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Students who have completed 90 semester hours or more are eligible to apply for graduation online. It is strongly recommended that eligible students apply for graduation at least one full year before they intend to graduate. (See information about deadlines below)
To initiate this process, a student must sign on to their PAWS account, click on "Student," then "Apply for Graduation." Once a student is on the Applications and Degrees page, click "New Application" listed under Graduation Term and follow instructions given on that page.
Make sure that the correct major is listed as well as any applicable minors. Any minors that are not officially declared will not appear on your transcript following graduation. Be sure to click "Submit Application" when finished.
Once the application is submitted online, the student will receive an email sent to their EIU account with instructions to run and view the audit in PAWS within 2-3 weeks.
The Degree Audit will indicate graduation requirements completed as well as those still remaining. Students can access their Degree Audit online through PAWS. However, the online audit is not official until after the student has applied for graduation and their records are reviewed by the certification officer.
Students must apply or reapply for graduation prior to the deadlines established for any given semester. Those deadlines are:
Your student account will be automatically billed a $40 application fee. There is no fee for any reapplications.
Students who have applied for graduation, but need to change their date of graduation or diploma information, must reapply for graduation online (see published deadline dates). No additional fees are charged for reapplying. Students only wanting to change minor or catalog year must notify Lori Brewer to make that change.
This is done through the same process as the initial Application for Graduation detailed above. However, when on the "Applications and Degrees" page, click on the previous application submitted which is listed by graduation term.
Questions should be directed to Lori Brewer via email at ldbrewer@eiu.edu or telephone at (217) 353-2255.
Requests for participation in a commencement ceremony by exceptionality, may be granted according to the following guidelines:
Those who qualify for participation in a commencement ceremony by exceptionality must complete a Commencement By Exceptionality Form and submit to Lori Brewer at ldbrewer@eiu.edu, prior to the following deadlines:
The Commencement Office will mail a postcard to the home address of students whose names appear on the official graduation list and also to those approved to participate by exceptionality. The postcard will indicate the date of the ceremony and will refer students to the Commencement link on EIU's homepage for further information regarding graduation times, tickets, cap/gown ordering information, etc. Questions concerning the commencement ceremony should be directed to the Commencement Office at (217) 581-6892.
It is the student's responsibility to notify the Office of the Registrar and the Bachelor of General Studies certification officer (Lori Brewer) at (217) 353-2255 of any courses being taken at other institutions which will complete the requirements for graduation.
Official transcripts documenting the completion of those courses must be in the Office of the Registrar (Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920) prior to the Deadline to Complete Graduation Requirements for the current semester. This date can be found on the Academic Calendar.
The diploma will not be given to the student and the conferral of the degree will not be recorded on the student's permanent record until all such documents have been received. If the student does not complete all graduation requirements at the end of the grading period, he/she must reapply for graduation online for a later semester/term.
At the end of each semester, or summer term, and once all graduation requirements have been verified by the college certification officer, the student's name is forwarded to the Office of the Registrar as having completed all graduation requirements. The degree/major/option/ concentration/minor information is then entered on the student's transcript in the Office of the Registrar.
An official transcript can be requested by the student through the Office of the Registrar when verification of graduation is needed.
Regardless of participation in a commencement ceremony, no student will be certified for graduation and awarded a degree and diploma until the college certification officer has provided the Office of the Registrar with official verification of the completion of all degree requirements.
Diploma covers are handed out at commencement ceremonies. After all graduation requirements have been verified by the college certification officer, the student's official diploma is mailed to the student, at the address indicated on the Application/ Reapplication for Graduation, approximately 6-8 weeks after the semester ends. Inquiries concerning diplomas should be directed to the Office of the Registrar at (217) 581-3511. You must have a clear record in order to receive a diploma or transcript.
Additional information can be found online at https://www.eiu.edu/registra/graduation.php or in the Academic Handbook.
To be eligible for a degree with distinction, a student must have completed at least 56 semester hours of coursework through Eastern Illinois University and must satisfy the required grade point average.
Eligible students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.90 to 4.00 are graduated summa cum laude; those with a cumulative GPA of 3.80 through 3.89 are graduated magna cum laude, and those with a cumulative GPA of 3.65 through 3.79 are graduated cum laude.
Students who qualify for degrees with distinction wear an appropriate chevron as part of their academic attire at commencement and their names appear in the commencement program as being awarded Degrees with Distinction.
All grades earned at EIU are counted in computing the cumulative GPA. Grades earned during the final grading period are not used for compiling the tentative list developed for commencement. Transcript notations of graduating cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude are based on the student’s total cumulative GPA, including the final grading period.
Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) is an honor society for adult students in higher education. Membership is by invitation only. Students must be in the top 20 percent of their major and they need to have earned at least 24 hours through EIU.
An induction ceremony is held on campus each year whereby students take the membership pledge and receive the opportunity to purchase an honor cord which may be worn during the commencement ceremony.
The Dean’s List at Eastern Illinois University recognizes undergraduate students who achieve a GPA of 3.80 - 4.00 while completing a minimum of 12 graded semester hours, excluding credit/no credit grades. The Dean’s List is generated in the fall and spring semesters only.
