Steps to Graduate
1. Apply to graduate
Students must apply to graduate during the term in which they intend to graduate by the deadlines listed below. Students must complete this application even if they do not intend to attend the commencement ceremony.
Fall – October 15
Spring – March 15
Summer – June 15
Students should review their DegreeWorks for any remaining requirements, discuss their status with their advisor and ensure all their requirements are checked off by the end of the semester.
You'll need to provide a mailing address for your diploma/certificate before you start the application process. This should be a location where you can receive mail 6-8 weeks after graduation.
How to Appy to Graduate
- Navigate to portal.wvu.edu
- Log in with your WVU ID and Password
- Select the “STAR” tab from the home screen
- Click on the link “Student Services and Housing”
- Click “Student Records”
- Click “Apply to graduate”
Important: For the curriculum term selection on the first page of the application: select the most recent term in the drop down menu that is available to you (this will be different for every student, please note: this is NOT asking you for the term in which you are graduating or the term in which you started the program, this is simply the last time there was a curriculum/administrative update to your record.)
2. Check for outstanding fees and holds (unpaid parking tickets, overdue library books, fees, etc.)
Students will not be awarded their diploma if there are any unpaid fees until the hold is resolved. Make sure you are set to graduate by following these steps:
- Navigate to portal.wvu.edu
- Log in with your WVU ID and Password
- Select the “STAR” tab from the home screen
- Click on “Student Services and Housing”
- Click on “Student Records”
- Select the “View Holds” option
To resolve holds, students will need to contact the office, the “Originator” listed, who has placed the hold on their account.
3. Check your Mountie Bountie balance
A $10 account processing fee will be assessed if your Mountie Bounty balance is greater than $10 and has been inactive for one year. Any balances $10 or less will be reduced to $0. To ensure you don’t lose access to your remaining Mountie Bounty, check your balance and either spend those funds or request a refund.
- Sign in to MyMountaineerCard with your WVU username and password.
- View your balance from the main page.
- If you have a balance, you can either spend it at participating locations or request a refund.
Other Graduation Information
Diplomas and Official Transcripts
Diplomas are mailed to the address listed on your graduation application. They will typically arrive at addresses within the United States within six to eight weeks after graduation. International mailing may take several additional weeks to arrive.
If you need verification of graduation prior to your diploma arriving, you may order an official transcript here. We recommend that students either check their unofficial transcript to ensure their degree has been awarded prior to ordering or to make sure they use the option to “Hold for Degree” in the ordering page to ensure we do not send it out without the degree award date.
Commencement Ceremony
One commencement ceremony is held per year in May. This ceremony includes graduates and candidates for graduation from the prior year’s Summer and Fall semesters as well as students graduating in May.
Students who are graduating in the summer who wish to walk in an earlier ceremony must complete the Early Commencement Request form. Learn more about the commencement ceremony on our Commencement Website.
Regalia, Cords, & Stoles
Graduation with Honors: Distinguished academic achievement is recognized by awarding degrees cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude. Students participating in the commencement ceremony will be provided with the corresponding honor cord or honor stole at check-in on the day of the ceremony.
Specific requirements and restrictions for graduation with honors can be found in the college catalog.
Veterans: Student veterans and veteran dependents will be given a red, white, and blue cord at check-in on the day of the ceremony.
Athletes: Students who participated in athletics during their time at Tech will be given an athletic stole at check-in on the day of the ceremony.
Apostille and Notarization Process
Notarizations and Apostilles are a means through which a diploma or transcript is vouched for its authenticity, generally for international use. Students who know they will need their diploma apostilled are encouraged to notify the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible due to the amount of time required for mailing.
What can be notarized?
Diplomas: The Office of the Registrar can notarize an original diploma or an image of a diploma that has been scanned or faxed. The student should inquire with the agency seeking the verification to determine what would be acceptable.
Transcripts: The Office of the Registrar can also notarize official transcripts. Please note, we cannot notarize an image of a transcript or an unofficial transcript.
Apostille
Once a document is notarized, it may then be sent by the student to the Secretary of State for an Apostille seal if this level of authentication is needed. For more information on Apostilles, including forms and required fees, visit the Secretary of State’s website or call the Secretary of State at 1-866-767-8683.