Graduation and commencement

Master's, doctoral, education specialist and graduate certificate students must complete all program and Graduate School requirements by established deadlines in their final semester to graduate (earn your degree). There are additional actions to complete for master's, doctoral, education specialist students to participate in the commencement ceremony.

High-level dates and deadlines

Fall 2026
Graduation deadline
November 17
Commencement
December 11

Spring 2027
Graduation deadline
May 7
Commencement
May 14

Summer 2027
Graduation deadline
July 23
No commencement ceremony

Need a degree progress check? Connect with your Graduate School Degree Analyst to verify degree requirements.

Reach out

Requirements and deadlines checklists

Masters, doctoral, and education specialist students

Use a printable checklist (pdf) to keep track of your progress. We also recommend you refer to the web-based checklists below to access additional instructions, forms, and surveys.

Graduation requirements

Submit program of study
Submit your Program of Study to the Graduate School by the time you complete 9 hours of graduate credit.
Enrollment requirement
Must be enrolled in at least 1 credit hour in the semester you plan to graduate. If you are on a F-1/J-1 visa, please check with International Student and Scholars Services for enrollment requirements to maintain your non-immigrant status.
Thesis, dissertation, or report submission
When you begin writing - Review requirements for formatting your ETDR. Beginning of semester of graduation - Determine with major professor if ETDR should have a delayed publication. If so, follow procedures to embargo ETDR.
KSIS graduation application
Complete the KSIS graduation application and update your degree/diploma mailing address before submitting the Approval to Schedule Final Exam Form. Also see the “Commencement ceremony” checklist below. Helpful tips Please be sure to click "accept" at the end of each page before clicking "next" at the top. The "accept" button can seem hidden depending on your screen size (particularly on step 4 of the grad app). You may have to scroll down to see/access it. The Graduation Application will allow you to continue through the app, even if the "accept" button has not been clicked at the bottom of the page. Clicking the "accept" button is crucial to the submission of the application. How to confirm your KSIS graduation application was submitted correctly: Go back into your application for graduation. Under the Academic Plans, look for the "Current App Status/Status." See the FAQs section at the bottom of this page on the Registrar's website.
Support for a Successful Dissertation Defense Survey
Doctoral students only - at least one month before your dissertation defense: Complete the Survey of Support for a Successful Dissertation Defense. Your responses to this survey will inform the Graduate School about your readiness for your defense and will guide us in providing you support to eliminate any potential obstacles and facilitate a successful defense.
Approval to schedule final examination form
The Approval to Schedule Final Examination form requires signatures from all supervisory committee members and the Graduate Program Director. The student must submit the form in Etrieve far enough in advance to allow time for routing to committee members for signatures. The Graduate School must receive the completed form with all signatures at least 10 business days before the final exam.
Deadline to submit ballots, surveys, and ETDR
Fall 2026 - November 17 Spring 2027 - May 7 Summer 2027 - July 23 Final exam ballot returned to Graduate School by supervisory committee Complete Graduate School Exit Survey Complete Survey of Earned Doctorates (PhD and EdD only) Update Alumni Association contact information If you are completing a thesis, dissertation or report: ETDR ballot returned to Graduate School by supervisory committee Submit ETDR in KREx and wait for confirmation your ETDR has been submitted and approved Submit ETDR to ProQuest (PhD and EdD students only) Complete ETDR Survey

*Graduate in Spring 2027 without having to enroll in the Spring 2027 semester

If you complete all degree requirements by December 4, 2026, you will graduate in Spring 2027 without having to enroll in Spring 2027.

Note: If you are on a F-1/J-1 visa, please check with International Student and Scholars Services for possible enrollment requirements to maintain your non-immigrant status.

Commencement ceremony

Complete requirements listed below to participate in the Fall or Spring commencement ceremony. Visit K-State’s Commencement Ceremonies website for information to help you prepare for the ceremony.

If you are unable to participate in the ceremony for your term of graduation, you may participate in a future ceremony. Please contact the Graduate School at grad@ksu.edu.
If you graduate in a summer semester, you may participate in in the spring or fall ceremony in the year that you graduate.

Name in commencement program
Complete KSIS graduation application by the dates listed below to ensure your name appears in the commencement program for your term of graduation. If you miss this deadline but fulfill other requirements, you can still participate in commencement. Fall ceremony deadline - October 1 Spring ceremony deadline - March 1
PhD, EdD, and Master of Fine Art graduates ONLY
Please be sure to include the name of your hooding professor in the KSIS graduation application.
Order regalia
Degree candidates must order and purchase regalia through K-State Campus Store by the deadlines listed on their website. Regalia is available for purchase only and cannot be rented.

Receiving your diploma and final transcript

Receiving your diploma
Update KSIS degree/diploma mailing address to the address where you would like your diploma to be mailed when completing the KSIS graduation application. Digital diploma is sent electronically after degrees post to student accounts after semester concludes. Diploma is received by mail approximately eight weeks after degrees are posted. Visit the Registrar's Office site for more information about diplomas.

Receiving your diploma

Update KSIS degree/diploma mailing address to the address where you would like your diploma to be mailed when completing the KSIS graduation application.
Digital diploma is sent electronically after degrees post to student accounts after semester concludes.
Diploma is received by mail approximately eight weeks after degrees are posted.

Visit the Registrar's Office site for more information about diplomas.

Ordering transcript with final semester grades
Check KSIS Student Center for holds before the end of finals week; most holds must be cleared to order a transcript Wednesday after finals week, final grades will be posted. Check KSIS Student Center to verify that semester grades have posted, then order transcripts through “Other Academics” tile in KSIS. Enrolled students or students not enrolling in the upcoming semester may order transcripts at no charge until the following dates of each semester: Spring - Last Friday of June Summer - Last Friday of September Fall - Last Friday of January

Ordering transcript with final semester grades

Check KSIS Student Center for holds before the end of finals week; most holds must be cleared to order a transcript
Wednesday after finals week, final grades will be posted. Check KSIS Student Center to verify that semester grades have posted, then order transcripts through “Other Academics” tile in KSIS.
Enrolled students or students not enrolling in the upcoming semester may order transcripts at no charge until the following dates of each semester:
- Spring - Last Friday of June
- Summer - Last Friday of September
- Fall - Last Friday of January

Certificate students

Receiving your graduate certificate

Step 1: Admission to the certificate program

To receive a graduate certificate, you must first complete the application for admission and be admitted to the graduate certificate program.

Step 2: Complete program curriculum and requirements

Work with the certificate program director to make a plan for courses to complete each semester and to ensure you understand expectations of the program.

Step 3: Submit the KSIS graduation application in your final semester

Complete the KSIS graduation application by the deadline for the semester that you are completing requirements for the graduate certificate.

Fall 2026 - November 17, 2026
Spring 2027 - May 7, 2027
Summer 2027 - July 23, 2027

Helpful tips

Please be sure to click "accept" at the end of each page before clicking "next" at the top.
The "accept" button can seem hidden depending on your screen size (particularly on step 4 of the grad app). You may have to scroll down to see/access it.
The Graduation Application will allow you to continue through the app, even if the "accept" button has not been clicked at the bottom of the page. Clicking this "accept" button is crucial to the submission of the application.

How to confirm your KSIS graduation application was submitted correctly
Go back into your application for graduation. Under the Academic Plans, look for the "Current App Status/Status." See the FAQs section at the bottom of this page on the Registrar's website.