Log into iCollege and select the College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Success module. Review the welcome announcement carefully.  In the module, you will find short videos that will walk you through the graduation clearance process. After you review the videos and other materials in the Graduation Success module, reach out to your advisor if you have further questions.

Unsure of which questions are appropriate for your college advisor or your graduate director? Here are some examples of questions you should consider:

Q’s for your advisor: 

• What is the minimum GPA to graduate?
• Will holds prevent me from graduating?
• What do I do if I won’t finish my program requirements this term?

Q’s for your department or Graduate Director: 

• What are the specific program requirements for completing my non-thesis capstone project or thesis/dissertation research?
• What do I do if I won’t finish my program requirements this term?

If you have additional questions about the process, please contact your college advisor.

Check your Degree Works Academic Evaluation to ensure that you are on track to graduate, as it is the definitive record for graduation clearance. All course blocks should be satisfied. This also includes any transfer credit from another institution, as well as any approved course substitutions. If you notice any discrepancies, please contact your academic advisor in the Office of Graduate Services.

If you have questions about your coursework, please contact your academic program advisor in your home department.

Your Degree Works academic evaluation will also reflect the completion of all required non-course milestones. All of these milestone forms, with the exception of the final Thesis/Dissertation/Non-Thesis Approval Form, should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Services no later than the midpoint of your final semester. Click here to view the current semester's graduation deadlines.

Details regarding which non-course milestones are required for your program and how to submit proof of completion to the Office of Graduate Services can be found on our Required Milestones page. Forms should be submitted to the Office of Graduates Services immediately upon completion.

If you have any questions about non-course milestones, please contact your advisor in the Office of Graduate Services.

Master’s Thesis and PhD Candidates Only
Your master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation must be formatted according to the College of Arts and Sciences guidelines and submitted for approval by the posted deadlines.

Use of one of the approved templates is a mandatory requirement for all thesis and dissertation submissions. Each template is pre-formatted according to the College formatting guidelines and has comments explaining each required section.

The Office of Graduate Services offers formatting workshops and open formatting labs to guide you and answer any questions you may have.  

Submit an Embargo Request, if necessary 

You may request to restrict access to your thesis or dissertation using our embargo request form. Submit an embargo request form prior to uploading your thesis or dissertation to the ScholarWorks ETD.

The Office of Graduate Services will ensure that the request has the support of your program’s graduate director as well as the college’s Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs. Please contact your college advisor for more information.  

You’re almost done! Schedule and successfully defend your thesis, dissertation, or final project with your committee by the recommended deadline. The process for obtaining and submitting your final project approval form can be found under the "Final Project Forms" section of our Required Milestones page (also listed below). Once your approval has been processed, you will see this reflected as complete on your Degreeworks academic evaluation.

For Master’s Non-thesis
For Master’s Non-thesis students, research competence is demonstrated on the basis of a research paper or creative project. After the successful completion of your non-thesis or capstone project, submit your final approval form to the Office of Graduate Services.

For Master’s Thesis and PhD 
There are two options for submitting your thesis/dissertation approval. Find options and detailed submission instructions here.

The College of Arts & Sciences requires that all graduating students complete brief exit surveys. The surveys will ask questions regarding your experience as a graduate student at Georgia State as well as your future plans. It is important to take the surveys at the end of the semester following the submission of your final project. See below for required surveys:

• Doctoral Graduate Surveys:
  • Survey of Earned Doctorates(attach your certificate of completion to the College of Arts & Sciences Exit Survey)
  • College of Arts & Sciences Exit Survey
• Master's Graduate Survey:
  • College of Arts & Sciences Exit Survey

Congratulations on completing your degree!

Questions about degree conferral or your diploma? Check out the Graduation Office's website containing answers to frequently asked questions.