Planning for Graduation – one semester before
Review DegreeWorks and Degree Requirements
Schedule a virtual advising appointment or email your academic advisor to review your DegreeWorks. You will want to ensure all of your degree requirements will be met with your registration. Be sure to resolve any incomplete grades or unmet conditions.
Clear/Avoid Holds on Diploma
Your student accounts should be fully paid to avoid any financial holds that may prevent the release of your diploma. Please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@bsu.edu or 765-285-1643 as soon as possible to clear any holds.
Connect with the Career Center
Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with a career coach in the Career Center for resume and LinkedIn review and support, as well as assistance with utilizing Cardinal Career Link. We encourage you to attend a job fair or Graduate and Professional School Expo.
Apply to Graduate
Ball State University graduates students in the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Apply to graduate in Self-Service Banner up until the semester’s deadlines, which are listed on the Commencement pages. There is a $25 application fee for review of records and mailing of your diploma.
You will be asked if you plan to participate in the Commencement Ceremony. You have earned this! Please consider celebrating your success on campus at the Commencement Ceremony. Information on ordering your academic regalia is found here. It is recommended that you order regalia early in the semester that you plan to graduate to ensure delivery.
Missed the application deadline? Reach out to your academic advisor to discuss the manual application. You will not be listed in the Commencement materials, but you are still eligible to participate in the ceremony!
Your final semester
Finish strong!
Resolve any unmet conditions on your DegreeWorks and work hard to finish your final semester strong. Consider an appointment with your advisor to review final requirements and answer any questions you may have about your final semester, graduation, Commencement, and beyond!
Ceremony Regalia
Make sure all regalia for the Commencement Ceremony is ordered early in the semester at the latest.
For questions about academic honors medallions, please be sure to contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@bsu.edu or 765-285-1722.
Commencement Ceremony
Plan to participate in the Commencement Ceremony to celebrate your academic achievements and consider reaching out to your department to see if they are offering additional activities related to commencement – many do! We encourage you to participate in both the main ceremony processional, as well as your individual college ceremony later that afternoon (spring commencement). You will wear your academic regalia to all events.
Plan to arrive at least one hour early for events to allow ample time for parking. Shuttle service from parking areas is available to the main and college ceremonies.
Be sure to celebrate your achievements with us by tagging Ball State Online on social media.
Unable to attend the ceremony? Connect with the Commencement Office at commencement@bsu.edu or 765-285-1686 to request materials from the ceremony, such as the event’s program and the folder for your diploma.
Congratulations! You’ve Graduated from Ball State University!
Diploma Distribution
Degrees are confirmed 4-6 weeks after the Commencement Ceremony. At that time, your diploma will be mailed to your address on record. To review or update your address, visit the
Registrar's Office.
Transcripts
To request academic transcripts when your degree is confirmed, visit Self-Service Banner, Student Tab, Student Records, Request Clearinghouse Transcript. If you do not have access to Self-Service Banner, you can request transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse directly.
Learn more.
Ball State email address
Your @bsu.edu email address is available for a limited time after graduation. Consider a Ball State lifetime email address @ballstate.bsu.edu. To learn more visit the
Alumni webmail link.
Keep in touch!
Connect with
fellow alumni through events in your area or on campus, including
Homecoming.