (library@gratz.edu) to make sure that you do not have any outstanding fees or borrowed books. We cannot confer your degree if there are monies owed to us. If you need to work out a payment plan, you can contact the business office and they will help.

Step 5. If interested, fill out the "In Your Own Words" form.

If you would like to add a message, photo, or video for potential use in Gratz College communications, including the website, social media, and reports, please fill out the In Your Own Words form.

Step 6. If interested, order regalia. 

Ordering regalia is optional and not done through Gratz. If you want to order regalia, please remember to choose the correct degree-level (Master’s or Doctoral) and the correct color for your degree as listed below.

Hood Field Color - Navy Blue
Hood Chevron Color - Peacock
Tassel Colors - Peacock and Navy Blue (non-Doctoral), Gold (Doctoral)

Doctoral Hood Velvet Colors
Ph.D. Holocaust and Genocide Studies - Royal Blue
Doctor of Education - Light Blue

Master Hood Velvet Colors
Master of Education - Light Blue
M.S. Teaching Practice - Light Blue
M.S. Nonprofit Management - Beige
M.A. Holocaust and Genocide Studies - White
M.A. Human Rights - White
M.A. Interfaith Leadership - White
M.A. Jewish Studies - White
M.A. Jewish Professional Studies - White

https://www.jostens.com
https://www.economycapandgown.com
https://www.graduationattire.com

Step 7: Submit your ETD.
Doctoral students and some master’s students are required to submit an electronic thesis or dissertation (ETD) to the college’s institutional repository via the Tuttleman Library. The submission guidelines and form can be found here.

Step 8. Participate in Commencement!

Starting in the 2024-25 academic year, we will have three online commencement celebrations near the end of our Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters. If you have filled out your Intent to Graduate form, you will receive information about commencement. If you are interested in buying Gratz merchandise, be on the lookout for emails with ordering information as it is only available at certain times of the year. The commencement celebration will take place on Zoom. You will receive a link and the time to share with friends and family.

That's it! Oh, except for actually completing all of your coursework.

What about my diploma?

All conferral and commencement dates can be found on the academic calendar. Diplomas get sent out soon after conferral dates. Between printing, signing, processing and potential postal delays, you can expect to receive your diploma within 30 days of conferral.

What about my student email account? 

You are able to keep using your student email account for 3 months after your conferral. You should use this time period to move any important information from your email (and/or One Drive if applicable) to a non-Gratz location.

If you have any other questions, contact the registrar's office.