Graduation Requirements
The Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded upon the fulfillment of the following conditions:
- Completion of at least 120 credits of University work in one of the prescribed curricular courses, by advanced standing, or by examinations.
- Completion of at least one-half of the major or 15 credits, whichever is greater, at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh campus.
- Completion of the senior year (30 credits) in the College of General Studies.
- Attainment of at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in courses taken at the University of Pittsburgh.
- Attainment of at least a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in the major and in any minors.
- Satisfactory completion of all required CGS and major courses.
Diploma & Transcripts
Diplomas and transcripts, with the degree posted, are available about six weeks after the end of the term. Diplomas are mailed out by the Registrar's Office and any questions regarding the mailing of diplomas should be directed to them. The ordering of official transcripts are additionally handled through the Registrar's Office.
Graduation Appointments
Students are required to make a graduation appointment with their advisor at least one semester before the final term. During this appointment, the student and advisor review all degree and major requirements and plan for the last term. The graduation worksheet is prepared which verifies that all information concerning the student's program (including major, minors, and certificates) and graduation date are updated. Details concerning commencement and graduation ceremonies are also discussed at this appointment.
Graduation Applications
CGS Graduation Applications
Students seeking to graduate with a degree, certificate, or minor through the College of General Studies must submit a graduation application.
Please note that late fees paid to the Registrar's Office are not refundable.
Applying for Graduation:
Complete the graduation application by logging into my.pitt.edu and follow these instructions. If you have any questions about this application, please reach out to the Registrar's Office. If you are completing a standalone certificate within CGS (ie. not pursuing anything else outside of a CGS certificate) and unable to access the graduation application in Peoplesoft, please contact cgsgrad@pitt.edu in order to be granted access.
Please note that all students that have applied for graduation are listed under the "Applied" status until final certification occurs and the Registrar's Office awards degrees to transcripts. Furthermore, please note that this status is not controlled by our office. Our office would only reach out to students if there is an issue found with your application for graduation.
Note that while you are applied for graduation, you will not be able to register for courses past your expected graduation term. If your plans change to no longer graduate for the term that you applied for, it is important that you notify cgsgrad@pitt.edu as soon as possible to have you removed from graduation so that you will then be able to register for courses in the upcoming semester(s).
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE COLLEGE OF GENERAL STUDIES DOES NOT OFFER A MAY OR JUNE GRADUATION.
You should only be submitting an application if you will be completing ALL of your graduation requirements by the conclusion of your final semester.
If after submitting your graduation application, you need to make any changes to your academic plans, or wish to remove yourself from graduation, you must contact cgsgrad@pitt.edu.
Any name or mailing address changes after submitting the application, must go to the Registrar's Office.
Deadlines for Submitting Graduation Applications:
Please note that starting on June 1st, there will be a $25 late fee due to the Registrar's Office in order to be able to apply for August 2025 graduation. This fee is not-refundable.
August 2025: Friday, August 1st (FINAL DEADLINE)
December 2025: Friday, September 12th
Graduation Surveys
Students seeking to graduate with a degree and/or a certificate from CGS must complete the CGS Exit survey in addition to their graduation application and the University of Pittsburgh graduation survey:
Note: The CGS Exit Survey will ask you to authenticate with your current Pitt credentials. If you are certificate only student who does not have an assigned advisor, please contact the advising team at cgsadv@pitt.edu.
Graduation and Commencement
Graduation occurs at the end of each of the terms: fall, spring, and summer. Final grades are available a week after the end of the term.
There are two commencement ceremonies held each year: one at the end of the Spring semester in April or May (for Spring graduates) and one at the end of the Fall semester in December (for Summer and Fall graduates).
Graduates will be invited to the relevant university-wide Commencement ceremony offered through the Office of Special Events. Inquires related to the commencement ceremony should be directed to their office.
In addition to these University-wide commencement ceremonies, the College of General Studies hosts a senior send-off event prior to the commencement ceremony to celebrate our students' hard work and successes during their studies at CGS. Details about the CGS Senior Send-off celebration are usually available 1-2 months prior to the event and announced on our website and via email.
Graduation Honors
Those members of a graduating class who have attained an outstanding scholastic record and have taken at least 60 letter-grade credits while enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh graduate with honors. There are three levels of honors depending on a student's GPA: cum laude (3.25), magna cum laude (3.5), and summa cum laude (3.75).
Honors Convocation
Honors Convocation is celebrated annually to recognize faculty and students who have received awards of academic achievement and distinction. The University-wide ceremony is held during the spring term. Students invited to participate include University Scholars who represent the top 2 percent of graduates, seniors, and juniors; Chancellor’s Scholars; and initiates to honors societies like Alpha Sigma Lambda.