When & How to Apply for the Bachelor’s Degree

You may apply for graduation when you:

• Have declared a major,
• Have 90 units, including work-in-progress,
• Are approximately one year away from your planned graduation date,
• Have reviewed and met the graduation application deadlines, and
• Have completed at least one semester of work in residence at CSUN (required before our office can complete your graduation evaluation).

STEP 1 — Determine your expected graduation date accurately.

• Review your Degree Progress Report (DPR)/Planner (login required) to identify the courses still needed for your degree.
• Plan remaining semesters using CSUN’s e-advising Degree Planning Tools.
• If still unsure of your expected graduation date, schedule an appointment with your major advisor.

STEP 2 — Watch for our email to apply for graduation online.

• You will receive an email to your CSUN address when the online graduation application link is available.*
• Log in to your CSUN Portal and navigate to the SOLAR Student Center to locate the link “Apply/View Graduation App.”
• For help, visit the Online Graduation Application Guide.

* Second bachelor’s degree candidates, discontinued students, or students for whom online submission is impossible must complete the paper Application for Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma (PDF). Follow the instructions on page two of the form.

STEP 3 — Submit your graduation application on time.

• Submit your Application for Bachelor’s Degree and Diploma online (or on paper if required), along with the $47 processing fee before your on-time application deadline.
• If you apply after the on-time deadline, an additional $10 late fee is charged. Applying late may also delay receipt of your graduation evaluation and your graduating senior status priority registration appointment time. Your participation in the Commencement Ceremony could also be affected.

STEP 4 — Confirm diploma name and address.

Diploma Name. Please check which name will appear on your diploma to ensure it's correct:

• If you have not entered a "preferred name" in the CSUN Portal Student Center, your diploma name will default to your "primary name."
• If you entered a preferred first and/or last name (e.g., a nickname) in the portal Student Center, the preferred name will appear on your diploma.
• If you'd like a diploma name different from your primary or preferred names, be sure to enter it in the portal Student Center.
• If you'd like accents, tildes or other diacritical marks in your diploma name, submit the paper Diploma Name Change Request (PDF). Hand deliver it to Undergraduate Degree Services or email it to uds@csun.edu.

Diploma Address. Do you plan to move soon after graduating?

• If you'd like your diploma delivered to a different mailing address from the one in your CSUN student record, enter a diploma address online.
• Log in to the CSUN Portal, select the Student Center and scroll down to the Personal Information section. 
• In the Contact Information box, select Diploma Address.

How to Update Diploma Name and Address

For help navigating to diploma name and address in the CSUN Portal Student Center, see the Update Personal Information Guide.

When you apply to graduate, you will receive a special DPR that is clearly labeled "Graduation Evaluation." The report will list all your completed and incomplete degree requirements.

Undergraduate Degree Services will notify you to review all the degree requirements in your Graduation Evaluation/Degree Progress Report (DPR). Because some students cannot apply to graduate online, we will contact you as follows:

• 1st Bachelor's Degree Candidates: You will receive a communication to your CSUN email account asking you to review all your degree requirements in your online Graduation Evaluation/DPR.
• 2nd Bachelor’s Degree Candidates: Your paper Graduation Evaluation will be emailed to your CSUN email account.

If you have any questions about your Graduation Evaluation, please contact the advisor listed on the special DPR, or visit Graduation Advisors.

After you've applied to graduate, continue to review your regular DPR/Planner each semester. You can also utilize the CSUN University Catalog to understand all of the requirements for your degree.*

Look for discrepancies in your DPR. If you find one, please see the appropriate person, office or website below for assistance:

• For the placement of courses in your major, contact your academic advisor.
• For transferring courses to CSUN from other schools, visit Transfer Course Information.
• For the graduation evaluation report and/or General Education course placement, contact your Undergraduate Degree Services graduation advisor.

*Though second bachelor's degree candidates have no DPR at this time, please refer to Second Bachelor's Degree Requirements.

If needed, request that the academic department for your major or minor submit an approved “Course Substitution or Waiver” form to Undergraduate Degree Services for processing. Course Substitution or Waiver forms require the approval of your major or minor department. Please contact your department(s) for assistance.

If you have attended any other institutions of higher education, submit all official transcripts to the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible. If you are transferring in coursework from a California community college, save time with eTranscript California.

Resolve any grades of Incomplete received for CSUN courses. An Incomplete grade at CSUN must be removed within one calendar year of receipt and prior to your planned graduation date.

If you need more time, submit a Request for Extension of Time to Remove an Incomplete (PDF), but check how that affects your expected graduation date.

To satisfy the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR), candidates for the CSUN bachelor’s degree must complete either of the following requirements:

• Receive a grade of “C” or better in a minimum of 6 units of course work in designated Writing Intensive upper division curriculum; or
• Receive a grade of “C” or better in ENGL 345 Recursive Writing.

Exception:

• The GWAR requirement was waived for undergraduate students with catalog years prior to 2023. If you have a catalog year prior to 2023, you do not need to do anything; your academic record will be updated automatically.
• New students entering CSUN in fall 2023 (the fall 2023 catalog year) and after, will need to satisfy the GWAR.

For more information, visit University Catalog – Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR).

Please check your Degree Progress Report audit and consult with your academic advisor if you have questions.

Review your Graduation Evaluation/Degree Progress Report with your academic advisor or Undergraduate Degree Services graduation advisor.

Submit all documents required for graduation (transcripts, course substitution/waiver forms, etc.) on or before the document deadline published in the Graduation Calendar.

If you won’t be able to complete all degree requirements by the end of the term of your planned graduation date, you will need to submit a Bachelor’s Degree Date Change Form (PDF) and request approval from Undergraduate Degree Services.

Check and clear all your university holds. Check your CSUN email account regularly for hold messages. To view all holds, log in to the CSUN Portal and select SOLAR Student Center in the "Top Tools" section. For help, refer to the View Holds How-To Guide.